485BPOS 1 d485bpos.htm COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST I Columbia Funds Series Trust I
Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 26, 2010.

Registration Nos. 2-99356

811-04367

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
  UNDER THE  
  SECURITIES ACT OF 1933   x
  Pre-Effective Amendment No.   ¨
  Post-Effective Amendment No. 102   x
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
  UNDER  
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
  Amendment No. 103   x

 

 

COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST I

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

One Financial Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111

(Address of Principal Executive Officers) (Zip Code)

617-426-3750

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

James R. Bordewick, Jr., Esq.

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

One Financial Center

Boston, Massachusetts 02111

 

 

with a copy to:

 

John M. Loder, Esq.   Bruce A. Rosenblum, Esq.
Ropes & Gray LLP   K&L Gates LLP
One International Place   1615 L St, N.W., Suite 1200
Boston, Massachusetts 02110   Washington, DC, 20036

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective:

  ¨ Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
  x on March 1, 2010 pursuant to paragraph (b)
  ¨ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
  ¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
  ¨ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
  ¨ on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

If appropriate, check the following box:

  ¨ this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

This Post-Effective Amendment relates solely to the Registrant’s Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund, Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund, Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund, Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund and Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund series. Information contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statement relating to any other series of the Registrant is neither amended nor superseded hereby.

 

 

 


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbols

Class A Shares LCTAX

Class B Shares LCTBX

Class C Shares LCTCX

 

NOT FDIC INSURED   May Lose Value     The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
NOT BANK ISSUED   No Bank Guarantee    


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
Choosing a Share Class   16
   

Comparison of the Share Classes

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  17
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  20
   

Distribution and Service Fees

  22
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  23
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   24
   

Share Price Determination

  24
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  25
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  29
   
Distributions and Taxes   33
   
Financial Highlights   37
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   40

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates - Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal income tax and, to the extent possible, from Connecticut individual income tax, as is consistent with relative stability of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 17 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class A Shares     Class B Shares     Class C Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    3.25%      N/A      N/A   
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    1.00% (a)    3.00% (b)    1.00% (c) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares  
Management fees    0.55%    0.55%    0.55%   
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.25%    1.00%    1.00%   
Other expenses(d)    0.14%    0.14%    0.14%   
Acquired fund fees and expenses    0.01%    0.01%    0.01%   
Total annual Fund operating expenses(e)    0.95%    1.70%    1.70%   

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class A shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

This charge decreases over time. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(c)

This charge applies to investors who buy Class C shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(d)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

(e)

“Total annual Fund operating expenses” do not match “Net Expenses” in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus, which does not include, among other things, fees and expenses incurred as a result of investment in shares of certain pooled investment vehicles.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class A Shares      $ 419      $ 618      $ 833      $ 1,453
Class B Shares                    
Assuming no redemption      $ 173      $ 536      $ 923      $ 1,810
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period      $ 473      $ 736      $ 923      $ 1,810
Class C Shares                    
Assuming no redemption      $ 173      $ 536      $ 923      $ 2,009
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period      $ 273      $ 536      $ 923      $ 2,009

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 12% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and Connecticut individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of Connecticut and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, by other qualified issuers and by mutual funds that invest in such securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer than can a diversified fund.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

 

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of a municipal security can be significantly affected by


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in Connecticut municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of Connecticut and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of Connecticut municipal securities to meet their obligations. Connecticut is facing economic and fiscal challenges brought on by the current recession, such as a past and projected budget and services deficits and falling employment, among other issues. The Governor and the General Assembly continue to take actions designed to address these challenges and consider various corrective actions for them, including, but not limited to, the elimination or reduction of state services, increases in state taxes and reduction of aid to municipalities. In addition, several municipalities in Connecticut are facing similar economic and fiscal challenges as well. Rising costs, slow tax collections and the possibility for a reduction in state aid have caused several municipalities to consider reductions of services and programs, and increases in taxes and fees. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of Connecticut will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to Connecticut municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be

   

vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in

   

derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Non-Diversified Mutual Fund Risk – The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of more diversified funds. The Fund may not operate as a non-diversified fund at all times.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown for Class A, Class B and Class C shares include the returns of the Galaxy Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund (the Galaxy Connecticut Fund), the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to November 18, 2002, the date on which Class A, Class B and Class C shares were initially offered by the Fund, and the returns of the Boston 1784 Connecticut Tax-Exempt Income Fund, the predecessor to the Galaxy Connecticut Fund, for periods prior to June 26, 2000. The returns shown have not been adjusted to reflect differences in expenses. If differences in expenses were reflected, the returns shown for Class B and Class C shares for periods prior to November 18, 2002 would be lower. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

Year by Year Total Return (%)

as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class A shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

LOGO

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns

During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   4.62%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.44%

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding.

 

     1 year    5 years    10 years
Class A shares returns before taxes    5.37%    2.00%    3.79%
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions    5.37%    2.00%    3.79%
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    4.66%    2.19%    3.77%
Class B shares returns before taxes    5.07%    2.24%    3.61%
Class C shares returns before taxes    7.45%    2.60%    3.87%
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46%    4.49%    5.60%

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs. The after-tax returns are shown only for the Class A shares, and will vary for other share classes.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2002.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class A, Class B and Class C shares range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class A, Class B or Class C shares. Subject to certain limited exceptions, the Fund no longer accepts investments in Class B shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example,

it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions including, for example, investments in money market


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.48% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2002.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067%

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

 

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims under the federal securities laws and state common law, and

that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Comparison of the Share Classes

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers three classes of shares in this prospectus: Class A, Class B and Class C shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class A, Class B and Class C shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares
Eligible Investors and Minimum Initial
Investments(a)
   Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.    The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange as described in more detail under Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares - Class B Shares Closing.    Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.
Investment Limits    none    up to $49,999 (based on aggregate account value)(b)    up to $999,999
Conversion Features    none    convert to Class A shares eight years after purchase    none
Front-End Sales Charges(c)    3.25% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more    none    none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)(c)    none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase    3.00% maximum, gradually declining to 0.00% after four years    1.00% on investments sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees(d)    0.25% service fee   

0.75% distribution fee

0.25% service fee

  

0.75% distribution fee

0.25% service fee

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of these share classes.

 

(b)

The value of your account, for this purpose, includes the value of all eligible accounts held by you and your “immediate family.” See the discussion about account value aggregation and eligible accounts in Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information. The amount of Class B shares purchased through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange is not included in the calculation to determine whether your account has reached the $49,999 limit.

 

(c)

See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(d)

This is the maximum applicable distribution and service fee. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for

   example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class A shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

 

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n  The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n  The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class A shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
  

Sales charge as a %

of the offering price(b)

    

Sales charge as a %

of the net amount invested(b)

    

Amount retained by or paid to

selling and/or servicing agents

as a % of the offering price

 
$0 – $99,999    3.25    3.36    3.00
$100,000 – $249,999    2.50    2.56    2.25
$250,000 – $499,999    2.00    2.04    1.75
$500,000 – $999,999    1.50    1.52    1.25
$1,000,000 or more    0.00    0.00    1.00 %(c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

17


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class A Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class A shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class A shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class A share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class A shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class A shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class A shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 3.00% of the offering price per share when you buy Class A shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class A shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class A Shares – Commission Schedule

Purchase Amount   

Commission Level

(as a % of net asset

value per share)

$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00%
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50%
$50 million or more    0.25%

 

FUNDamentals™

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.

Class B and Class C Shares – Sales Charges

You don’t pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class B or Class C shares, but you may pay a CDSC when you sell Class B or Class C shares.

The CDSC on Class B and Class C shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower,

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions, and

 

n  

generally declines each year until there is no sales charge for selling shares.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which your purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class B or Class C shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest.


 

18


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class B Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class B shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details. The CDSC you pay on Class B shares depends on how long you’ve held your shares:

 

Class B Shares – CDSC Schedule

Number of Years
Class B Shares Held
  

Applicable

CDSC

One    3.00%
Two    3.00%
Three    2.00%
Four    1.00%
Five    none
Six    none
Seven    none
Eight    none
Nine    Conversion to Class A Shares

If you are an investor who purchased Class B shares prior to their being closed (except for certain limited transactions), the Distributor paid an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 2.75% of the net asset value per share when you bought the Class B shares. The Distributor continues to seek to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.

Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares after you’ve owned them for eight years. This conversion feature allows you to benefit from the lower operating costs of Class A shares, which can help increase your total returns from an investment in the Fund.

The following rules apply to the conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares:

 

n  

Class B shares are converted on or about the 15th day of the month that they become eligible for conversion.

 

n  

Any shares you received from reinvested distributions on these shares generally will convert to Class A shares at the same time.

n  

You’ll receive the same dollar value of Class A shares as the Class B shares that were converted. Class B shares that you received from an exchange of Class B shares of another Columbia Fund will convert based on the day you bought the original shares.

 

n  

No sales charge or other charges apply, and conversions are free from federal income tax.

Class C Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC of 1.00% if you sell Class C shares within one year of buying them unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details.

The Distributor pays an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 1.00% of the net asset value per share when you buy Class C shares. The Distributor seeks to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC applied when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.


 

19


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class A shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class A shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

 

FUNDamentals™

Your “Immediate Family” and
Account Value Aggregation

 

For purposes of reaching the Class B shares investment limits described in Choosing a Share Class – Comparison of the Share Classes and obtaining a Class A shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all applicable shares in eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, stepchild, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

20


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class A shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.


 

21


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Distribution and Service Fees

Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, distribution and shareholder servicing plans which set the distribution and service fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or eligible selling and/or servicing agents for selling shares of the Fund and providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.

The table below shows the maximum annual distribution and service fees (as an annual % of average daily net assets) and the combined amount of such fees applicable to each share class:

 

Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees

    

Distribution

Fee

  

Service

Fee

  

Combined

Total

 
Class A       0.25%    0.25%   
Class B    0.75%    0.25%    1.00%   
Class C    0.75%    0.25%    1.00% (a) 

 

(a)

The Distributor has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of the distribution fee for Class C shares so that the combined distribution and service fees do not exceed 0.65% annually. This arrangement may be modified or terminated by the Distributor at any time.

The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the distribution and/or shareholder servicing plans continue. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.


 

22


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average

aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send

you written notification in advance of any automatic sale, which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading

policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

 

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Eligible Investors

Class A and Class C shares are available to the general public for investment. Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class A and Class C shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Class B Shares Closing

The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except for certain limited transactions involving existing investors in Class B shares as described in more detail below.

Additional Class B shares will be issued only to existing investors in Class B shares and only through the following two types of transactions (Qualifying Transactions):

 

n  

Dividends and/or capital gain distributions may continue to be reinvested in Class B shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Shareholders invested in Class B shares of the Fund may exchange those shares for Class B shares of other Columbia Funds offering such shares.

Any initial purchase orders for the Fund’s Class B shares will be rejected (other than through a Qualifying Transaction that is an exchange transaction).

Unless contrary instructions are received in advance by the Fund, purchase orders (except those submitted by a financial intermediary through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) as described in more detail below) for additional Class B shares of the Fund received from existing

investors in Class B shares, including orders made through an active systematic investment plan, will be invested in Class A shares of the Fund, without regard to the normal minimum initial investment for Class A shares, but subject to the front-end sales charge that generally applies to Class A shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-end Sales Charge for additional information.

Additional purchase orders for a Fund’s Class B shares by an existing Class B shareholder, submitted by such shareholder’s financial intermediary through the NSCC, will be rejected due to operational limitations of the NSCC. Investors should consult their financial advisor if they wish to invest in the Fund by purchasing a share class of the Fund other than Class B shares.

In addition, dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will no longer be automatically invested in Class B shares of another Columbia Fund. Unless contrary instructions are received in advance of the date of declaration, such dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will be reinvested in Class B shares of the same Columbia Fund that is making the distribution.

Minimum Initial Investments

The minimum initial investment for Class A and Class C shares is $2,500 for regular accounts and $1,000 for individual retirement plans (including traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts) and non-omnibus group retirement plans. For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50. There is no minimum initial investment for Class A or Class C shares bought through omnibus accounts, wrap accounts or health savings accounts, although your selling and/or servicing agent may impose its own investment minimum. For group retirement plans, the minimum initial investment and minimum additional investment are determined based on the plan’s investment rather than that of its individual participants.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class A or Class C shares.


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares – Class B Shares Closing for restrictions applicable to Class B shares.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class A shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class A shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

n  

You buy Class B and Class C shares at net asset value per share because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of these share classes.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class A, Class B or Class C shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap


 

30


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class A, Class B or Class C shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.


 

31


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange, except that when Class B shares are exchanged for Class Z shares, any CDSC charges applicable to Class B shares will be applied. Ordinarily,

shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/ or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

32


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

34


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of Connecticut and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to Connecticut personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

   

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

35


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

36


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights tables are designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class A Shares

     

Year Ended

October 31,

2009

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2008

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2007

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2006

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2005

 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $10.06      $10.62      $10.76      $10.69      $11.04   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)    0.35      0.37      0.36      0.36      0.37   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.63      (0.55   (0.15   0.07      (0.35
Total from Investment Operations    0.98      (0.18   0.21      0.43      0.02   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.35   (0.38   (0.35   (0.36   (0.37
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $10.69      $10.06      $10.62      $10.76      $10.69   
Total Return(b)    9.87 %(c)    (1.80 )%(c)    2.03   4.13   0.15 %(c) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(d)    0.78   0.75   1.06   1.00   0.94
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.16   0.21             %(e) 
Net Investment Income(d)    3.35   3.55   3.35   3.41   3.38
Portfolio Turnover Rate    12   4   10   10   9
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $10,863      $12,115      $2,566      $7,586      $10,701   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(e)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

37


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class B Shares

     

Year Ended

October 31,

2009

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2008

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2007

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2006

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2005

 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $10.06      $10.62      $10.76      $10.69      $11.04   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)    0.28      0.30      0.28      0.28      0.29   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.62      (0.56   (0.15   0.07      (0.35
Total from Investment Operations    0.90      (0.26   0.13      0.35      (0.06
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.27   (0.30   (0.27   (0.28   (0.29
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $10.69      $10.06      $10.62      $10.76      $10.69   
Total Return(b)    9.05 %(c)    (2.52 )%(c)    1.27   3.35   (0.60 )%(c) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(d)    1.53   1.50   1.81   1.75   1.69
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.16   0.21             %(e) 
Net Investment Income(d)    2.62   2.86   2.58   2.66   2.63
Portfolio Turnover Rate    12   4   10   10   9
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $1,995      $2,528      $2,767      $3,941      $5,039   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(e)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

38


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class C Shares

     

Year Ended

October 31,

2009

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2008

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2007

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2006

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2005

 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $10.06      $10.62      $10.76      $10.69      $11.04   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)    0.31      0.34      0.31      0.32      0.32   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.63      (0.56   (0.14   0.07      (0.35
Total from Investment Operations    0.94      (0.22   0.17      0.39      (0.03
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.31   (0.34   (0.31   (0.32   (0.32
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $10.69      $10.06      $10.62      $10.76      $10.69   
Total Return(b)(c)    9.43   (2.18 )%    1.63   3.72   (0.25 )% 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(d)    1.18   1.15   1.46   1.40   1.34
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.51   0.56   0.35   0.35   0.35
Net Investment Income(d)    2.94   3.20   2.93   3.01   2.98
Portfolio Turnover Rate    12   4   10   10   9
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $8,047      $6,203      $4,993      $6,436      $8,780   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

39


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The charts show the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in each share class of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The charts also assume that all dividends and distributions are reinvested and that Class B shares convert to Class A shares after eight years. The annual expense ratio used for each share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the charts and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The charts shown below reflect the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class A Shares

   
            
Maximum Initial Sales Charge 3.25%   Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
   

Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After

Fees and Expenses

  Annual Fees
and
Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   0.95%   0.67% (b)    $10,066.84   $418.77
2   10.25%   0.95%   4.75%      $10,474.54   $97.57
3   15.76%   0.95%   8.99%      $10,898.76   $101.52
4   21.55%   0.95%   13.40%      $11,340.16   $105.63
5   27.63%   0.95%   17.99%      $11,799.44   $109.91
6   34.01%   0.95%   22.77%      $12,277.32   $114.36
7   40.71%   0.95%   27.75%      $12,774.55   $119.00
8   47.75%   0.95%   32.92%      $13,291.92   $123.82
9   55.13%   0.95%   38.30%      $13,830.24   $128.83
10   62.89%   0.95%   43.90%      $14,390.37   $134.05
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses      $4,390.37    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid          $1,453.46

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

40


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class B Shares

Maximum Initial Sales Charge 0.00%   Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
 

Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After

Fees and Expenses

  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   1.70%   3.30%   $10,330.00   $172.81
2   10.25%   1.70%   6.71%   $10,670.89   $178.51
3   15.76%   1.70%   10.23%   $11,023.03   $184.40
4   21.55%   1.70%   13.87%   $11,386.79   $190.48
5   27.63%   1.70%   17.63%   $11,762.55   $196.77
6   34.01%   1.70%   21.51%   $12,150.72   $203.26
7   40.71%   1.70%   25.52%   $12,551.69   $209.97
8   47.75%   1.70%   29.66%   $12,965.90   $216.90
9   55.13%   0.95%   34.91%   $13,491.02   $125.67
10   62.89%   0.95%   40.37%   $14,037.40   $130.76
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $4,037.40    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid       $1,809.53

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class C Shares

Maximum Initial Sales Charge 0.00%   Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
 

Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After

Fees and Expenses

  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   1.70%   3.30%   $10,330.00   $172.81
2   10.25%   1.70%   6.71%   $10,670.89   $178.51
3   15.76%   1.70%   10.23%   $11,023.03   $184.40
4   21.55%   1.70%   13.87%   $11,386.79   $190.48
5   27.63%   1.70%   17.63%   $11,762.55   $196.77
6   34.01%   1.70%   21.51%   $12,150.72   $203.26
7   40.71%   1.70%   25.52%   $12,551.69   $209.97
8   47.75%   1.70%   29.66%   $12,965.90   $216.90
9   55.13%   1.70%   33.94%   $13,393.77   $224.06
10   62.89%   1.70%   38.36%   $13,835.77   $231.45
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $3,835.77    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid       $2,008.61

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

41


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

42


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

43


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class A, Class B and Class C Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc. P.O. Box 8081 Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34117-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbol

Class T Shares GCBAX

 

NOT FDIC INSURED   May Lose Value     The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
NOT BANK ISSUED   No Bank Guarantee    


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
About Class T Shares   16
   

Description of the Share Class

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  17
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  19
   

Shareholder Service Fees

  21
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  22
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   23
   

Share Price Determination

  23
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  24
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  28
   
Distributions and Taxes   31
   
Financial Highlights   35
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   36

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO    Investment Objective

The Fund seeks as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal income tax and, to the extent possible, from Connecticut individual income tax, as is consistent with relative stability of principal.

LOGO    Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class T shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the About Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 17 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class T Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    4.75
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    1.00 %(a) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class T Shares  
Management fees    0.55
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.00
Other expenses(b)    0.29
Acquired fund fees and expenses    0.01
Total annual Fund operating expenses(c)    0.85

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class T shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See About Class T Shares – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

(c)

“Total annual Fund operating expenses” do not match “Net Expenses” in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus, which does not include, among other things, fees and expenses incurred as a result of investment in shares of certain pooled investment vehicles.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class T shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class T Shares      $ 558      $ 733      $ 924      $ 1,474

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 12% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO    Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and Connecticut individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of Connecticut and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, by other qualified issuers and by mutual funds that invest in such securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer than can a diversified fund.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

 

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

a municipal security can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in Connecticut municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of Connecticut and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of Connecticut municipal securities to meet their obligations. Connecticut is facing economic and fiscal challenges brought on by the current recession, such as a past and projected budget and services deficits and falling employment, among other issues. The Governor and the General Assembly continue to take actions designed to address these challenges and consider various corrective actions for them, including, but not limited to, the elimination or reduction of state services, increases in state taxes and reduction of aid to municipalities. In addition, several municipalities in Connecticut are facing similar economic and fiscal challenges as well. Rising costs, slow tax collections and the possibility for a reduction in state aid have caused several municipalities to consider reductions of services and programs, and increases in taxes and fees. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of Connecticut will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to Connecticut municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are

   

backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction

   

counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Non-Diversified Mutual Fund Risk – The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of more diversified funds. The Fund may not operate as a non-diversified fund at all times.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO    Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown include the returns of the Galaxy Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund (the Galaxy Connecticut Fund), the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to November 18, 2002, the date on which Class T shares were initially offered by the Fund and the returns of the Boston 1784 Connecticut Tax-Exempt Income Fund, the predecessor to the Galaxy Connecticut Fund, for periods prior to June 26, 2000. The returns shown have not been adjusted to reflect differences in expenses. If differences in expenses were reflected, the returns shown for periods prior to November 18, 2002 would be lower. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class T shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   4.65%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.41%

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding.

 

     1 year     5 years     10 years  
Class T shares returns before taxes    3.80   2.11   3.87
Class T shares returns after taxes on distributions    3.80   2.11   3.87
Class T shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    3.66   2.29   3.85
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46   4.49   5.60

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2002.


Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. There are no minimum initial or minimum additional investments for Class T shares, but Class T shares are available for purchase only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds). You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example,

it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions including, for example, investments in money market


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.48% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2002.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   0.067%

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

 

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims

under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Description of the Share Class

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers one class of shares in this prospectus: Class T shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class T shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class T Shares
Eligible Investors(a)    The share class is available only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds).
Investment Limits    none
Conversion Features    none
Front-End Sales Charges(b)    4.75% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)(b)    none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Service Fees    service fees of up to 0.40%(c)

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of this share class.

 

(b)

See About Class T Shares – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(c)

See About Class T Shares – Shareholder Service Fees for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include,

   for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class T shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See About Class T Shares – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

 

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n  The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n  The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See About Class T Shares – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class T shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
    

Sales charge as a %

of the offering price(b)

    

Sales charge as a %

of the net amount invested(b)

    

Amount retained by or paid to

selling and/or servicing agents

as a % of the offering price

 
$0 – $49,999      4.75%      4.99%      4.25%   
$50,000 – $99,999      4.50%      4.71%      3.75%   
$100,000 – $249,999      3.50%      3.63%      2.75%   
$250,000 – $499,999      2.50%      2.56%      2.00%   
$500,000 – $999,999      2.00%      2.04%      1.75%   
$1,000,000 or more      0.00%      0.00%      1.00% (c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

17


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Class T Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class T shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class T shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class T share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class T shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class T shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class T shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 4.25% of the offering price per share when you buy Class T shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class T shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class T Shares – Commission Schedule

Purchase Amount   

Commission Level

(as a % of net asset

value per share)

$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00%
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50%
$50 million or more    0.25%

 

FUNDamentals

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.


 

18


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class T shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class T shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

 

FUNDamentals

Your “Immediate Family” and
Account Value Aggregation

 

For purposes of obtaining a Class T shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, step-child, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

19


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class T shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class T shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.


 

20


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Shareholder Service Fees

The Fund has adopted a shareholder services plan that permits it to pay for certain services provided to Class T shareholders by their selling and/or servicing agents. The Fund may pay shareholder service fees up to an aggregate annual rate of 0.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T shares (comprised of an annual rate of up to 0.20% for shareholder liaison services and up to 0.20% for administrative support services), but such fees will not exceed the Fund’s net investment income attributable to Class T shares. The Fund currently limits such fees to an aggregate annual rate of not more than 0.15% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T shares for shareholder liaison services and administrative support services.

Over time, these fees will reduce the return on your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The Fund will pay these fees to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the shareholder servicing plan continues. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.


 

21


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average

aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

22


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send

you written notification in advance of any automatic sale, which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Share Class Closing

Class T shares of Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund are available for purchase only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds).

Eligible Investors

If you have an eligible account, you can buy Class T shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class T shares.

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when

you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class T shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class T shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class T shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class T shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class T shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class T shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

 

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange. Ordinarily, shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/ or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

30


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

31


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

32


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of Connecticut and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to Connecticut personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

   

your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.

 

FUNDamentals

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

34


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class T Shares

     Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period   $10.06      $10.62      $10.76      $10.69      $11.04   
Income from Investment Operations:          
Net Investment Income(a)   0.36      0.39      0.37      0.37      0.38   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts   0.63      (0.56   (0.15   0.07      (0.35
Total from Investment Operations   0.99      (0.17   0.22      0.44      0.03   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:          
From Net Investment Income   (0.36   (0.39   (0.36   (0.37   (0.38
Net Asset Value, End of Period   $10.69      $10.06      $10.62      $10.76      $10.69   
Total Return(b)   9.98 %(c)    (1.68 )%(c)    2.14   4.23   0.25 %(c) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:          
Net Expenses(d)   0.68   0.65   0.96   0.90   0.84
Waiver/Reimbursement   0.16   0.21             %(e) 
Net Investment Income(d)   3.46   3.71   3.43   3.51   3.48
Portfolio Turnover Rate   12   4   10   10   9
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)   $16,889      $17,461      $19,753      $22,676      $25,418   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(e)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

35


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The chart shows the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class T shares of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The chart also assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The annual expense ratio used for the share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the chart and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The chart shown below reflects the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class T Shares

Maximum Initial Sales Charge 4.75%   Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
   

Hypothetical

Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses

  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   0.85%   -0.80% (b)    $9,920.29   $557.64
2   10.25%   0.85%   3.32%      $10,331.98   $86.07
3   15.76%   0.85%   7.61%      $10,760.76   $89.64
4   21.55%   0.85%   12.07%      $11,207.33   $93.36
5   27.63%   0.85%   16.72%      $11,672.43   $97.24
6   34.01%   0.85%   21.57%      $12,156.84   $101.27
7   40.71%   0.85%   26.61%      $12,661.35   $105.48
8   47.75%   0.85%   31.87%      $13,186.79   $109.85
9   55.13%   0.85%   37.34%      $13,734.04   $114.41
10   62.89%   0.85%   43.04%      $14,304.01   $119.16
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses      $4,304.01    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $1,474.12

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

36


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

37


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

38


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

39


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class T Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc. P.O. Box 8081 Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


 

©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34118-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbol

Class Z Shares SCTEX

 

NOT FDIC INSURED   May Lose Value     The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
NOT BANK ISSUED   No Bank Guarantee    


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
About Class Z Shares   16
   

Description of the Share Class

  16
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  17
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   18
   

Share Price Determination

  18
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  19
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  23
   
Distributions and Taxes   27
   
Financial Highlights   31
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   32

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates - Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal income tax and, to the extent possible, from Connecticut individual income tax, as is consistent with relative stability of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class Z Shares
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    N/A
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    N/A

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class Z Shares
Management fees    0.55%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.00%
Other expenses(a)    0.14%
Acquired fund fees and expenses    0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(b)    0.70%

 

(a)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

(b)

“Total annual Fund operating expenses” do not match “Net Expenses” in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus, which does not include, among other things, fees and expenses incurred as a result of investment in shares of certain pooled investment vehicles.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class Z shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class Z Shares      $ 72      $ 224      $ 390      $ 871

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 12% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and Connecticut individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of Connecticut and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, by other qualified issuers and by mutual funds that invest in such securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer than can a diversified fund.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

 

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of a municipal security can be significantly affected by


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in Connecticut municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of Connecticut and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of Connecticut municipal securities to meet their obligations. Connecticut is facing economic and fiscal challenges brought on by the current recession, such as a past and projected budget and services deficits and falling employment, among other issues. The Governor and the General Assembly continue to take actions designed to address these challenges and consider various corrective actions for them, including, but not limited to, the elimination or reduction of state services, increases in state taxes and reduction of aid to municipalities. In addition, several municipalities in Connecticut are facing similar economic and fiscal challenges as well. Rising costs, slow tax collections and the possibility for a reduction in state aid have caused several municipalities to consider reductions of services and programs, and increases in taxes and fees. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of Connecticut will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to Connecticut municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be

   

vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do

   

so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Non-Diversified Mutual Fund Risk – The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of more diversified funds. The Fund may not operate as a non-diversified fund at all times.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown include the returns of the Galaxy Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund (the Galaxy Connecticut Fund), the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to November 18, 2002, the date on which Class Z shares were initially offered by the Fund and the returns of the Boston 1784 Connecticut Tax-Exempt Income Fund, the predecessor to the Galaxy Connecticut Fund, for periods prior to June 26, 2000. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class Z shares has varied from year to year.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   4.69%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.37%

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding.

 

     1 year     5 years     10 years  
Class Z shares returns before taxes    9.15   3.26   4.54
Class Z shares returns after taxes on distributions    9.15   3.26   4.54
Class Z shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    7.25   3.32   4.47
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46   4.49   5.60

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2002.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class Z shares of the Fund range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class Z shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The

Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

including, for example, investments in money market instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.

 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.48% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2002.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067%

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

 

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims under the federal securities laws and state common law, and

that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

About Class Z Shares

 

Description of the Share Class

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers one class of shares in this prospectus: Class Z shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class Z shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class Z Shares

Eligible Investors and

Minimum Initial

Investments

   Class Z shares are available only to certain eligible investors, which are subject to different minimum initial investment requirements. These minimum initial investment amounts range from $0 to $2,500. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for details.
Investment Limits    none
Conversion Features    none
Front-End Sales Charges    none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)    none
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees    none

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors,

   third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

About Class Z Shares

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average

aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

17


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

18


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from


 

19


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale,

which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the


 

20


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum


 

21


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

22


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class Z shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer. Class Z shares are only available to the categories of eligible investors described below, each of which is subject to its own minimum initial investment requirements.

Minimum Initial Investments

There is no minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors:

 

n  

Any person investing all or part of the proceeds of a distribution, rollover or transfer of assets into a Columbia Management Individual Retirement Account, from any deferred compensation plan which was a shareholder of any of the funds of Columbia Acorn Trust (formerly named Liberty Acorn Trust) on September 29, 2000, in which the investor was a participant and through which the investor invested in one or more of the funds of Columbia Acorn Trust immediately prior to the distribution, transfer or rollover.

 

n  

Any health savings account sponsored by a third party platform, including those sponsored by Bank of America affiliates, and any omnibus group retirement plan for which a financial intermediary or other entity provides services and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than in the form of payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

 

n  

Any investor participating in a wrap program sponsored by a financial intermediary or other entity that is paid an asset-based fee by the investor and that is not compensated

   

by the Fund for those services, other than payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

The minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors is $1,000:

 

n  

Any individual retirement plan (assuming the eligibility criteria below are met) or group retirement plan that is not held in an omnibus manner for which a financial intermediary or other entity provides services and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than in the form of payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

The minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors is $2,500:

 

n  

Any client of Bank of America or one of its subsidiaries buying shares through an asset management company, trust, fiduciary, retirement plan administration or similar arrangement with Bank of America or the subsidiary.

 

n  

Any investor buying shares through a Columbia Management state tuition plan organized under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

n  

Any shareholder (as well as any family member of a shareholder or person listed on an account registration for any account of the shareholder) of another fund distributed by the Distributor (i) who holds Class Z shares; (ii) who held Primary A shares prior to the share class redesignation of Primary A shares as Class Z shares that occurred on August 22, 2005; (iii) who holds Class A shares that were obtained by an exchange of Class Z shares; or (iv) who bought shares of certain mutual funds that were not subject to sales charges and that merged with another fund distributed by the Distributor.

 

n  

Any trustee or director (or family member of a trustee or director) of a fund distributed by the Distributor.

 

n  

Any employee (or family member of an employee) of Bank of America or one of its subsidiaries.

 

n  

Any investor participating in an account offered by a financial intermediary or other entity that provides services to such an account, is paid an asset-based fee by the investor and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent (each investor buying shares through a financial


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

   

intermediary must independently satisfy the minimum investment requirement noted above).

 

n  

Any institutional investor who is a corporation, partnership, trust, foundation, endowment, institution, government entity, or similar organization, which meets the respective qualifications for an accredited investor, as defined under the Securities Act of 1933.

 

n  

Certain financial institutions and intermediaries, such as insurance companies, trust companies, banks, endowments, investment companies or foundations, buying shares for their own account, including Bank of America and its affiliates and/or subsidiaries.

For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class Z shares.

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

 

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated net asset value per share.

 

n  

You generally buy Class Z shares at net asset value because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of this share class.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class Z shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class Z shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class Z shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share.

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.


 

26


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

27


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

28


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of Connecticut and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to Connecticut personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on


 

29


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

   

your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

30


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class Z Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period      $10.06        $10.62        $10.76        $10.69        $11.04   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)      0.38        0.41        0.38        0.39        0.39   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts      0.63        (0.56     (0.14     0.07        (0.35
Total from Investment Operations      1.01        (0.15     0.24        0.46        0.04   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income      (0.38     (0.41     (0.38     (0.39     (0.39
Net Asset Value, End of Period      $10.69        $10.06        $10.62        $10.76        $10.69   
Total Return(b)      10.14 %(c)      (1.53 )%(c)      2.29     4.39     0.40 %(c) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(d)      0.53     0.50     0.81     0.75     0.69
Waiver/Reimbursement      0.16     0.21                   %(e) 
Net Investment Income(d)      3.60     3.86     3.58     3.65     3.63
Portfolio Turnover Rate      12     4     10     10     9
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $ 200,830      $ 169,072      $ 138,817      $ 138,865      $ 134,144   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(e)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

31


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The chart shows the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class Z shares of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The chart also assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The annual expense ratio used for the share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the chart and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

 

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class Z Shares

  Maximum Initial Sales Charge 0.00%    

Initial Hypothetical Investment

Amount $10,000.00

  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
  Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   0.70%   4.30%   $10,430.00   $71.51
2   10.25%   0.70%   8.78%   $10,878.49   $74.58
3   15.76%   0.70%   13.46%   $11,346.27   $77.79
4   21.55%   0.70%   18.34%   $11,834.15   $81.13
5   27.63%   0.70%   23.43%   $12,343.02   $84.62
6   34.01%   0.70%   28.74%   $12,873.77   $88.26
7   40.71%   0.70%   34.27%   $13,427.35   $92.05
8   47.75%   0.70%   40.05%   $14,004.72   $96.01
9   55.13%   0.70%   46.07%   $14,606.92   $100.14
10   62.89%   0.70%   52.35%   $15,235.02   $104.45
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $5,235.02    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid       $870.54

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

32


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

33


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

34


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

35


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class Z Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc. P.O. Box 8081 Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


 

©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34404-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

 

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbols

Class A Shares LITAX

Class B Shares LITBX

Class C Shares LITCX

LOGO

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.



Table of Contents

 

Table of Contents    
   
Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
Choosing a Share Class   16
   

Comparison of the Share Classes

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  18
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  21
   

Distribution and Service Fees

  23
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  24
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   25
   

Share Price Determination

  25
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  26
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  30
   
Distributions and Taxes   34
   
Financial Highlights   38
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   41

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of
Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax, consistent with preservation of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 18 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class A Shares     Class B Shares     Class C Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    3.25   N/A      N/A   
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    1.00 %(a)    3.00 %(b)    1.00 %(c) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares  
Management fees    0.48%    0.48%    0.48%   
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.20%    0.85%    0.85%   
Other expenses(d)    0.07%    0.07%    0.07%   
Total annual Fund operating expenses    0.75%    1.40%    1.40%   

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class A shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

This charge decreases over time. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(c)

This charge applies to investors who buy Class C shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(d)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

     1 year    3 years    5 years    10 years
Class A Shares    $ 399    $ 557    $ 728    $ 1,225
Class B Shares            
Assuming no redemption    $ 143    $ 443    $ 766    $ 1,502
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period    $ 443    $ 643    $ 766    $ 1,502
Class C Shares            
Assuming no redemption    $ 143    $ 443    $ 766    $ 1,680
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period    $ 243    $ 443    $ 766    $ 1,680

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 23% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax). These securities are issued by states and their political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, by other qualified issuers and by mutual funds that invest in such securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances,

or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing

   

authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown for Class A, Class B and Class C shares include the returns of the Galaxy Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (the Galaxy Fund), the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to November 25, 2002, the date on which Class A, Class B and Class C shares were initially offered by the Fund, and the returns of the Boston 1784 Tax-Exempt Medium-Term Income Fund, the predecessor to the Galaxy Fund, for periods prior to June 26, 2000. The returns shown have not been adjusted to reflect differences in expenses. If differences in expenses were reflected, the returns shown for Class B and Class C shares for periods prior to November 25, 2002 would be lower. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

Year by Year Total Return (%)

as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class A shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   6.15%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.44%

 

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding.

 

     1 year     5 years     10 years  
Class A shares returns before taxes    6.43   2.22   4.02
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions    6.43   2.22   4.01
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    5.46   2.41   3.99
Class B shares returns before taxes    6.34   2.56   3.94
Class C shares returns before taxes    8.83   3.02   4.27
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46   4.49   5.60

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs. The after-tax returns are shown only for the Class A shares, and will vary for other share classes.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class A, Class B and Class C shares range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class A, Class B or Class C shares. Subject to certain limited exceptions, the Fund no longer accepts investments in Class B shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example,

it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions including, for example, investments in money market


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.41% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067%

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

 

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On

September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Comparison of the Share Classes

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers three classes of shares in this prospectus: Class A, Class B and Class C shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class A, Class B and Class C shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares
Eligible Investors and
Minimum Initial
Investments
(a)
   Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.    The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange as described in more detail under Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares - Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares - Class B Shares Closing.    Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.
Investment Limits    none    up to $49,999 (based on aggregate account value)(b)    up to $999,999
Conversion Features    none    convert to Class A shares eight years after purchase    none
Front-End Sales Charges(c)    3.25% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more    none    none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)(c)    none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase    3.00% maximum, gradually declining to 0.00% after four years    1.00% on investments sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees(d)    0.20% service fee   

0.65% distribution fee

0.20% service fee

  

0.65% distribution fee

0.20% service fee

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of these share classes.

 

(b)

The value of your account, for this purpose, includes the value of all eligible accounts held by you and your “immediate family.” See the discussion about account value aggregation and eligible accounts in Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information. The amount of Class B shares purchased through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange is not included in the calculation to determine whether your account has reached the $49,999 limit.

 

(c)

See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(d)

This is the maximum applicable distribution and service fee. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for more information.

 

16


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for

   example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

17


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class A shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n  The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n  The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class A shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
  

Sales charge as a %

of the offering price(b)

    

Sales charge as a %

of the net amount invested(b)

    

Amount retained by or paid to

selling and/or servicing agents

as a % of the offering price

 
$0 – $99,999    3.25    3.36    3.00
$100,000 – $249,999    2.50    2.56    2.25
$250,000 – $499,999    2.00    2.04    1.75
$500,000 – $999,999    1.50    1.52    1.25
$1,000,000 or more    0.00    0.00    1.00 %(c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

18


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class A Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class A shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class A shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class A share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class A shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class A shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class A shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 3.00% of the offering price per share when you buy Class A shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class A shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class A Shares – Commission Schedule

Purchase Amount   

Commission Level

(as a % of net asset

value per share)

 
$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50
$50 million or more    0.25

 

FUNDamentalsTM

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.

Class B and Class C Shares – Sales Charges

You don’t pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class B or Class C shares, but you may pay a CDSC when you sell Class B or Class C shares.

The CDSC on Class B and Class C shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower,

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions, and

 

n  

generally declines each year until there is no sales charge for selling shares.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which your purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class B or Class C shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest.


 

19


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class B Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class B shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details. The CDSC you pay on Class B shares depends on how long you’ve held your shares:

 

Class B Shares - CDSC Schedule

Number of Years
Class B Shares Held
  

Applicable

CDSC

One    3.00%
Two    3.00%
Three    2.00%
Four    1.00%
Five    none
Six    none
Seven    none
Eight    none
Nine    Conversion to Class A Shares

If you are an investor who purchased Class B shares prior to their being closed (except for certain limited transactions), the Distributor paid an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 2.75% of the net asset value per share when you bought the Class B shares. The Distributor continues to seek to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.

Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares after you’ve owned them for eight years. This conversion feature allows you to benefit from the lower operating costs of Class A shares, which can help increase your total returns from an investment in the Fund.

The following rules apply to the conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares:

 

n  

Class B shares are converted on or about the 15th day of the month that they become eligible for conversion.

 

n  

Any shares you received from reinvested distributions on these shares generally will convert to Class A shares at the same time.

n  

You’ll receive the same dollar value of Class A shares as the Class B shares that were converted. Class B shares that you received from an exchange of Class B shares of another Columbia Fund will convert based on the day you bought the original shares.

 

n  

No sales charge or other charges apply, and conversions are free from federal income tax.

Class C Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC of 1.00% if you sell Class C shares within one year of buying them unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details.

The Distributor pays an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 1.00% of the net asset value per share when you buy Class C shares. The Distributor seeks to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC applied when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.


 

20


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class A shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class A shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

 

FUNDamentalsTM

Your “Immediate Family” and

Account Value Aggregation

 

For purposes of reaching the Class B shares investment limits described in Choosing a Share Class – Comparison of the Share Classes and obtaining a Class A shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all applicable shares in eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, stepchild, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

21


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class A shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.


 

22


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Distribution and Service Fees

Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, distribution and shareholder servicing plans which set the distribution and service fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or eligible selling and/or servicing agents for selling shares of the Fund and providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.

The table below shows the maximum annual distribution and service fees (as an annual % of average daily net assets) and the combined amount of such fees applicable to each share class:

 

Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees

     Distribution
Fee
    Service
Fee
    Combined
Total
 
Class A         0.20   0.20
Class B    0.65   0.20   0.85
Class C    0.65   0.20   0.85 %(a) 

 

(a)

The Distributor has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of the distribution fee for Class C shares so that the combined distribution and service fees do not exceed 0.40% annually. This arrangement may be modified or terminated by the Distributor at any time.

The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the distribution and/or shareholder servicing plans continue. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.


 

23


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average

aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion

signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale, which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your

accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Eligible Investors

Class A and Class C shares are available to the general public for investment. Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class A and Class C shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Class B Shares Closing

The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except for certain limited transactions involving existing investors in Class B shares as described in more detail below.

Additional Class B shares will be issued only to existing investors in Class B shares and only through the following two types of transactions (Qualifying Transactions):

 

n  

Dividends and/or capital gain distributions may continue to be reinvested in Class B shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Shareholders invested in Class B shares of the Fund may exchange those shares for Class B shares of other Columbia Funds offering such shares.

Any initial purchase orders for the Fund’s Class B shares will be rejected (other than through a Qualifying Transaction that is an exchange transaction).

Unless contrary instructions are received in advance by the Fund, purchase orders (except those submitted by a financial intermediary through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) as described in more detail below) for additional Class B shares of the Fund received from existing

investors in Class B shares, including orders made through an active systematic investment plan, will be invested in Class A shares of the Fund, without regard to the normal minimum initial investment for Class A shares, but subject to the front-end sales charge that generally applies to Class A shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-end Sales Charge for additional information.

Additional purchase orders for a Fund’s Class B shares by an existing Class B shareholder, submitted by such shareholder’s financial intermediary through the NSCC, will be rejected due to operational limitations of the NSCC. Investors should consult their financial advisor if they wish to invest in the Fund by purchasing a share class of the Fund other than Class B shares.

In addition, dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will no longer be automatically invested in Class B shares of another Columbia Fund. Unless contrary instructions are received in advance of the date of declaration, such dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will be reinvested in Class B shares of the same Columbia Fund that is making the distribution.

Minimum Initial Investments

The minimum initial investment for Class A and Class C shares is $2,500 for regular accounts and $1,000 for individual retirement plans (including traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts) and non-omnibus group retirement plans. For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50. There is no minimum initial investment for Class A or Class C shares bought through omnibus accounts, wrap accounts or health savings accounts, although your selling and/or servicing agent may impose its own investment minimum. For group retirement plans, the minimum initial investment and minimum additional investment are determined based on the plan’s investment rather than that of its individual participants.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class A or Class C shares.


 

30


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares – Class B Shares Closing for restrictions applicable to Class B shares.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class A shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class A shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

n  

You buy Class B and Class C shares at net asset value per share because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of these share classes.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class A, Class B or Class C shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap


 

31


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class A, Class B or Class C shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed. Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.


 

32


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange, except that when Class B shares are exchanged for Class Z shares, any CDSC charges applicable to Class B shares will be applied. Ordinarily, shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/ or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

 

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

34


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

35


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified

   

dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

36


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.

 


 

37


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights tables are designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class A Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005(a)
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $9.62      $10.22      $10.39      $10.31      $10.72   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(b)    0.37      0.38      0.38      0.38      0.38   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.60      (0.60   (0.17   0.10      (0.33
Total from Investment Operations    0.97      (0.22   0.21      0.48      0.05   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.37   (0.38   (0.38   (0.38   (0.39
From Net Realized Gains                   (0.02   (0.07
Total Distributions to Shareholders    (0.37   (0.38   (0.38   (0.40   (0.46
Increase from Regulatory Settlements    (c)                      
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $10.22      $9.62      $10.22      $10.39      $10.31   
Total Return(d)(e)    10.19   (2.25 )%    2.08   4.76   0.45
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(f)    0.73   0.70   0.70   0.70   0.81
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.01   0.02   0.02   0.05   0.01
Net Investment Income(f)    3.66   3.76   3.72   3.74   3.67
Portfolio Turnover Rate    23   14   25   18   21
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $85,642      $78,126      $89,905      $102,899      $70,711   

 

(a)

On September 23, 2005, the Columbia Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond Fund was renamed Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.

 

(b)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(c)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(d)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(e)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(f)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

38


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class B Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005(a)
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $9.62      $10.22      $10.39      $10.31      $10.72   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net investment income(b)    0.30      0.32      0.32      0.32      0.32   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.60      (0.60   (0.18   0.09      (0.34
Total from Investment Operations    0.90      (0.28   0.14      0.41      (0.02
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.30   (0.32   (0.31   (0.31   (0.32
From Net Realized Gains                   (0.02   (0.07
Total Distributions to Shareholders    (0.30   (0.32   (0.31   (0.33   (0.39
Increase from Regulatory Settlements    (c)                      
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $10.22      $9.62      $10.22      $10.39      $10.31   
Total Return(d)(e)    9.48   (2.88 )%    1.42   4.09   (0.20 )% 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(f)    1.38   1.35   1.35   1.35   1.46
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.01   0.02   0.02   0.05   0.01
Net Investment Income(f)    3.03   3.11   3.07   3.10   3.02
Portfolio Turnover Rate    23   14   25   18   21
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $5,294      $5,874      $8,133      $12,203      $7,040   

 

(a)

On September 23, 2005, the Columbia Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond Fund was renamed Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.

 

(b)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(c)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(d)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(e)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(f)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

39


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class C Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005(a)
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $9.62      $10.22      $10.39      $10.31      $10.72   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(b)    0.35      0.36      0.36      0.36      0.36   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.60      (0.60   (0.17   0.10      (0.33
Total from Investment Operations    0.95      (0.24   0.19      0.46      0.03   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.35   (0.36   (0.36   (0.36   (0.37
From Net Realized Gains                   (0.02   (0.07
Total Distributions to Shareholders    (0.35   (0.36   (0.36   (0.38   (0.44
Increase from Regulatory Settlements    (c)                      
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $10.22      $9.62      $10.22      $10.39      $10.31   
Total Return(d)(e)    9.97   (2.45 )%    1.88   4.55   0.25
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(f)    0.93   0.90   0.90   0.90   1.01
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.46   0.47   0.47   0.50   0.46
Net Investment Income(f)    3.45   3.56   3.52   3.55   3.47
Portfolio Turnover Rate    23   14   25   18   21
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $17,304      $12,625      $10,506      $11,796      $8,318   

 

(a)

On September 23, 2005, the Columbia Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond Fund was renamed Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.

 

(b)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(c)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(d)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(e)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(f)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

40


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The charts show the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in each share class of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The charts also assume that all dividends and distributions are reinvested and that Class B shares convert to Class A shares after eight years. The annual expense ratio used for each share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the charts and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The charts shown below reflect the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class A Shares

Maximum Initial Sales

Charge 3.25%

  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
    Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   0.75%   0.86% (b)    $10,086.19   $399.10
2   10.25%   0.75%   5.15%      $10,514.85   $77.25
3   15.76%   0.75%   9.62%      $10,961.73   $80.54
4   21.55%   0.75%   14.28%      $11,427.61   $83.96
5   27.63%   0.75%   19.13%      $11,913.28   $87.53
6   34.01%   0.75%   24.20%      $12,419.59   $91.25
7   40.71%   0.75%   29.47%      $12,947.43   $95.13
8   47.75%   0.75%   34.98%      $13,497.69   $99.17
9   55.13%   0.75%   40.71%      $14,071.34   $103.38
10   62.89%   0.75%   46.69%      $14,669.37   $107.78
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses      $4,669.37    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $1,225.09

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

41


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class B Shares

Maximum Initial Sales

Charge 0.00%

  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
  Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   1.40%   3.60%   $10,360.00   $142.52
2   10.25%   1.40%   7.33%   $10,732.96   $147.65
3   15.76%   1.40%   11.19%   $11,119.35   $152.97
4   21.55%   1.40%   15.20%   $11,519.64   $158.47
5   27.63%   1.40%   19.34%   $11,934.35   $164.18
6   34.01%   1.40%   23.64%   $12,363.99   $170.09
7   40.71%   1.40%   28.09%   $12,809.09   $176.21
8   47.75%   1.40%   32.70%   $13,270.22   $182.56
9   55.13%   0.75%   38.34%   $13,834.20   $101.64
10   62.89%   0.75%   44.22%   $14,422.16   $105.96
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $4,422.16    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $1,502.25

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class C Shares

Maximum Initial Sales

Charge 0.00%

  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
  Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   1.40%   3.60%   $10,360.00   $142.52
2   10.25%   1.40%   7.33%   $10,732.96   $147.65
3   15.76%   1.40%   11.19%   $11,119.35   $152.97
4   21.55%   1.40%   15.20%   $11,519.64   $158.47
5   27.63%   1.40%   19.34%   $11,934.35   $164.18
6   34.01%   1.40%   23.64%   $12,363.99   $170.09
7   40.71%   1.40%   28.09%   $12,809.09   $176.21
8   47.75%   1.40%   32.70%   $13,270.22   $182.56
9   55.13%   1.40%   37.48%   $13,747.95   $189.13
10   62.89%   1.40%   42.43%   $14,242.87   $195.94
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $4,242.87    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $1,679.72

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

42


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

43

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class A, Class B and Class C Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds
c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 8081
Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34407-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbol

Class T Shares GIMAX

LOGO

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
About Class T Shares   16
   

Description of the Share Class

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  17
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  19
   

Shareholder Service Fees

  21
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  22
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   23
   

Share Price Determination

  23
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  24
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  28
   
Distributions and Taxes   31
   
Financial Highlights   35
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   36

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates - Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax, consistent with preservation of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class T shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the About Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 17 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class T Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    4.75%   
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    1.00% (a) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class T Shares
Management fees    0.48%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.00%
Other expenses(b)    0.22%
Total annual Fund operating expenses    0.70%

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class T shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See About Class T Shares – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class T shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class T Shares      $ 543      $ 688      $ 846      $ 1,304

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 23% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax). These securities are issued by states and their political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, by other qualified issuers and by mutual funds that invest in such securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances,

or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic

   

conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown include the returns of the Galaxy Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (the Galaxy Fund), the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to November 25, 2002, the date on which Class T shares were initially offered by the Fund and the returns of the Boston 1784 Tax-Exempt Medium-Term Income Fund, the predecessor to the Galaxy Fund, for periods prior to June 26, 2000. The returns shown have not been adjusted to reflect differences in expenses. If differences in expenses were reflected, the returns shown for periods prior to November 25, 2002 would be lower. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Year by Year Total Return (%)

as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class T shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns

During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   6.17%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.43%

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding.

 

     1 year    5 years    10 years
Class T shares returns before taxes    4.91%    2.27%    4.06%
Class T shares returns after taxes on distributions    4.91%    2.27%    4.05%
Class T shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    4.47%    2.47%    4.03%
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46%    4.49%    5.60%

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. There are no minimum initial or minimum additional investments for Class T shares, but Class T shares are available for purchase only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds). You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The

Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

including, for example, investments in money market instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.

 


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.41% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067%

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

 

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

 

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On

September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Description of the Share Class

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers one class of shares in this prospectus: Class T shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class T shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class T Shares
Eligible Investors(a)    The share class is available only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds).
Investment Limits    none
Conversion Features    none
Front-End Sales Charges(b)    4.75% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)(b)    none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Service Fees    service fees of up to 0.40%(c)

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of this share class.

 

(b)

See About Class T Shares – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(c)

See About Class T Shares – Shareholder Service Fees for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors,

   third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class T shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See About Class T Shares – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

 

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n  The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n  The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See About Class T Shares – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class T shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
   Sales charge as a %
of the offering price(b)
     Sales charge as a %
of the net amount invested(b)
     Amount retained by or paid to
selling and/or servicing agents
as a % of the offering price
 
$0 – $49,999    4.75%      4.99%      4.25%   
$50,000 – $99,999    4.50%      4.71%      3.75%   
$100,000 – $249,999    3.50%      3.63%      2.75%   
$250,000 – $499,999    2.50%      2.56%      2.00%   
$500,000 – $999,999    2.00%      2.04%      1.75%   
$1,000,000 or more    0.00%      0.00%      1.00% (c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

17


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Class T Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class T shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class T shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class T share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class T shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class T shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class T shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 4.25% of the offering price per share when you buy Class T shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class T shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class T Shares – Commission Schedule

Purchase Amount    Commission Level
(as a % of net asset
value per share)
$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00%
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50%
$50 million or more    0.25%

 

FUNDamentals™

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.


 

18


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class T shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class T shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

 

FUNDamentals™

Your “Immediate Family” and
Account Value Aggregation

 

For purposes of obtaining a Class T shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, step-child, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

19


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class T shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class T shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.

 


 

20


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Shareholder Service Fees

The Fund has adopted a shareholder services plan that permits it to pay for certain services provided to Class T shareholders by their selling and/or servicing agents. The Fund may pay shareholder service fees up to an aggregate annual rate of 0.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T shares (comprised of an annual rate of up to 0.20% for shareholder liaison services and up to 0.20% for administrative support services), but such fees will not exceed the Fund’s net investment income attributable to Class T shares. The Fund currently limits such fees to an aggregate annual rate of not more than 0.15% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T shares for shareholder liaison services and administrative support services.

Over time, these fees will reduce the return on your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The Fund will pay these fees to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the shareholder servicing plan continues. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.

 


 

21


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average

aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

22


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale, which will provide details on how you may avoid such an

automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Share Class Closing

Class T shares of Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund are available for purchase only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds).

Eligible Investors

If you have an eligible account, you can buy Class T shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class T shares.

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details.

 

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class T shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class T shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class T shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class T shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class T shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class T shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

 

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange. Ordinarily, shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/ or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

30


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

31


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.

 


 

32


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital

   

gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

34


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class T Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007(a)
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005(b)
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $9.62      $10.22      $10.39      $10.31      $10.72   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net investment income(c)    0.37      0.39      0.39      0.39      0.39   
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments and futures contracts    0.60      (0.60   (0.17   0.10      (0.34
Total from investment operations    0.97      (0.21   0.22      0.49      0.05   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From net investment income    (0.37   (0.39   (0.39   (0.39   (0.39
From net realized gains                   (0.02   (0.07
Total distributions to shareholders    (0.37   (0.39   (0.39   (0.41   (0.46
Increase from regulatory settlements    (d)                      
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $10.22      $9.62      $10.22      $10.39      $10.31   
Total return(e)(f)    10.25   (2.20 )%    2.14   4.81   0.50
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net expenses(g)    0.68   0.65   0.65   0.65   0.76
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.01   0.02   0.02   0.05   0.01
Net investment income(g)    3.72   3.81   3.77   3.80   3.72
Portfolio turnover rate    23   14   25   18   21
Net assets, end of period (000s)    $10,462      $10,786      $13,170      $14,998      $17,261   

 

(a)

On August 8, 2007, Class G shares were exchanged for Class T shares.

 

(b)

On September 23, 2005, the Columbia Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond Fund was renamed Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.

 

(c)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(d)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(e)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(f)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(g)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

35


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The chart shows the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class T shares of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The chart also assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The annual expense ratio used for the share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the chart and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The chart shown below reflects the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class T Shares

Maximum Initial Sales Charge
4.75%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
    Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   0.70%   -0.65% (b)    $9,934.58   $543.11
2   10.25%   0.70%   3.62%      $10,361.76   $71.04
3   15.76%   0.70%   8.07%      $10,807.32   $74.09
4   21.55%   0.70%   12.72%      $11,272.03   $77.28
5   27.63%   0.70%   17.57%      $11,756.73   $80.60
6   34.01%   0.70%   22.62%      $12,262.27   $84.07
7   40.71%   0.70%   27.90%      $12,789.55   $87.68
8   47.75%   0.70%   33.39%      $13,339.50   $91.45
9   55.13%   0.70%   39.13%      $13,913.10   $95.38
10   62.89%   0.70%   45.11%      $14,511.36   $99.49
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses      $4,511.36    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $1,304.19

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

36


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

37

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

38

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

39

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class T Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds
c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 8081
Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34120-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbol

Class Z Shares SETMX

LOGO

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
About Class Z Shares   16
   

Description of the Share Class

  16
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  17
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   18
   

Share Price Determination

  18
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  19
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  23
   
Distributions and Taxes   27
   
Financial Highlights   31
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   32

 

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates - Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO  Investment Objective

The Fund seeks current income exempt from federal income tax, consistent with preservation of principal.

LOGO  Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class Z Shares
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    N/A
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    N/A

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class Z Shares
Management fees    0.48%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.00%
Other expenses(a)    0.07%
Total annual Fund operating expenses    0.55%

 

(a)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class Z shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

     1 year    3 years    5 years    10 years

Class Z Shares

   $ 56    $ 176    $ 307    $ 689

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 23% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax). These securities are issued by states and their political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, by other qualified issuers and by mutual funds that invest in such securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances,

or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic

   

conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown include the returns of the Galaxy Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (the Galaxy Fund), the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to November 25, 2002, the date on which Class Z shares were initially offered by the Fund and the returns of the Boston 1784 Tax-Exempt Medium-Term Income Fund, the predecessor to the Galaxy Fund, for periods prior to June 26, 2000. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Year by Year Total Return (%)

as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class Z shares has varied from year to year.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns

During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   6.20%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.39%

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding.

 

     1 year    5 years    10 years
Class Z shares returns before taxes    10.27%    3.43%    4.74%
Class Z shares returns after taxes on distributions    10.27%    3.43%    4.72%
Class Z shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    8.08%    3.49%    4.66%
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46%    4.49%    5.60%

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class Z shares of the Fund range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class Z shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example,

it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions including, for example, investments in money market


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.41% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067%

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

 

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims under the federal securities laws and state common law, and

that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

About Class Z Shares

 

Description of the Share Class

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers one class of shares in this prospectus: Class Z shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class Z shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class Z Shares
Eligible Investors and Minimum Initial Investments    Class Z shares are available only to certain eligible investors, which are subject to different minimum initial investment requirements. These minimum initial investment amounts range from $0 to $2,500. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for details.
Investment Limits    none
Conversion Features    none
Front-End Sales Charges    none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)    none
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees    none

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for example,

   brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

About Class Z Shares

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with

certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

17


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close

of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

18


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from


 

19


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale,

which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the


 

20


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum


 

21


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

22


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class Z shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer. Class Z shares are only available to the categories of eligible investors described below, each of which is subject to its own minimum initial investment requirements.

Minimum Initial Investments

There is no minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors:

 

n  

Any person investing all or part of the proceeds of a distribution, rollover or transfer of assets into a Columbia Management Individual Retirement Account, from any deferred compensation plan which was a shareholder of any of the funds of Columbia Acorn Trust (formerly named Liberty Acorn Trust) on September 29, 2000, in which the investor was a participant and through which the investor invested in one or more of the funds of Columbia Acorn Trust immediately prior to the distribution, transfer or rollover.

 

n  

Any health savings account sponsored by a third party platform, including those sponsored by Bank of America affiliates, and any omnibus group retirement plan for which a financial intermediary or other entity provides services and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than in the form of payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

 

n  

Any investor participating in a wrap program sponsored by a financial intermediary or other entity that is paid an

   

asset-based fee by the investor and that is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

The minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors is $1,000:

 

n  

Any individual retirement plan (assuming the eligibility criteria below are met) or group retirement plan that is not held in an omnibus manner for which a financial intermediary or other entity provides services and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than in the form of payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

The minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors is $2,500:

 

n  

Any client of Bank of America or one of its subsidiaries buying shares through an asset management company, trust, fiduciary, retirement plan administration or similar arrangement with Bank of America or the subsidiary.

 

n  

Any investor buying shares through a Columbia Management state tuition plan organized under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

n  

Any shareholder (as well as any family member of a shareholder or person listed on an account registration for any account of the shareholder) of another fund distributed by the Distributor (i) who holds Class Z shares; (ii) who held Primary A shares prior to the share class redesignation of Primary A shares as Class Z shares that occurred on August 22, 2005; (iii) who holds Class A shares that were obtained by an exchange of Class Z shares; or (iv) who bought shares of certain mutual funds that were not subject to sales charges and that merged with another fund distributed by the Distributor.

 

n  

Any trustee or director (or family member of a trustee or director) of a fund distributed by the Distributor.

 

n  

Any employee (or family member of an employee) of Bank of America or one of its subsidiaries.

 

n  

Any investor participating in an account offered by a financial intermediary or other entity that provides services to such an account, is paid an asset-based fee by the investor and is not compensated by the Fund for those


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

   

services, other than payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent (each investor buying shares through a financial intermediary must independently satisfy the minimum investment requirement noted above).

 

n  

Any institutional investor who is a corporation, partnership, trust, foundation, endowment, institution, government entity, or similar organization, which meets the respective qualifications for an accredited investor, as defined under the Securities Act of 1933.

 

n  

Certain financial institutions and intermediaries, such as insurance companies, trust companies, banks, endowments, investment companies or foundations, buying shares for their own account, including Bank of America and its affiliates and/or subsidiaries.

For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class Z shares.

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

 

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated net asset value per share.

 

n  

You generally buy Class Z shares at net asset value because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of this share class.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class Z shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class Z shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class Z shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share.

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.


 

26


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

27


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

28


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital

   

gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

29


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

30


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class Z Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005(a)
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period      $9.62        $10.22        $10.39        $10.31        $10.72   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(b)      0.39        0.40        0.40        0.40        0.40   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts      0.60        (0.60     (0.17     0.10        (0.33
Total from Investment Operations      0.99        (0.20     0.23        0.50        0.07   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income      (0.39     (0.40     (0.40     (0.40     (0.41
From Net Realized Gains                           (0.02     (0.07
Total Distributions to Shareholders      (0.39     (0.40     (0.40     (0.42     (0.48
Increase from Regulatory Settlements      (c)                             
Net Asset Value, End of Period      $10.22        $9.62        $10.22        $10.39        $10.31   
Total Return(d)(e)      10.41     (2.05 )%      2.29     4.97     0.65
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(f)      0.53     0.50     0.50     0.50     0.61
Waiver/Reimbursement      0.01     0.02     0.02     0.05     0.01
Net Investment Income(f)      3.87     3.96     3.92     3.94     3.87
Portfolio Turnover Rate      23     14     25     18     21
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $ 2,384,815      $ 2,310,978      $ 2,207,710      $ 2,331,279      $ 2,063,124   

 

(a)

On September 23, 2005, the Columbia Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond Fund was renamed Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.

 

(b)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(c)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(d)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested.

 

(e)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(f)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

31


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The chart shows the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class Z shares of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The chart also assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The annual expense ratio used for the share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the chart and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

 

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class Z Shares

Maximum Initial Sales

Charge 0.00%

 

Initial Hypothetical Investment

Amount $10,000.00

  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
  Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   0.55%   4.45%   $10,445.00   $56.22
2   10.25%   0.55%   9.10%   $10,909.80   $58.73
3   15.76%   0.55%   13.95%   $11,395.29   $61.34
4   21.55%   0.55%   19.02%   $11,902.38   $64.07
5   27.63%   0.55%   24.32%   $12,432.03   $66.92
6   34.01%   0.55%   29.85%   $12,985.26   $69.90
7   40.71%   0.55%   35.63%   $13,563.10   $73.01
8   47.75%   0.55%   41.67%   $14,166.66   $76.26
9   55.13%   0.55%   47.97%   $14,797.08   $79.65
10   62.89%   0.55%   54.56%   $15,455.55   $83.19
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $5,455.55    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $689.29

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

32


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

33

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

34

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

35

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class Z Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds
c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 8081
Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


 

©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34210-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

 

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbols

Class A Shares LMIAX

Class B Shares LMIBX

Class C Shares LMICX

 

NOT FDIC INSURED   May Lose Value     The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
NOT BANK ISSUED   No Bank Guarantee    


Table of Contents

 

 
Table of Contents
   
Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
Choosing a Share Class   16
   

Comparison of the Share Classes

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  17
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  20
   

Distribution and Service Fees

  22
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  23
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   24
   

Share Price Determination

  24
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  25
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  29
   
Distributions and Taxes   33
   
Financial Highlights   36
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   39

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of
Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal income tax and, to the extent possible, from Massachusetts individual income tax, as is consistent with relative stability of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 17 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class A Shares     Class B Shares     Class C Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    3.25%      N/A      N/A   
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    1.00% (a)    3.00% (b)    1.00% (c) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares  
Management fees    0.55%    0.55%    0.55%   
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.25%    1.00%    1.00%   
Other expenses(d)    0.11%    0.11%    0.11%   
Acquired fund fees and expenses    0.01%    0.01%    0.01%   
Total annual Fund operating expenses(e)    0.92%    1.67%    1.67%   

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class A shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

This charge decreases over time. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(c)

This charge applies to investors who buy Class C shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(d)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

(e)

“Total annual Fund operating expenses” do not match “Net Expenses” in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus, which does not include, among other things, fees and expenses incurred as a result of investment in shares of certain pooled investment vehicles.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class A Shares      $ 416      $ 609      $ 818      $ 1,420
Class B Shares                    
Assuming no redemption      $ 170      $ 526      $ 907      $ 1,777
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period      $ 470      $ 726      $ 907      $ 1,777
Class C Shares                    
Assuming no redemption      $ 170      $ 526      $ 907      $ 1,976
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period      $ 270      $ 526      $ 907      $ 1,976

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 8% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and Massachusetts individual income tax. These securities are issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, by other qualified issuers and by mutual funds that invest in such securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer than can a diversified fund.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the

security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

 

impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of a municipal security can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in Massachusetts municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of Massachusetts and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of Massachusetts municipal securities to meet their obligations. From time to time, including in recent fiscal years, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its various agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions have experienced significant financial difficulties. In particular, the Commonwealth has experienced revenue shortfalls. The Commonwealth has taken various actions designed to address such difficulties, including, but not limited to, making spending reductions, placing a greater reliance on federal support and making transfers from the state’s stabilization fund. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of Massachusetts will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to Massachusetts municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to

   

raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative

   

investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Non-Diversified Mutual Fund Risk – The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of more diversified funds. The Fund may not operate as a non-diversified fund at all times.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown for Class A, Class B and Class C shares include the returns of the Galaxy Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund (the Galaxy Massachusetts Fund), the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to December 9, 2002, the date on which Class A, Class B and Class C shares were initially offered by the Fund, and the returns of the Boston 1784 Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Income Fund, the predecessor to the Galaxy Massachusetts Fund, for periods prior to June 26, 2000. The returns shown have not been adjusted to reflect differences in expenses. If differences in expenses were reflected, the returns shown for Class B and Class C shares for periods prior to December 9, 2002 would be lower. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Year by Year Total Return (%)

as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class A shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   5.55%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.37%

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding.

 

     1 year    5 years    10 years
Class A shares returns before taxes    5.29%    2.45%    4.08%
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions    5.29%    2.42%    4.06%
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    4.61%    2.56%    4.02%
Class B shares returns before taxes    5.01%    2.69%    3.91%
Class C shares returns before taxes    7.39%    3.05%    4.16%
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46%    4.49%    5.60%

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs. The after-tax returns are shown only for the Class A shares, and will vary for other share classes.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class A, Class B and Class C shares range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class A, Class B or Class C shares. Subject to certain limited exceptions, the Fund no longer accepts investments in Class B shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The

Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

including, for example, investments in money market instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.48% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067%

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

 

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates –Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims

under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Comparison of the Share Classes

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers three classes of shares in this prospectus: Class A, Class B and Class C shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class A, Class B and Class C shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares

Eligible Investors and

Minimum Initial

Investments(a)

   Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.    The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange as described in more detail under Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares – Class B Shares Closing.    Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.
Investment Limits    none    up to $49,999 (based on aggregate account value)(b)    up to $999,999
Conversion Features    none    convert to Class A shares eight years after purchase    none
Front-End Sales Charges(c)    3.25% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more    none    none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)(c)    none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase    3.00% maximum, gradually declining to 0.00% after four years    1.00% on investments sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees(d)    0.25% service fee   

0.75% distribution fee

0.25% service fee

  

0.75% distribution fee

0.25% service fee

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of these share classes.

 

(b)

The value of your account, for this purpose, includes the value of all eligible accounts held by you and your “immediate family.” See the discussion about account value aggregation and eligible accounts in Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information. The amount of Class B shares purchased through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange is not included in the calculation to determine whether your account has reached the $49,999 limit.

 

(c)

See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(d)

This is the maximum applicable distribution and service fee. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for

   example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class A shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

 

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n  The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n  The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class A shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
     Sales charge as a %
of the offering price(b)
     Sales charge as a %
of the net amount invested(b)
    

Amount retained by or paid to
selling and/or servicing agents

as a % of the offering price

 
$0 – $99,999      3.25%      3.36%      3.00%   
$100,000 – $249,999      2.50%      2.56%      2.25%   
$250,000 – $499,999      2.00%      2.04%      1.75%   
$500,000 – $999,999      1.50%      1.52%      1.25%   
$1,000,000 or more      0.00%      0.00%      1.00% (c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

17


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class A Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class A shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class A shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class A share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class A shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class A shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class A shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 3.00% of the offering price per share when you buy Class A shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class A shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class A Shares – Commission Schedule

Purchase Amount    Commission Level
(as a % of net asset
value per share)
$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00%
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50%
$50 million or more    0.25%

 

FUNDamentals™

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.

Class B and Class C Shares – Sales Charges

You don’t pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class B or Class C shares, but you may pay a CDSC when you sell Class B or Class C shares.

The CDSC on Class B and Class C shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower,

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions, and

 

n  

generally declines each year until there is no sales charge for selling shares.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which your purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class B or Class C shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest.

Class B Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class B shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details. The CDSC you pay on Class B shares depends on how long you’ve held your shares:

 

Class B Shares – CDSC Schedule

Number of Years
Class B Shares Held
  

Applicable

CDSC

One    3.00%
Two    3.00%
Three    2.00%
Four    1.00%
Five    none
Six    none
Seven    none
Eight    none
Nine    Conversion to Class A Shares

 

18


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

If you are an investor who purchased Class B shares prior to their being closed (except for certain limited transactions), the Distributor paid an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 2.75% of the net asset value per share when you bought the Class B shares. The Distributor continues to seek to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.

Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares after you’ve owned them for eight years. This conversion feature allows you to benefit from the lower operating costs of Class A shares, which can help increase your total returns from an investment in the Fund.

The following rules apply to the conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares:

 

n  

Class B shares are converted on or about the 15th day of the month that they become eligible for conversion.

 

n  

Any shares you received from reinvested distributions on these shares generally will convert to Class A shares at the same time.

 

n  

You’ll receive the same dollar value of Class A shares as the Class B shares that were converted. Class B shares that you received from an exchange of Class B shares of another Columbia Fund will convert based on the day you bought the original shares.

 

n  

No sales charge or other charges apply, and conversions are free from federal income tax.

Class C Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC of 1.00% if you sell Class C shares within one year of buying them unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details.

The Distributor pays an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 1.00% of the net asset value per share when you buy Class C shares. The Distributor seeks to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any

applicable CDSC applied when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.


 

19


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class A shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class A shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

 

FUNDamentals™

Your “Immediate Family” and

Account Value Aggregation

 

For purposes of reaching the Class B shares investment limits described in Choosing a Share Class – Comparison of the Share Classes and obtaining a Class A shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all applicable shares in eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, stepchild, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

20


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class A shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.


 

21


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Distribution and Service Fees

Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, distribution and shareholder servicing plans which set the distribution and service fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or eligible selling and/or servicing agents for selling shares of the Fund and providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.

The table below shows the maximum annual distribution and service fees (as an annual % of average daily net assets) and the combined amount of such fees applicable to each share class:

 

Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees

     Distribution
Fee
   Service
Fee
   Combined
Total
 
Class A       0.25%    0.25%   
Class B    0.75%    0.25%    1.00%   
Class C    0.75%    0.25%    1.00% (a) 

 

(a)

The Distributor has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of the distribution fee for Class C shares so that the combined distribution and service fees do not exceed 0.65% annually. This arrangement may be modified or terminated by the Distributor at any time.

The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the distribution and/or shareholder servicing plans continue. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.


 

22


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average

aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale,

which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive

trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Eligible Investors

Class A and Class C shares are available to the general public for investment. Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class A and Class C shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Class B Shares Closing

The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except for certain limited transactions involving existing investors in Class B shares as described in more detail below.

Additional Class B shares will be issued only to existing investors in Class B shares and only through the following two types of transactions (Qualifying Transactions):

 

n  

Dividends and/or capital gain distributions may continue to be reinvested in Class B shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Shareholders invested in Class B shares of the Fund may exchange those shares for Class B shares of other Columbia Funds offering such shares.

Any initial purchase orders for the Fund’s Class B shares will be rejected (other than through a Qualifying Transaction that is an exchange transaction).

Unless contrary instructions are received in advance by the Fund, purchase orders (except those submitted by a financial intermediary through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) as described in more detail below) for additional Class B shares of the Fund received from existing investors in Class B shares, including orders made through

an active systematic investment plan, will be invested in Class A shares of the Fund, without regard to the normal minimum initial investment for Class A shares, but subject to the front-end sales charge that generally applies to Class A shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-end Sales Charge for additional information.

Additional purchase orders for a Fund’s Class B shares by an existing Class B shareholder, submitted by such shareholder’s financial intermediary through the NSCC, will be rejected due to operational limitations of the NSCC. Investors should consult their financial advisor if they wish to invest in the Fund by purchasing a share class of the Fund other than Class B shares.

In addition, dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will no longer be automatically invested in Class B shares of another Columbia Fund. Unless contrary instructions are received in advance of the date of declaration, such dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will be reinvested in Class B shares of the same Columbia Fund that is making the distribution.

Minimum Initial Investments

The minimum initial investment for Class A and Class C shares is $2,500 for regular accounts and $1,000 for individual retirement plans (including traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts) and non-omnibus group retirement plans. For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50. There is no minimum initial investment for Class A or Class C shares bought through omnibus accounts, wrap accounts or health savings accounts, although your selling and/or servicing agent may impose its own investment minimum. For group retirement plans, the minimum initial investment and minimum additional investment are determined based on the plan’s investment rather than that of its individual participants.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class A or Class C shares.


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares – Class B Shares Closing for restrictions applicable to Class B shares.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class A shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class A shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

n  

You buy Class B and Class C shares at net asset value per share because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of these share classes.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class A, Class B or Class C shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap


 

30


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class A, Class B or Class C shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.


 

31


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange, except that when Class B shares are exchanged for Class Z shares, any CDSC charges applicable to Class B shares will be applied. Ordinarily, shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

32


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations   daily
Distributions   monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain. If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of Massachusetts and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to Massachusetts personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

   

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

34


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

35


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights tables are designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class A Shares

     

Year Ended
October 31,

2009

   

Year Ended
October 31,

2008

   

Year Ended
October 31,

2007

   

Year Ended
October 31,

2006

   

Year Ended
October 31,

2005

 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period      $9.90        $10.35        $10.50        $10.49        $10.87   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)      0.35        0.36        0.34        0.35        0.37   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts      0.71        (0.44     (0.14     0.09        (0.35
Total from Investment Operations      1.06        (0.08     0.20        0.44        0.02   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income      (0.35     (0.37     (0.34     (0.35     (0.37
From Net Realized Gains             (b)      (0.01     (0.08     (0.03
Total Distributions to Shareholders      (0.35     (0.37     (0.35     (0.43     (0.40
Net Asset Value, End of Period      $10.61        $9.90        $10.35        $10.50        $10.49   
Total Return(c)      10.78 %(d)      (0.88 )%(d)      2.00     4.33     0.18 %(d) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(e)      0.78     0.75     0.99     0.95     0.91
Waiver/Reimbursement      0.12     0.17                   %(f) 
Net Investment Income(e)      3.30     3.51     3.29     3.39     3.43
Portfolio Turnover Rate      8     10     15     18     15
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $ 16,049      $ 11,936      $ 6,914      $ 7,603      $ 8,332   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(c)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(d)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(e)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(f)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

36


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class B Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period      $9.90        $10.35        $10.50        $10.49        $10.87   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)      0.27        0.29        0.26        0.27        0.29   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts      0.71        (0.45     (0.13     0.09        (0.35
Total from Investment Operations      0.98        (0.16     0.13        0.36        (0.06
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income      (0.27     (0.29     (0.27     (0.27     (0.29
From Net Realized Gains             (b)      (0.01     (0.08     (0.03
Total Distributions to Shareholders      (0.27     (0.29     (0.28     (0.35     (0.32
Net Asset Value, End of Period      $10.61        $9.90        $10.35        $10.50        $10.49   
Total Return(c)      9.96 %(d)      (1.61 )%(d)      1.24     3.55     (0.57 )%(d) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(e)      1.53     1.50     1.74     1.70     1.66
Waiver/Reimbursement      0.12     0.17                   %(f) 
Net Investment Income(e)      2.59     2.78     2.55     2.64     2.67
Portfolio Turnover Rate      8     10     15     18     15
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $ 1,222      $ 1,440      $ 1,650      $ 2,496      $ 3,220   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(c)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(d)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(e)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(f)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

37


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class C Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period      $9.90        $10.35        $10.50        $10.49        $10.87   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)      0.30        0.32        0.30        0.31        0.32   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts      0.72        (0.44     (0.14     0.09        (0.34
Total from Investment Operations      1.02        (0.12     0.16        0.40        (0.02
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income      (0.31     (0.33     (0.30     (0.31     (0.33
From Net Realized Gains             (b)      (0.01     (0.08     (0.03
Total Distributions to Shareholders      (0.31     (0.33     (0.31     (0.39     (0.36
Net Asset Value, End of Period      $10.61        $9.90        $10.35        $10.50        $10.49   
Total Return(c)(d)      10.34     (1.27 )%      1.59     3.91     (0.22 )% 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(e)      1.18     1.15     1.39     1.35     1.31
Waiver/Reimbursement      0.47     0.52     0.35     0.35     0.35
Net Investment Income(e)      2.88     3.13     2.89     2.99     3.02
Portfolio Turnover Rate      8     10     15     18     15
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $ 8,859      $ 4,036      $ 3,792      $ 4,974      $ 6,866   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(c)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(d)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(e)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

38


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The charts show the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in each share class of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The charts also assume that all dividends and distributions are reinvested and that Class B shares convert to Class A shares after eight years. The annual expense ratio used for each share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the charts and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The charts shown below reflect the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class A Shares

Maximum Initial Sales Charge 3.25%   Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
    Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   0.92%   0.70% (b)    $10,069.74   $415.83
2   10.25%   0.92%   4.81%      $10,480.59   $94.53
3   15.76%   0.92%   9.08%      $10,908.19   $98.39
4   21.55%   0.92%   13.53%      $11,353.25   $102.40
5   27.63%   0.92%   18.16%      $11,816.46   $106.58
6   34.01%   0.92%   22.99%      $12,298.57   $110.93
7   40.71%   0.92%   28.00%      $12,800.35   $115.46
8   47.75%   0.92%   33.23%      $13,322.61   $120.17
9   55.13%   0.92%   38.66%      $13,866.17   $125.07
10   62.89%   0.92%   44.32%      $14,431.91   $130.17
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses      $4,431.91    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $1,419.53

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

39


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class B Shares

Maximum Initial Sales Charge 0.00%   Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
  Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   1.67%   3.33%   $10,333.00   $169.78
2   10.25%   1.67%   6.77%   $10,677.09   $175.43
3   15.76%   1.67%   10.33%   $11,032.64   $181.28
4   21.55%   1.67%   14.00%   $11,400.02   $187.31
5   27.63%   1.67%   17.80%   $11,779.64   $193.55
6   34.01%   1.67%   21.72%   $12,171.91   $200.00
7   40.71%   1.67%   25.77%   $12,577.23   $206.66
8   47.75%   1.67%   29.96%   $12,996.05   $213.54
9   55.13%   0.92%   35.26%   $13,526.29   $122.00
10   62.89%   0.92%   40.78%   $14,078.16   $126.98
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $4,078.16    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $1,776.53

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class C Shares

Maximum Initial Sales Charge 0.00%   Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
  Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
 

Annual Fees

and Expenses(a)

1   5.00%   1.67%   3.33%   $10,333.00   $169.78
2   10.25%   1.67%   6.77%   $10,677.09   $175.43
3   15.76%   1.67%   10.33%   $11,032.64   $181.28
4   21.55%   1.67%   14.00%   $11,400.02   $187.31
5   27.63%   1.67%   17.80%   $11,779.64   $193.55
6   34.01%   1.67%   21.72%   $12,171.91   $200.00
7   40.71%   1.67%   25.77%   $12,577.23   $206.66
8   47.75%   1.67%   29.96%   $12,996.05   $213.54
9   55.13%   1.67%   34.29%   $13,428.82   $220.65
10   62.89%   1.67%   38.76%   $13,876.00   $228.00
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $3,876.00    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $1,976.20

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

40


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

41


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

42


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

43


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class A, Class B and Class C Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc. P.O. Box 8081 Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34121-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbol

Class T Shares GMBAX

 

LOGO       The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
     


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
About Class T Shares   16
   

Description of the Share Class

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  17
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  19
   

Shareholder Service Fees

  21
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  22
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   23
   

Share Price Determination

  23
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  24
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  28
   
Distributions and Taxes   31
   
Financial Highlights   35
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   36

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO    Investment Objective

The Fund seeks as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal income tax and, to the extent possible, from Massachusetts individual income tax, as is consistent with relative stability of principal.

LOGO    Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class T shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the About Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 17 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class T Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    4.75%   
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    1.00% (a) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class T Shares
Management fees    0.55%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.00%
Other expenses(b)    0.26%
Acquired fund fees and expenses    0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(c)    0.82%

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class T shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See About Class T Shares – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

(c)

“Total annual Fund operating expenses” do not match “Net Expenses” in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus, which does not include, among other things, fees and expenses incurred as a result of investment in shares of certain pooled investment vehicles.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class T shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class T Shares      $ 555      $ 724      $ 908      $ 1,440

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 8% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and Massachusetts individual income tax. These securities are issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, by other qualified issuers and by mutual funds that invest in such securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer than can a diversified fund.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the

security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of a municipal security can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in Massachusetts municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of Massachusetts and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of Massachusetts municipal securities to meet their obligations. From time to time, including in recent fiscal years, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its various agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions have experienced significant financial difficulties. In particular, the Commonwealth has experienced revenue shortfalls. The Commonwealth has taken various actions designed to address such difficulties, including, but not limited to, making spending reductions, placing a greater reliance on federal support and making transfers from the state’s stabilization fund. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of Massachusetts will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to Massachusetts municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to

   

raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do

   

so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Non-Diversified Mutual Fund Risk – The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of more diversified funds. The Fund may not operate as a non-diversified fund at all times.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown include the returns of the Galaxy Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund (the Galaxy Massachusetts Fund), the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to December 9, 2002, the date on which Class T shares were initially offered by the Fund and the returns of the Boston 1784 Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Income Fund, the predecessor to the Galaxy Massachusetts Fund, for periods prior to June 26, 2000. The returns shown have not been adjusted to reflect differences in expenses. If differences in expenses were reflected, the returns shown for periods prior to December 9, 2002 would be lower. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class T shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

 

LOGO

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   5.58%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.34%

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding.

 

     1 year    5 years    10 years
Class T shares returns before taxes    3.71%    2.55%    4.16%
Class T shares returns after taxes on distributions    3.71%    2.53%    4.14%
Class T shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    3.60%    2.67%    4.10%
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46%    4.49%    5.60%

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. There are no minimum initial or minimum additional investments for Class T shares, but Class T shares are available for purchase only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds). You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example,

it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions including, for example, investments in money market


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.48% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067%

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

 

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims under the federal securities laws and state common law, and

that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Description of the Share Class

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers one class of shares in this prospectus: Class T shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class T shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class T Shares
Eligible Investors(a)    The share class is available only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds).
Investment Limits    none
Conversion Features    none
Front-End Sales Charges(b)    4.75% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)(b)    none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Service Fees    service fees of up to 0.40%(c)

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of this share class.

 

(b)

See About Class T Shares – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(c)

See About Class T Shares – Shareholder Service Fees for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for

   example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class T shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See About Class T Shares – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

 

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n  The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n  The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See About Class T Shares – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class T shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

 

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
    

Sales charge as a %

of the offering price(b)

    

Sales charge as a %

of the net amount invested(b)

    

Amount retained by or paid to

selling and/or servicing agents

as a % of the offering price

 
$0 – $49,999      4.75%      4.99%      4.25%   
$50,000 – $99,999      4.50%      4.71%      3.75%   
$100,000 – $249,999      3.50%      3.63%      2.75%   
$250,000 – $499,999      2.50%      2.56%      2.00%   
$500,000 – $999,999      2.00%      2.04%      1.75%   
$1,000,000 or more      0.00%      0.00%      1.00% (c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

17


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Class T Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class T shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class T shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class T share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class T shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class T shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class T shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 4.25% of the offering price per share when you buy Class T shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class T shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class T Shares – Commission Schedule

Purchase Amount   

Commission Level

(as a % of net asset

value per share)

 
$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50
$50 million or more    0.25

 

FUNDamentalsTM

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.


 

18


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class T shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class T shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

 

FUNDamentalsTM

Your “Immediate Family” and

Account Value Aggregation

 

For purposes of obtaining a Class T shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, step-child, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

19


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class T shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class T shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.


 

20


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Shareholder Service Fees

The Fund has adopted a shareholder services plan that permits it to pay for certain services provided to Class T shareholders by their selling and/or servicing agents. The Fund may pay shareholder service fees up to an aggregate annual rate of 0.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T shares (comprised of an annual rate of up to 0.20% for shareholder liaison services and up to 0.20% for administrative support services), but such fees will not exceed the Fund’s net investment income attributable to Class T shares. The Fund currently limits such fees to an aggregate annual rate of not more than 0.15% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T shares for shareholder liaison services and administrative support services.

Over time, these fees will reduce the return on your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The Fund will pay these fees to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the shareholder servicing plan continues. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.


 

21


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with

certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

22


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

 

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale, which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic

sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Share Class Closing

Class T shares of Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund are available for purchase only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds).

Eligible Investors

If you have an eligible account, you can buy Class T shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class T shares.

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at

no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class T shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class T shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class T shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class T shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class T shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class T shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

 

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange. Ordinarily, shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/ or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

30


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

31


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

32


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of Massachusetts and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to Massachusetts personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

   

IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

34


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class T Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007(a)
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $ 9.90      $ 10.35      $ 10.50      $ 10.49      $ 10.87   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(b)      0.36        0.38        0.35        0.36        0.38   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts      0.71        (0.45     (0.13     0.09        (0.35
Total from Investment Operations      1.07        (0.07     0.22        0.45        0.03   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income      (0.36     (0.38     (0.36     (0.36     (0.38
From Net Realized Gains             (c)      (0.01     (0.08     (0.03
Total Distributions to Shareholders      (0.36     (0.38     (0.37     (0.44     (0.41
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $ 10.61      $ 9.90      $ 10.35      $ 10.50      $ 10.49   
Total Return(d)      10.89 %(e)      (0.77 )%(e)      2.10     4.43     0.28 %(e) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(f)      0.68     0.65     0.89     0.85     0.81
Waiver/Reimbursement      0.12     0.17                   %(g) 
Net Investment Income(f)      3.43     3.63     3.40     3.49     3.52
Portfolio Turnover Rate      8     10     15     18     15
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $ 39,221      $ 37,689      $ 42,468      $ 46,787      $ 54,474   

 

(a)

On August 8, 2007, Class G shares were exchanged for Class T shares.

 

(b)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(c)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(d)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(e)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(f)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(g)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

35


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The chart shows the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class T shares of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The chart also assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The annual expense ratio used for the share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the chart and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The chart shown below reflects the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class T Shares

Maximum Initial Sales
Charge 4.75%
 

Initial Hypothetical Investment

Amount $10,000.00

    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Expense
Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
   

Hypothetical

Year-End
Balance After

Fees and Expenses

  Annual Fees
and Expenses
 (a)
1   5.00%   0.82%   -0.77% (b)    $9,923.15   $554.74
2   10.25%   0.82%   3.38%      $10,337.93   $83.07
3   15.76%   0.82%   7.70%      $10,770.06   $86.54
4   21.55%   0.82%   12.20%      $11,220.25   $90.16
5   27.63%   0.82%   16.89%      $11,689.25   $93.93
6   34.01%   0.82%   21.78%      $12,177.86   $97.86
7   40.71%   0.82%   26.87%      $12,686.90   $101.95
8   47.75%   0.82%   32.17%      $13,217.21   $106.21
9   55.13%   0.82%   37.70%      $13,769.69   $110.65
10   62.89%   0.82%   43.45%      $14,345.26   $115.27
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses      $4,345.26    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $1,440.38

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

36


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

37

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

38

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

39

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class T Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds
c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 8081
Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


© 2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34411-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbol

Class Z Shares SEMAX

LOGO

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
About Class Z Shares   16
   

Description of the Share Class

  16
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  17
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   18
   

Share Price Determination

  18
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  19
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  23
   
Distributions and Taxes   27
   
Financial Highlights   31
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   32

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates - Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal income tax and, to the extent possible, from Massachusetts individual income tax, as is consistent with relative stability of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class Z Shares
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    N/A
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    N/A

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class Z Shares
Management fees    0.55%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.00%
Other expenses(a)    0.11%
Acquired fund fees and expenses    0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(b)    0.67%

 

(a)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

(b)

“Total annual Fund operating expenses” do not match “Net Expenses” in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus, which does not include, among other things, fees and expenses incurred as a result of investment in shares of certain pooled investment vehicles.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class Z shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class Z Shares      $ 68      $ 214      $ 373      $ 835

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 8% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and Massachusetts individual income tax. These securities are issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, by other qualified issuers and by mutual funds that invest in such securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer than can a diversified fund.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

 

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of a municipal security can be significantly affected by


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in Massachusetts municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of Massachusetts and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of Massachusetts municipal securities to meet their obligations. From time to time, including in recent fiscal years, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its various agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions have experienced significant financial difficulties. In particular, the Commonwealth has experienced revenue shortfalls. The Commonwealth has taken various actions designed to address such difficulties, including, but not limited to, making spending reductions, placing a greater reliance on federal support and making transfers from the state’s stabilization fund. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of Massachusetts will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to Massachusetts municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue

   

obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Derivatives RiskDerivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Non-Diversified Mutual Fund Risk – The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of more diversified funds. The Fund may not operate as a non-diversified fund at all times.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown include the returns of the Galaxy Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund (the Galaxy Massachusetts Fund), the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to December 9, 2002, the date on which Class Z shares were initially offered by the Fund and the returns of the Boston 1784 Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Income Fund, the predecessor to the Galaxy Massachusetts Fund, for periods prior to June 26, 2000. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Year by Year Total Return (%)

as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class Z shares has varied from year to year.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns

During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   5.62%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.30%

 

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding.

 

     1 year    5 years    10 years
Class Z shares returns before taxes    9.09%    3.72%    4.82%
Class Z shares returns after taxes on distributions    9.09%    3.69%    4.80%
Class Z shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    7.22%    3.70%    4.70%
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46%    4.49%    5.60%

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class Z shares of the Fund range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class Z shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after

the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions including, for example, investments in money market instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.48% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067%

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

 

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims

under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

About Class Z Shares

 

Description of the Share Class

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers one class of shares in this prospectus: Class Z shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class Z shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class Z Shares
Eligible Investors and Minimum Initial Investments    Class Z shares are available only to certain eligible investors, which are subject to different minimum initial investment requirements. These minimum initial investment amounts range from $0 to $2,500. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares - Opening an Account and Placing Orders for details.
Investment Limits    none
Conversion Features    none
Front-End Sales Charges    none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)    none
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees    none

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors,

   third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

About Class Z Shares

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with

certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

17


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close

of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

18


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from


 

19


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale,

which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the


 

20


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan


 

21


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

22


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class Z shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer. Class Z shares are only available to the categories of eligible investors described below, each of which is subject to its own minimum initial investment requirements.

Minimum Initial Investments

There is no minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors:

 

n  

Any person investing all or part of the proceeds of a distribution, rollover or transfer of assets into a Columbia Management Individual Retirement Account, from any deferred compensation plan which was a shareholder of any of the funds of Columbia Acorn Trust (formerly named Liberty Acorn Trust) on September 29, 2000, in which the investor was a participant and through which the investor invested in one or more of the funds of Columbia Acorn Trust immediately prior to the distribution, transfer or rollover.

 

n  

Any health savings account sponsored by a third party platform, including those sponsored by Bank of America affiliates, and any omnibus group retirement plan for which a financial intermediary or other entity provides services and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than in the form of payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

 

n  

Any investor participating in a wrap program sponsored by a financial intermediary or other entity that is paid an

   

asset-based fee by the investor and that is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

The minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors is $1,000:

 

n  

Any individual retirement plan (assuming the eligibility criteria below are met) or group retirement plan that is not held in an omnibus manner for which a financial intermediary or other entity provides services and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than in the form of payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

The minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors is $2,500:

 

n  

Any client of Bank of America or one of its subsidiaries buying shares through an asset management company, trust, fiduciary, retirement plan administration or similar arrangement with Bank of America or the subsidiary.

 

n  

Any investor buying shares through a Columbia Management state tuition plan organized under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

n  

Any shareholder (as well as any family member of a shareholder or person listed on an account registration for any account of the shareholder) of another fund distributed by the Distributor (i) who holds Class Z shares; (ii) who held Primary A shares prior to the share class redesignation of Primary A shares as Class Z shares that occurred on August 22, 2005; (iii) who holds Class A shares that were obtained by an exchange of Class Z shares; or (iv) who bought shares of certain mutual funds that were not subject to sales charges and that merged with another fund distributed by the Distributor.

 

n  

Any trustee or director (or family member of a trustee or director) of a fund distributed by the Distributor.

 

n  

Any employee (or family member of an employee) of Bank of America or one of its subsidiaries.

 

n  

Any investor participating in an account offered by a financial intermediary or other entity that provides services to such an account, is paid an asset-based fee by the investor and is not compensated by the Fund for


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

   

those services, other than payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent (each investor buying shares through a financial intermediary must independently satisfy the minimum investment requirement noted above).

 

n  

Any institutional investor who is a corporation, partnership, trust, foundation, endowment, institution, government entity, or similar organization, which meets the respective qualifications for an accredited investor, as defined under the Securities Act of 1933.

 

n  

Certain financial institutions and intermediaries, such as insurance companies, trust companies, banks, endowments, investment companies or foundations, buying shares for their own account, including Bank of America and its affiliates and/or subsidiaries.

For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class Z shares.

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

 

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated net asset value per share.

 

n  

You generally buy Class Z shares at net asset value because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of this share class.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class Z shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class Z shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class Z shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share.

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000

each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.


 

26


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

27


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

28


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of Massachusetts and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to Massachusetts personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

   

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

29


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

30


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class Z Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $9.90      $10.35      $10.50      $10.49      $10.87   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)    0.37      0.39      0.37      0.38      0.39   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.71      (0.45   (0.14   0.09      (0.34
Total from Investment Operations    1.08      (0.06   0.23      0.47      0.05   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.37   (0.39   (0.37   (0.38   (0.40
From Net Realized Gains         (b)    (0.01   (0.08   (0.03
Total Distributions to Shareholders    (0.37   (0.39   (0.38   (0.46   (0.43
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $10.61      $9.90      $10.35      $10.50      $10.49   
Total Return(c)    11.06 %(d)    (0.62 )%(d)    2.25   4.59   0.43 %(d) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(e)    0.53   0.50   0.74   0.70   0.66
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.12   0.17             %(f) 
Net Investment Income(e)    3.58   3.78   3.55   3.64   3.67
Portfolio Turnover Rate    8   10   15   18   15
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $282,469      $259,753      $254,639      $250,224      $247,122   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(c)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested.

 

(d)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(e)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(f)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

31


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The chart shows the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class Z shares of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The chart also assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The annual expense ratio used for the share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the chart and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

 

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class Z Shares

Maximum Initial Sales
Charge 0.00%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
  Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   0.67%   4.33%   $10,433.00   $68.45
2   10.25%   0.67%   8.85%   $10,884.75   $71.41
3   15.76%   0.67%   13.56%   $11,356.06   $74.51
4   21.55%   0.67%   18.48%   $11,847.78   $77.73
5   27.63%   0.67%   23.61%   $12,360.78   $81.10
6   34.01%   0.67%   28.96%   $12,896.01   $84.61
7   40.71%   0.67%   34.54%   $13,454.40   $88.27
8   47.75%   0.67%   40.37%   $14,036.98   $92.10
9   55.13%   0.67%   46.45%   $14,644.78   $96.08
10   62.89%   0.67%   52.79%   $15,278.90   $100.24
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $5,278.90    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $834.50

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

32


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

33

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

34

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

35

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class Z Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds
c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 8081
Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


 

©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34122-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbols

Class A Shares LNIAX

Class B Shares LNIBX

Class C Shares LNICX

 

NOT FDIC-INSURED   May Lose Value     The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
NOT BANK ISSUED   No Bank Guarantee    


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
Choosing a Share Class   16
   

Comparison of the Share Classes

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  17
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  20
   

Distribution and Service Fees

  22
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  23
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   24
   

Share Price Determination

  24
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  25
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  29
   
Distributions and Taxes   33
   
Financial Highlights   37
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   40

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of
Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO    Investment Objective

The Fund seeks as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal income tax and, to the extent possible, from New Jersey individual income tax, as is consistent with relative stability of principal.

LOGO    Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 17 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class A Shares     Class B Shares     Class C Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    3.25%      N/A      N/A   
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    1.00% (a)    3.00% (b)    1.00% (c) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares
Management fees    0.55%    0.55%    0.55%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.25%    1.00%    1.00%
Other expenses(d)    0.32%    0.32%    0.32%
Acquired fund fees and expenses    0.01%    0.01%    0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(e)    1.13%    1.88%    1.88%

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class A shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

This charge decreases over time. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(c)

This charge applies to investors who buy Class C shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(d)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

(e)

“Total annual Fund operating expenses” do not match “Net Expenses” in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus, which does not include, among other things, fees and expenses incurred as a result of investment in shares of certain pooled investment vehicles.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class A Shares      $ 436      $ 672      $ 927      $ 1,655
Class B Shares                    
Assuming no redemption      $ 191      $ 591      $ 1,016      $ 2,005
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period      $ 491      $ 791      $ 1,016      $ 2,005
Class C Shares                    
Assuming no redemption      $ 191      $ 591      $ 1,016      $ 2,201
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period      $ 291      $ 591      $ 1,016      $ 2,201

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 10% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and New Jersey individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of New Jersey and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances,

or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of a municipal security can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Since the Fund invests in New Jersey municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of New Jersey and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of New Jersey municipal securities to meet their obligations. From time to time, including in recent fiscal years, New Jersey and its various agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions have experienced significant financial difficulties. In particular, New Jersey has experienced budget deficits. New Jersey has taken various actions intended to address such difficulties, including making spending reductions, placing greater reliance on federal support and declaring a fiscal state of emergency. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of New Jersey will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to New Jersey municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue

   

generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown for Class A, Class B and Class C shares include the returns of the Galaxy New Jersey Municipal Bond Fund, the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to November 18, 2002, the date on which Class A, Class B, and Class C shares were initially offered by the Fund. The returns shown have not been adjusted to reflect differences in expenses. If differences in expenses were reflected, the returns shown for Class B and Class C shares for periods prior to November 18, 2002 would be lower. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class A shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

LOGO

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   5.62%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.41%

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding.

 

    1 year   5 years   10 years
Class A shares returns before taxes   4.92%   2.11%   4.04%
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions   4.92%   2.08%   3.98%
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares   4.42%   2.28%   3.96%
Class B shares returns before taxes   4.68%   2.34%   3.85%
Class C shares returns before taxes   7.06%   2.70%   4.11%
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   9.46%   4.49%   5.60%

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs. The after-tax returns are shown only for the Class A shares, and will vary for other share classes.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.


Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class A, Class B and Class C shares range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class A, Class B or Class C shares. Subject to certain limited exceptions, the Fund no longer accepts investments in Class B shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example,

it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions including, for example, investments in money market


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.48% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067%

 

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims

under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Comparison of the Share Classes

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers three classes of shares in this prospectus: Class A, Class B and Class C shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class A, Class B and Class C shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares
Eligible Investors and Minimum Initial Investments(a)    Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.    The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange as described in more detail under Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares – Class B Shares Closing.    Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.
Investment Limits    none    up to $49,999 (based on aggregate account value)(b)    up to $999,999
Conversion Features    none    convert to Class A shares eight years after purchase    none
Front-End Sales Charges(c)    3.25% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more    none    none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)(c)    none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase    3.00% maximum, gradually declining to 0.00% after four years    1.00% on investments sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees(d)   

0.25% service fee

  

0.75% distribution fee

0.25% service fee

  

0.75% distribution fee

0.25% service fee

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of these share classes.

 

(b)

The value of your account, for this purpose, includes the value of all eligible accounts held by you and your “immediate family.” See the discussion about account value aggregation and eligible accounts in Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information. The amount of Class B shares purchased through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange is not included in the calculation to determine whether your account has reached the $49,999 limit.

 

(c)

See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(d)

This is the maximum applicable distribution and service fee. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™    

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for

  example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class A shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

 

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n  The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n  The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class A shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
   Sales charge as a %
of the offering price(b)
   Sales charge as a %
of the net amount invested(b)
  

Amount retained by or paid to
selling and/or servicing agents

as a % of the offering price

 
$0 – $99,999    3.25%    3.36%    3.00%   
$100,000 – $249,999    2.50%    2.56%    2.25%   
$250,000 – $499,999    2.00%    2.04%    1.75%   
$500,000 – $999,999    1.50%    1.52%    1.25%   
$1,000,000 or more    0.00%    0.00%    1.00% (c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

17


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class A Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class A shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class A shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class A share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class A shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class A shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class A shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 3.00% of the offering price per share when you buy Class A shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class A shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class A Shares – Commission Schedule

Purchase Amount    Commission Level
(as a % of net asset
value per share)
$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00%
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50%
$50 million or more    0.25%

 

FUNDamentals™

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.

Class B and Class C Shares – Sales Charges

You don’t pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class B or Class C shares, but you may pay a CDSC when you sell Class B or Class C shares.

The CDSC on Class B and Class C shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower,

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions, and

 

n  

generally declines each year until there is no sales charge for selling shares.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which your purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class B or Class C shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest.

Class B Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class B shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details. The CDSC you pay on Class B shares depends on how long you’ve held your shares:

 

Class B Shares – CDSC Schedule

Number of Years
Class B Shares Held
  

Applicable

CDSC

One    3.00%
Two    3.00%
Three    2.00%
Four    1.00%
Five    none
Six    none
Seven    none
Eight    none
Nine    Conversion to Class A Shares

 

18


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

If you are an investor who purchased Class B shares prior to their being closed (except for certain limited transactions), the Distributor paid an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 2.75% of the net asset value per share when you bought the Class B shares. The Distributor continues to seek to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.

Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares after you’ve owned them for eight years. This conversion feature allows you to benefit from the lower operating costs of Class A shares, which can help increase your total returns from an investment in the Fund.

The following rules apply to the conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares:

 

n  

Class B shares are converted on or about the 15th day of the month that they become eligible for conversion.

 

n  

Any shares you received from reinvested distributions on these shares generally will convert to Class A shares at the same time.

 

n  

You’ll receive the same dollar value of Class A shares as the Class B shares that were converted. Class B shares that you received from an exchange of Class B shares of another Columbia Fund will convert based on the day you bought the original shares.

 

n  

No sales charge or other charges apply, and conversions are free from federal income tax.

Class C Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC of 1.00% if you sell Class C shares within one year of buying them unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details.

The Distributor pays an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 1.00% of the net asset value per share when you buy Class C shares. The Distributor seeks to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC applied when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.


 

19


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class A shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class A shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

 

FUNDamentals™

Your “Immediate Family” and
Account Value Aggregation

 

For purposes of reaching the Class B shares investment limits described in Choosing a Share Class – Comparison of the Share Classes and obtaining a Class A shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all applicable shares in eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, stepchild, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

20


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class A shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.


 

21


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Distribution and Service Fees

Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, distribution and shareholder servicing plans which set the distribution and service fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or eligible selling and/or servicing agents for selling shares of the Fund and providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.

The table below shows the maximum annual distribution and service fees (as an annual % of average daily net assets) and the combined amount of such fees applicable to each share class:

 

Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees

     Distribution
Fee
   Service
Fee
   Combined
Total
 
Class A       0.25%    0.25%   
Class B    0.75%    0.25%    1.00%   
Class C    0.75%    0.25%    1.00% (a) 

 

(a)

The Distributor has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of the distribution fee for Class C shares so that the combined distribution and service fees do not exceed 0.65% annually. This arrangement may be modified or terminated by the Distributor at any time.

The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the distribution and/or shareholder servicing plans continue. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.


 

22


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with

certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale,

which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

 

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Eligible Investors

Class A and Class C shares are available to the general public for investment. Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class A and Class C shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Class B Shares Closing

The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except for certain limited transactions involving existing investors in Class B shares as described in more detail below.

Additional Class B shares will be issued only to existing investors in Class B shares and only through the following two types of transactions (Qualifying Transactions):

 

n  

Dividends and/or capital gain distributions may continue to be reinvested in Class B shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Shareholders invested in Class B shares of the Fund may exchange those shares for Class B shares of other Columbia Funds offering such shares.

Any initial purchase orders for the Fund’s Class B shares will be rejected (other than through a Qualifying Transaction that is an exchange transaction).

Unless contrary instructions are received in advance by the Fund, purchase orders (except those submitted by a financial intermediary through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) as described in more detail below) for additional Class B shares of the Fund received from existing investors in Class B shares, including orders made through

an active systematic investment plan, will be invested in Class A shares of the Fund, without regard to the normal minimum initial investment for Class A shares, but subject to the front-end sales charge that generally applies to Class A shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-end Sales Charge for additional information.

Additional purchase orders for a Fund’s Class B shares by an existing Class B shareholder, submitted by such shareholder’s financial intermediary through the NSCC, will be rejected due to operational limitations of the NSCC. Investors should consult their financial advisor if they wish to invest in the Fund by purchasing a share class of the Fund other than Class B shares.

In addition, dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will no longer be automatically invested in Class B shares of another Columbia Fund. Unless contrary instructions are received in advance of the date of declaration, such dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will be reinvested in Class B shares of the same Columbia Fund that is making the distribution.

Minimum Initial Investments

The minimum initial investment for Class A and Class C shares is $2,500 for regular accounts and $1,000 for individual retirement plans (including traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts) and non-omnibus group retirement plans. For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50. There is no minimum initial investment for Class A or Class C shares bought through omnibus accounts, wrap accounts or health savings accounts, although your selling and/or servicing agent may impose its own investment minimum. For group retirement plans, the minimum initial investment and minimum additional investment are determined based on the plan’s investment rather than that of its individual participants.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class A or Class C shares.


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares – Class B Shares Closing for restrictions applicable to Class B shares.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class A shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class A shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

n  

You buy Class B and Class C shares at net asset value per share because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of these share classes.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class A, Class B or Class C shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap


 

30


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class A, Class B or Class C shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.


 

31


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange, except that when Class B shares are exchanged for Class Z shares, any CDSC charges applicable to Class B shares will be applied. Ordinarily,

shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/ or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

32


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

34


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of New Jersey and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to New Jersey personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

   

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

35


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

36


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights tables are designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class A Shares

     

Year Ended
October 31,

2009

   

Year Ended
October 31,

2008

   

Year Ended
October 31,

2007

   

Year Ended
October 31,

2006

   

Year Ended
October 31,

2005

 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $9.55      $10.08      $10.26      $10.23      $10.57   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)    0.35      0.37      0.33      0.34      0.35   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.56      (0.53   (0.15   0.10      (0.30
Total from Investment Operations    0.91      (0.16   0.18      0.44      0.05   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.35   (0.37   (0.33   (0.34   (0.35
From Net Realized Gains              (0.03   (0.07   (0.04
Total Distributions to Shareholders    (0.35   (0.37   (0.36   (0.41   (0.39
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $10.11      $9.55      $10.08      $10.26      $10.23   
Total Return(b)    9.63 %(c)    (1.64 )%(c)    1.84   4.41   0.44 %(c) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(d)    0.78   0.75   1.25   1.18   1.06
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.33   0.43             %(e) 
Net Investment Income(d)    3.49   3.75   3.28   3.36   3.33
Portfolio Turnover Rate    10   6   6   3   14
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $4,974      $3,512      $3,007      $2,472      $3,909   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(e)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

37


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class B Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $9.55      $10.08      $10.26      $10.23      $10.57   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)    0.28      0.30      0.26      0.27      0.27   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.55      (0.53   (0.15   0.09      (0.30
Total from Investment Operations    0.83      (0.23   0.11      0.36      (0.03
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.27   (0.30   (0.26   (0.26   (0.27
From Net Realized Gains              (0.03   (0.07   (0.04
Total Distributions to Shareholders    (0.27   (0.30   (0.29   (0.33   (0.31
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $10.11      $9.55      $10.08      $10.26      $10.23   
Total Return(b)    8.82 %(c)    (2.36 )%(c)    1.08   3.63   (0.30 )%(c) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(d)    1.53   1.50   2.00   1.93   1.81
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.33   0.43             %(e) 
Net Investment Income(d)    2.77   3.01   2.53   2.62   2.58
Portfolio Turnover Rate    10   6   6   3   14
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $1,205      $1,150      $1,254      $1,518      $1,873   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(e)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

38


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class C Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $9.55      $10.08      $10.26      $10.23      $10.57   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)    0.31      0.34      0.29      0.30      0.30   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.56      (0.54   (0.15   0.10      (0.29
Total from Investment Operations    0.87      (0.20   0.14      0.40      0.01   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.31   (0.33   (0.29   (0.30   (0.31
From Net Realized Gains              (0.03   (0.07   (0.04
Total Distributions to Shareholders    (0.31   (0.33   (0.32   (0.37   (0.35
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $10.11      $9.55      $10.08      $10.26      $10.23   
Total Return(b)(c)    9.20   (2.02 )%    1.44   3.99   0.04
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(d)    1.18   1.15   1.65   1.58   1.46
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.68   0.78   0.35   0.35   0.35
Net Investment Income(d)    3.07   3.36   2.88   2.96   2.92
Portfolio Turnover Rate    10   6   6   3   14
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $4,623      $2,582      $3,108      $4,192      $4,590   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

39


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The charts show the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in each share class of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The charts also assume that all dividends and distributions are reinvested and that Class B shares convert to Class A shares after eight years. The annual expense ratio used for each share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the charts and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The charts shown below reflect the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class A Shares

Maximum Initial Sales Charge 3.25%  

Initial Hypothetical Investment

Amount $10,000.00

    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year  

Cumulative

Return Before
Fees and Expenses

 

Annual

Expense Ratio

 

Cumulative

Return After
Fees and Expenses

   

Hypothetical

Year-End

Balance After
Fees and Expenses

 

Annual Fees

and Expenses(a)

1   5.00%   1.13%   0.49% (b)    $10,049.42   $436.44
2   10.25%   1.13%   4.38%      $10,438.34   $115.76
3   15.76%   1.13%   8.42%      $10,842.30   $120.24
4   21.55%   1.13%   12.62%      $11,261.90   $124.89
5   27.63%   1.13%   16.98%      $11,697.73   $129.72
6   34.01%   1.13%   21.50%      $12,150.43   $134.74
7   40.71%   1.13%   26.21%      $12,620.66   $139.96
8   47.75%   1.13%   31.09%      $13,109.07   $145.37
9   55.13%   1.13%   36.16%      $13,616.40   $151.00
10   62.89%   1.13%   41.43%      $14,143.35   $156.84
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses      $4,143.35    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid          $1,654.96

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

40


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class B Shares

Maximum Initial Sales Charge 0.00%  

Initial Hypothetical Investment

Amount $10,000.00

  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year  

Cumulative

Return Before
Fees and Expenses

 

Annual

Expense Ratio

 

Cumulative

Return After
Fees and Expenses

 

Hypothetical

Year-End

Balance After
Fees and Expenses

 

Annual Fees

and Expenses(a)

1   5.00%   1.88%   3.12%   $10,312.00   $190.93
2   10.25%   1.88%   6.34%   $10,633.73   $196.89
3   15.76%   1.88%   9.66%   $10,965.51   $203.03
4   21.55%   1.88%   13.08%   $11,307.63   $209.37
5   27.63%   1.88%   16.60%   $11,660.43   $215.90
6   34.01%   1.88%   20.24%   $12,024.23   $222.64
7   40.71%   1.88%   23.99%   $12,399.39   $229.58
8   47.75%   1.88%   27.86%   $12,786.25   $236.75
9   55.13%   1.13%   32.81%   $13,281.08   $147.28
10   62.89%   1.13%   37.95%   $13,795.06   $152.98
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $3,795.06    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $2,005.35

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class C Shares

Maximum Initial Sales Charge 0.00%  

Initial Hypothetical Investment

Amount $10,000.00

  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year  

Cumulative

Return Before
Fees and Expenses

 

Annual

Expense Ratio

 

Cumulative

Return After
Fees and Expenses

 

Hypothetical

Year-End

Balance After
Fees and Expenses

 

Annual Fees

and Expenses(a)

1   5.00%   1.88%   3.12%   $10,312.00   $190.93
2   10.25%   1.88%   6.34%   $10,633.73   $196.89
3   15.76%   1.88%   9.66%   $10,965.51   $203.03
4   21.55%   1.88%   13.08%   $11,307.63   $209.37
5   27.63%   1.88%   16.60%   $11,660.43   $215.90
6   34.01%   1.88%   20.24%   $12,024.23   $222.64
7   40.71%   1.88%   23.99%   $12,399.39   $229.58
8   47.75%   1.88%   27.86%   $12,786.25   $236.75
9   55.13%   1.88%   31.85%   $13,185.18   $244.13
10   62.89%   1.88%   35.97%   $13,596.56   $251.75
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $3,596.56    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $2,200.97

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

41


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

42


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

43


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class A, Class B and Class C Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc. P.O. Box 8081 Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34412-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbol

Class T Shares GNJAX

 

NOT FDIC INSURED   May Lose Value     The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
NOT BANK ISSUED   No Bank Guarantee    


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
About Class T Shares   16
   

Description of the Share Class

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  17
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  19
   

Shareholder Service Fees

  21
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  22
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   23
   

Share Price Determination

  23
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  24
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  28
   
Distributions and Taxes   31
   
Financial Highlights   35
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   36

 

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal income tax and, to the extent possible, from New Jersey individual income tax, as is consistent with relative stability of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class T shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the About Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 17 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class T Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    4.75%   
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    1.00% (a) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class T Shares
Management fees    0.55%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.00%
Other expenses(b)    0.47%
Acquired fund fees and expenses    0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(c)    1.03%

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class T shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See About Class T Shares – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

(c)

“Total annual Fund operating expenses” do not match “Net Expenses” in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus, which does not include, among other things, fees and expenses incurred as a result of investment in shares of certain pooled investment vehicles.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class T shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class T Shares      $ 575      $ 787      $ 1,017      $ 1,675

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 10% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and New Jersey individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of New Jersey and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances,

or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of a municipal security can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

 

as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in New Jersey municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of New Jersey and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of New Jersey municipal securities to meet their obligations. From time to time, including in recent fiscal years, New Jersey and its various agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions have experienced significant financial difficulties. In particular, New Jersey has experienced budget deficits. New Jersey has taken various actions intended to address such difficulties, including making spending reductions, placing greater reliance on federal support and declaring a fiscal state of emergency. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of New Jersey will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to New Jersey municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically

 

subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown include the returns of the Galaxy New Jersey Municipal Bond Fund, the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to November 18, 2002, the date on which Class T shares were initially offered by the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class T shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

LOGO

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   5.65%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.38%

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding.

 

     1 year     5 years     10 years  
Class T shares returns before taxes    3.48   2.22   4.11
Class T shares returns after taxes on distributions    3.48   2.18   4.05
Class T shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    3.50   2.39   4.04
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46   4.49   5.60

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. There are no minimum initial or minimum additional investments for Class T shares, but Class T shares are available for purchase only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds). You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI) . The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after

the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions including, for example, investments in money market instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.48% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067%

 

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended

and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Description of the Share Class

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers one class of shares in this prospectus: Class T shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class T shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class T Shares
Eligible Investors(a)    The share class is available only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds).
Investment Limits    none
Conversion Features    none
Front-End
Sales Charges(b)
   4.75% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more
Contingent Deferred
Sales Charges (CDSCs)(b)
   none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Service Fees    service fees of up to 0.40%(c)

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of this share class.

 

(b)

See About Class T Shares – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(c)

See About Class T Shares – Shareholder Service Fees for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for

example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors,

   third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class T shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See About Class T Shares – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

 

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n   The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n   The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See About Class T Shares – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class T shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
     Sales charge as a %
of the offering price(b)
     Sales charge as a %
of the net amount invested(b)
    

Amount retained by or paid to
selling and/or servicing agents

as a % of the offering price

 
$0 – $49,999      4.75%      4.99%      4.25%   
$50,000 – $99,999      4.50%      4.71%      3.75%   
$100,000 – $249,999      3.50%      3.63%      2.75%   
$250,000 – $499,999      2.50%      2.56%      2.00%   
$500,000 – $999,999      2.00%      2.04%      1.75%   
$1,000,000 or more      0.00%      0.00%      1.00% (c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

17


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Class T Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class T shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class T shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class T share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class T shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class T shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class T shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 4.25% of the offering price per share when you buy Class T shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class T shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class T Shares – Commission Schedule

Purchase Amount   

Commission Level
(as a % of net asset

value per share)

$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00%
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50%
$50 million or more    0.25%

 

FUNDamentals™

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.


 

18


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class T shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class T shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

 

FUNDamentals

Your “Immediate Family” and
Account Value Aggregation

 

For purposes of obtaining a Class T shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, step-child, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

19


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class T shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class T shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.


 

20


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Shareholder Service Fees

The Fund has adopted a shareholder services plan that permits it to pay for certain services provided to Class T shareholders by their selling and/or servicing agents. The Fund may pay shareholder service fees up to an aggregate annual rate of 0.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T shares (comprised of an annual rate of up to 0.20% for shareholder liaison services and up to 0.20% for administrative support services), but such fees will not exceed the Fund’s net investment income attributable to Class T shares. The Fund currently limits such fees to an aggregate annual rate of not more than 0.15% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T shares for shareholder liaison services and administrative support services.

Over time, these fees will reduce the return on your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The Fund will pay these fees to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the shareholder servicing plan continues. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.


 

21


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average

aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

22


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale, which will provide details on how you may avoid such an

automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Share Class Closing

Class T shares of Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund are available for purchase only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds).

Eligible Investors

If you have an eligible account, you can buy Class T shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class T shares.

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when

you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class T shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class T shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class T shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class T shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class T shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class T shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also,

the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange. Ordinarily, shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/ or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

30


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations   daily
Distributions   monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those


 

31


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain. If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

32


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of New Jersey and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to New Jersey personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

   

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

34


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class T Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007(a)
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $9.55      $10.08      $10.26      $10.23      $10.57   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(b)    0.36      0.39      0.34      0.35      0.36   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.56      (0.54   (0.14   0.10      (0.30
Total from Investment Operations    0.92      (0.15   0.20      0.45      0.06   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.36   (0.38   (0.35   (0.35   (0.36
From Net Realized Gains              (0.03   (0.07   (0.04
Total Distributions to Shareholders    (0.36   (0.38   (0.38   (0.42   (0.40
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $10.11      $9.55      $10.08      $10.26      $10.23   
Total Return(c)    9.75 %(d)    (1.53 )%(d)    1.94   4.51   0.55 %(d) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(e)    0.68   0.65   1.15   1.08   0.96
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.33   0.43             %(f) 
Net Investment Income(e)    3.62   3.85   3.38   3.46   3.43
Portfolio Turnover Rate    10   6   6   3   14
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $3,726      $3,848      $5,037      $5,489      $6,484   

 

(a)

On August 8, 2007, Class G shares were exchanged for Class T shares.

 

(b)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(c)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(d)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(e)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(f)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

35


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The chart shows the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class T shares of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The chart also assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The annual expense ratio used for the share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the chart and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The chart shown below reflects the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class T Shares

Maximum Initial Sales Charge 4.75%   Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
    Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   1.03%   -0.97% (b)    $9,903.14   $575.05
2   10.25%   1.03%   2.96%      $10,296.30   $104.03
3   15.76%   1.03%   7.05%      $10,705.06   $108.16
4   21.55%   1.03%   11.30%      $11,130.05   $112.45
5   27.63%   1.03%   15.72%      $11,571.91   $116.92
6   34.01%   1.03%   20.31%      $12,031.32   $121.56
7   40.71%   1.03%   25.09%      $12,508.96   $126.38
8   47.75%   1.03%   30.06%      $13,005.57   $131.40
9   55.13%   1.03%   35.22%      $13,521.89   $136.62
10   62.89%   1.03%   40.59%      $14,058.71   $142.04
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses      $4,058.71    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $1,674.61

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

36


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

37

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

38


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

39

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class T Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc. P.O. Box 8081 Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


 

©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34413-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

 

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbol

Class Z Shares GNJTX

 

NOT FDIC INSURED   May Lose Value     The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
NOT BANK ISSUED   No Bank Guarantee    


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
About Class Z Shares   16
   

Description of the Share Class

  16
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  17
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   18
   

Share Price Determination

  18
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  19
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  23
   
Distributions and Taxes   27
   
Financial Highlights   31
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   32

 

Icons Guide

LOGO    Investment Objective
LOGO    Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO    Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO    Principal Risks
LOGO    Performance Information
LOGO   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

 


 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal income tax and, to the extent possible, from New Jersey individual income tax, as is consistent with relative stability of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class Z Shares
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    N/A
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    N/A

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class Z Shares  
Management fees    0.55
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.00
Other expenses(a)    0.32
Acquired fund fees and expenses    0.01
Total annual Fund operating expenses(b)    0.88

 

(a)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

(b)

“Total annual Fund operating expenses” do not match “Net Expenses” in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus, which does not include, among other things, fees and expenses incurred as a result of investment in shares of certain pooled investment vehicles.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class Z shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

     1 year    3 years    5 years    10 years
Class Z Shares    $ 90    $ 281    $ 488    $ 1,084

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 10% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and New Jersey individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of New Jersey and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that

there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances,

or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of a municipal security can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in New Jersey municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of New Jersey and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of New Jersey municipal securities to meet their obligations. From time to time, including in recent fiscal years, New Jersey and its various agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions have experienced significant financial difficulties. In particular, New Jersey has experienced budget deficits. New Jersey has taken various actions intended to address such difficulties, including making spending reductions, placing greater reliance on federal support and declaring a fiscal state of emergency. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of New Jersey will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to New Jersey municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation

   

bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk

   

bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO    Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown include the returns of the Galaxy New Jersey Municipal Bond Fund, the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to November 18, 2002, the date on which Class Z shares were initially offered by the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Year by Year Total Return (%)

as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class Z shares has varied from year to year.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns

During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   5.69%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.35%

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding.

 

     1 year    5 years    10 years
Class Z shares returns before taxes    8.76%    3.36%    4.78%
Class Z shares returns after taxes on distributions    8.76%    3.33%    4.72%
Class Z shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    7.05%    3.41%    4.66%
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46%    4.49%    5.60%

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class Z shares of the Fund range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class Z shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example,

it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions including, for example, investments in money market


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.

 


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.48% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067%

 

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

 

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims

under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

About Class Z Shares

 

Description of the Share Class

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers one class of shares in this prospectus: Class Z shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class Z shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class Z Shares

Eligible Investors and

Minimum Initial

Investments

   Class Z shares are available only to certain eligible investors, which are subject to different minimum initial investment requirements. These minimum initial investment amounts range from $0 to $2,500. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for details.
Investment Limits    none
Conversion Features    none
Front-End Sales Charges    none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)    none
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees    none

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors,

   third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

About Class Z Shares

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average

aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

17


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

18


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from


 

19


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale,

which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the


 

20


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan


 

21


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

 

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

22


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class Z shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer. Class Z shares are only available to the categories of eligible investors described below, each of which is subject to its own minimum initial investment requirements.

Minimum Initial Investments

There is no minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors:

 

n  

Any person investing all or part of the proceeds of a distribution, rollover or transfer of assets into a Columbia Management Individual Retirement Account, from any deferred compensation plan which was a shareholder of any of the funds of Columbia Acorn Trust (formerly named Liberty Acorn Trust) on September 29, 2000, in which the investor was a participant and through which the investor invested in one or more of the funds of Columbia Acorn Trust immediately prior to the distribution, transfer or rollover.

 

n  

Any health savings account sponsored by a third party platform, including those sponsored by Bank of America affiliates, and any omnibus group retirement plan for which a financial intermediary or other entity provides services and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than in the form of payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

 

n  

Any investor participating in a wrap program sponsored by a financial intermediary or other entity that is paid an asset-based fee by the investor and that is not compensated

   

by the Fund for those services, other than payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

The minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors is $1,000:

 

n  

Any individual retirement plan (assuming the eligibility criteria below are met) or group retirement plan that is not held in an omnibus manner for which a financial intermediary or other entity provides services and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than in the form of payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

The minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors is $2,500:

 

n  

Any client of Bank of America or one of its subsidiaries buying shares through an asset management company, trust, fiduciary, retirement plan administration or similar arrangement with Bank of America or the subsidiary.

 

n  

Any investor buying shares through a Columbia Management state tuition plan organized under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

n  

Any shareholder (as well as any family member of a shareholder or person listed on an account registration for any account of the shareholder) of another fund distributed by the Distributor (i) who holds Class Z shares; (ii) who held Primary A shares prior to the share class redesignation of Primary A shares as Class Z shares that occurred on August 22, 2005; (iii) who holds Class A shares that were obtained by an exchange of Class Z shares; or (iv) who bought shares of certain mutual funds that were not subject to sales charges and that merged with another fund distributed by the Distributor.

 

n  

Any trustee or director (or family member of a trustee or director) of a fund distributed by the Distributor.

 

n  

Any employee (or family member of an employee) of Bank of America or one of its subsidiaries.

 

n  

Any investor participating in an account offered by a financial intermediary or other entity that provides services to such an account, is paid an asset-based fee by the investor and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent (each investor buying shares through a financial


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

   

intermediary must independently satisfy the minimum investment requirement noted above).

 

n  

Any institutional investor who is a corporation, partnership, trust, foundation, endowment, institution, government entity, or similar organization, which meets the respective qualifications for an accredited investor, as defined under the Securities Act of 1933.

 

n  

Certain financial institutions and intermediaries, such as insurance companies, trust companies, banks, endowments, investment companies or foundations, buying shares for their own account, including Bank of America and its affiliates and/or subsidiaries.

For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class Z shares.

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An

electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated net asset value per share.

 

n  

You generally buy Class Z shares at net asset value because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of this share class.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class Z shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class Z shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class Z shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.


 

26


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

27


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

28


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of New Jersey and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to New Jersey personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

   

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

29


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

30


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class Z Shares

     

Year Ended
October 31,

2009

    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $9.55      $10.08      $10.26      $10.23      $10.57   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net investment income(a)    0.37      0.40      0.36      0.37      0.37   
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments and futures contracts    0.56      (0.53   (0.15   0.09      (0.30
Total from investment operations    0.93      (0.13   0.21      0.46      0.07   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From net investment income    (0.37   (0.40   (0.36   (0.36   (0.37
From net realized gains              (0.03   (0.07   (0.04
Total distributions to shareholders    (0.37   (0.40   (0.39   (0.43   (0.41
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $10.11      $9.55      $10.08      $10.26      $10.23   
Total return(b)    9.91 %(c)    (1.38 )%(c)    2.10   4.67   0.70 %(c) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net expenses(d)    0.53   0.50   1.00   0.93   0.81
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.33   0.43             %(e) 
Net investment income(d)    3.76   4.00   3.52   3.61   3.58
Portfolio turnover rate    10   6   6   3   14
Net assets, end of period (000s)    $63,757      $55,108      $53,075      $50,453      $58,181   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(e)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

31


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The chart shows the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class Z shares of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The chart also assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The annual expense ratio used for the share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the chart and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

 

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class Z Shares

Maximum Initial Sales Charge
0.00%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year  

Cumulative

Return Before

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual

Expense Ratio

 

Cumulative

Return After

Fees and Expenses

 

Hypothetical

Year-End

Balance After

Fees and Expenses

  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   0.88%   4.12%   $10,412.00   $89.81
2   10.25%   0.88%   8.41%   $10,840.97   $93.51
3   15.76%   0.88%   12.88%   $11,287.62   $97.37
4   21.55%   0.88%   17.53%   $11,752.67   $101.38
5   27.63%   0.88%   22.37%   $12,236.88   $105.55
6   34.01%   0.88%   27.41%   $12,741.04   $109.90
7   40.71%   0.88%   32.66%   $13,265.97   $114.43
8   47.75%   0.88%   38.13%   $13,812.53   $119.15
9   55.13%   0.88%   43.82%   $14,381.61   $124.05
10   62.89%   0.88%   49.74%   $14,974.13   $129.17
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $4,974.13    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $1,084.32

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

32


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

33


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

34


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

35


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class Z Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc. P.O. Box 8081 Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


 

©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34124-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbols

Class A Shares LNYAX

Class B Shares LNYBX

Class C Shares LNYCX

LOGO

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
Choosing a Share Class   16
   

Comparison of the Share Classes

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  17
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  20
   

Distribution and Service Fees

  22
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  23
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   24
   

Share Price Determination

  24
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  25
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  29
   
Distributions and Taxes   33
   
Financial Highlights   37
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   40

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of
Bank of America and its Affiliates -
Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal income tax and, to the extent possible, from New York individual income tax, as is consistent with relative stability of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 17 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class A Shares     Class B Shares     Class C Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    3.25%      N/A      N/A   
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    1.00% (a)    3.00% (b)    1.00% (c) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares
Management fees    0.55%    0.55%    0.55%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.25%    1.00%    1.00%
Other expenses(d)    0.12%    0.12%    0.12%
Total annual Fund operating expenses    0.92%    1.67%    1.67%

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class A shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

This charge decreases over time. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(c)

This charge applies to investors who buy Class C shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(d)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class A Shares      $ 416      $ 609      $ 818      $ 1,420
Class B Shares                    
Assuming no redemption      $ 170      $ 526      $ 907      $ 1,777
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period      $ 470      $ 726      $ 907      $ 1,777
Class C Shares                    
Assuming no redemption      $ 170      $ 526      $ 907      $ 1,976
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period      $ 270      $ 526      $ 907      $ 1,976

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 20% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and New York individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of New York and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer than can a diversified fund.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

 

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

a municipal security can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in New York municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of New York and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of New York municipal securities to meet their obligations. New York City is the nation’s leading center of banking and finance, and the recent national and international crisis in the financial sectors has had a disproportionate effect on New York City. The economy of New York State is significantly influenced by the financial health of New York City and the surrounding area. As a result, when New York City experiences financial difficulty, it has a substantial impact on the financial condition of New York State. New York State has projected a budget deficit of over $20 billion (twice as large as the original estimate) and in the past has announced that it might not be able to pay all of its obligations because of a lack of funds. In addition, New York State is party to numerous lawsuits in which an adverse final decision could materially affect the State’s governmental operations and consequently its ability to fulfill its obligations. Moreover, there can be no assurances that the financial condition of New York will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of New York or its municipalities to pay their respective obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to New York municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and

   

special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Non-Diversified Mutual Fund Risk – The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of more diversified funds. The Fund may not operate as a non-diversified fund at all times.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown for Class A, Class B and Class C shares include the returns of the Galaxy New York Municipal Bond Fund, the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to November 25, 2002, the date on which Class A, Class B, and Class C shares were initially offered by the Fund. The returns shown have not been adjusted to reflect differences in expenses. If differences in expenses were reflected, the returns shown for Class B and Class C shares for periods prior to November 25, 2002 would be lower. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

Year by Year Total Return (%)

as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class A shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

LOGO

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns

During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   5.83%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.49%

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding, and the Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks investment grade bonds issued from the state of New York and its municipalities. Prior to January 1, 2010, the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index was the Fund’s sole benchmark. The Fund added the Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index effective January 1, 2010 because the Advisor believes that the Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index provides a reasonable view of the available municipal investment opportunities in New York and therefore provides an additional useful performance comparison. The Fund’s average annual returns for the one-year, five-year and ten-year periods are shown compared to the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index and the Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index.

 

     1 year    5 years    10 years
Class A shares returns before taxes    6.26%    2.32%    4.34%
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions    6.26%    2.32%    4.32%
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    5.27%    2.45%    4.24%
Class B shares returns before taxes    5.97%    2.56%    4.17%
Class C shares returns before taxes    8.35%    2.91%    4.43%
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46%    4.49%    5.60%
Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.96%    4.37%    5.53%

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs. The after-tax returns are shown only for the Class A shares, and will vary for other share classes.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class A, Class B and Class C shares range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class A, Class B or Class C shares. Subject to certain limited exceptions, the Fund no longer accepts investments in Class B shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it

incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions including, for example, investments in money market instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.48% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067%

 

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO  Other   Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims

under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Comparison of the Share Classes

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers three classes of shares in this prospectus: Class A, Class B and Class C shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class A, Class B and Class C shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares
Eligible Investors and Minimum Initial Investments(a)    Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.    The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange as described in more detail under Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares – Class B Shares Closing.    Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.
Investment Limits    none    up to $49,999 (based on aggregate account value)(b)    up to $999,999
Conversion Features    none    convert to Class A shares eight years after purchase    none
Front-End Sales Charges(c)    3.25% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more    none    none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)(c)    none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase    3.00% maximum, gradually declining to 0.00% after four years    1.00% on investments sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees(d)    0.25% service fee    0.75% distribution fee 0.25% service fee    0.75% distribution fee 0.25% service fee

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of these share classes.

 

(b)

The value of your account, for this purpose, includes the value of all eligible accounts held by you and your “immediate family.” See the discussion about account value aggregation and eligible accounts in Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information. The amount of Class B shares purchased through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange is not included in the calculation to determine whether your account has reached the $49,999 limit.

 

(c)

See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(d)

This is the maximum applicable distribution and service fee. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for more information.

 

16


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for

   example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class A shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

 

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n  The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n  The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class A shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
   Sales charge as a %
of the offering price(b)
     Sales charge as a %
of the net amount invested(b)
     Amount retained by or paid to
selling and/or servicing agents
as a % of the offering price
 
$0 – $99,999    3.25%      3.36%      3.00%   
$100,000 – $249,999    2.50%      2.56%      2.25%   
$250,000 – $499,999    2.00%      2.04%      1.75%   
$500,000 – $999,999    1.50%      1.52%      1.25%   
$1,000,000 or more    0.00%      0.00%      1.00% (c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

17


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class A Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class A shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class A shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class A share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class A shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class A shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class A shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 3.00% of the offering price per share when you buy Class A shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class A shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class A Shares – Commission Schedule

Purchase Amount    Commission Level
(as a % of net asset
value per share)
 
$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50
$50 million or more    0.25

 

FUNDamentals™

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.

Class B and Class C Shares – Sales Charges

You don’t pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class B or Class C shares, but you may pay a CDSC when you sell Class B or Class C shares.

The CDSC on Class B and Class C shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower,

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions, and

 

n  

generally declines each year until there is no sales charge for selling shares.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which your purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class B or Class C shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest.


 

18


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class B Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class B shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details. The CDSC you pay on Class B shares depends on how long you’ve held your shares:

 

Class B Shares – CDSC Schedule

Number of Years

Class B Shares Held

  

Applicable

CDSC

One    3.00%
Two    3.00%
Three    2.00%
Four    1.00%
Five    none
Six    none
Seven    none
Eight    none
Nine    Conversion to Class A Shares

If you are an investor who purchased Class B shares prior to their being closed (except for certain limited transactions), the Distributor paid an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 2.75% of the net asset value per share when you bought the Class B shares. The Distributor continues to seek to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.

Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares after you’ve owned them for eight years. This conversion feature allows you to benefit from the lower operating costs of Class A shares, which can help increase your total returns from an investment in the Fund.

The following rules apply to the conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares:

 

n  

Class B shares are converted on or about the 15th day of the month that they become eligible for conversion.

 

n  

Any shares you received from reinvested distributions on these shares generally will convert to Class A shares at the same time.

n  

You’ll receive the same dollar value of Class A shares as the Class B shares that were converted. Class B shares that you received from an exchange of Class B shares of another Columbia Fund will convert based on the day you bought the original shares.

 

n  

No sales charge or other charges apply, and conversions are free from federal income tax.

Class C Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC of 1.00% if you sell Class C shares within one year of buying them unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details.

The Distributor pays an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 1.00% of the net asset value per share when you buy Class C shares. The Distributor seeks to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC applied when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.


 

19


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class A shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class A shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

 

FUNDamentals™

Your “Immediate Family” and Account Value Aggregation

 

For purposes of reaching the Class B shares investment limits described in Choosing a Share Class – Comparison of the Share Classes and obtaining a Class A shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all applicable shares in eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, stepchild, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

20


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class A shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.


 

21


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Distribution and Service Fees

Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, distribution and shareholder servicing plans which set the distribution and service fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or eligible selling and/or servicing agents for selling shares of the Fund and providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.

The table below shows the maximum annual distribution and service fees (as an annual % of average daily net assets) and the combined amount of such fees applicable to each share class:

 

Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees

     Distribution
Fee
   Service
Fee
   Combined
Total
 
Class A       0.25%    0.25%   
Class B    0.75%    0.25%    1.00%   
Class C    0.75%    0.25%    1.00% (a) 

 

(a)

The Distributor has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of the distribution fee for Class C shares so that the combined distribution and service fees do not exceed 0.65% annually. This arrangement may be modified or terminated by the Distributor at any time.

The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the distribution and/or shareholder servicing plans continue. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.


 

22


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with

certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one

sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale,

which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Eligible Investors

Class A and Class C shares are available to the general public for investment. Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class A and Class C shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Class B Shares Closing

The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except for certain limited transactions involving existing investors in Class B shares as described in more detail below.

Additional Class B shares will be issued only to existing investors in Class B shares and only through the following two types of transactions (Qualifying Transactions):

 

n  

Dividends and/or capital gain distributions may continue to be reinvested in Class B shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Shareholders invested in Class B shares of the Fund may exchange those shares for Class B shares of other Columbia Funds offering such shares.

Any initial purchase orders for the Fund’s Class B shares will be rejected (other than through a Qualifying Transaction that is an exchange transaction).

Unless contrary instructions are received in advance by the Fund, purchase orders (except those submitted by a financial intermediary through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) as described in more detail below) for additional Class B shares of the Fund received from existing

investors in Class B shares, including orders made through an active systematic investment plan, will be invested in Class A shares of the Fund, without regard to the normal minimum initial investment for Class A shares, but subject to the front-end sales charge that generally applies to Class A shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-end Sales Charge for additional information.

Additional purchase orders for a Fund’s Class B shares by an existing Class B shareholder, submitted by such shareholder’s financial intermediary through the NSCC, will be rejected due to operational limitations of the NSCC. Investors should consult their financial advisor if they wish to invest in the Fund by purchasing a share class of the Fund other than Class B shares.

In addition, dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will no longer be automatically invested in Class B shares of another Columbia Fund. Unless contrary instructions are received in advance of the date of declaration, such dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will be reinvested in Class B shares of the same Columbia Fund that is making the distribution.

Minimum Initial Investments

The minimum initial investment for Class A and Class C shares is $2,500 for regular accounts and $1,000 for individual retirement plans (including traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts) and non-omnibus group retirement plans. For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50. There is no minimum initial investment for Class A or Class C shares bought through omnibus accounts, wrap accounts or health savings accounts, although your selling and/or servicing agent may impose its own investment minimum. For group retirement plans, the minimum initial investment and minimum additional investment are determined based on the plan’s investment rather than that of its individual participants.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class A or Class C shares.


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares – Class B Shares Closing for restrictions applicable to Class B shares.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class A shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class A shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

n  

You buy Class B and Class C shares at net asset value per share because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of these share classes.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class A, Class B or Class C shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap


 

30


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class A, Class B or Class C shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.


 

31


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange, except that when Class B shares are exchanged for Class Z shares, any CDSC charges applicable to Class B shares will be applied. Ordinarily, shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/ or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

32


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations   daily
Distributions   monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

34


Table of Contents

Distribution and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of New York and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to New York State personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

   

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

35


Table of Contents

Distribution and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

36


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights tables are designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class A Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $11.03      $11.54      $11.68      $11.61      $11.98   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)    0.39      0.40      0.38      0.38      0.39   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.73      (0.51   (0.14   0.08      (0.36
Total from Investment Operations    1.12      (0.11   0.24      0.46      0.03   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.39   (0.40   (0.38   (0.38   (0.39
From Net Realized Gains              (b)    (0.01   (0.01
Total Distributions to Shareholders    (0.39   (0.40   (0.38   (0.39   (0.40
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $11.76      $11.03      $11.54      $11.68      $11.61   
Total Return(c)    10.30 %(d)    (1.02 )%(d)    2.12   4.04   0.22 %(d) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(e)    0.78   0.75   1.07   1.06   0.97
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.13   0.18             %(f) 
Net Investment Income(e)    3.39   3.44   3.30   3.30   3.26
Portfolio Turnover Rate    20   9   9   4   4
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $8,452      $4,200      $1,874      $2,529      $2,858   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(c)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(d)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(e)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(f)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

37


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class B Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $11.03      $11.54      $11.68      $11.61      $11.98   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)    0.31      0.32      0.30      0.30      0.30   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.73      (0.51   (0.14   0.07      (0.36
Total from Investment Operations    1.04      (0.19   0.16      0.37      (0.06
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.31   (0.32   (0.30   (0.29   (0.30
From Net Realized Gains              (b)    (0.01   (0.01
Total Distributions to Shareholders    (0.31   (0.32   (0.30   (0.30   (0.31
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $11.76      $11.03      $11.54      $11.68      $11.61   
Total Return(c)    9.49 %(d)    (1.74 )%(d)    1.36   3.27   (0.53 )%(d) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(e)    1.53   1.50   1.82   1.81   1.72
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.13   0.18             %(f) 
Net Investment Income(e)    2.67   2.77   2.55   2.55   2.52
Portfolio Turnover Rate    20   9   9   4   4
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $1,453      $1,503      $1,804      $2,965      $3,586   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(c)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(d)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(e)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(f)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

38


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class C Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $11.03      $11.54      $11.68      $11.61      $11.98   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)    0.34      0.36      0.33      0.34      0.34   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.74      (0.51   (0.13   0.07      (0.36
Total from Investment Operations    1.08      (0.15   0.20      0.41      (0.02
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.35   (0.36   (0.34   (0.33   (0.34
From Net Realized Gains              (b)    (0.01   (0.01
Total Distributions to Shareholders    (0.35   (0.36   (0.34   (0.34   (0.35
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $11.76      $11.03      $11.54      $11.68      $11.61   
Total Return(c)(d)    9.87   (1.40 )%    1.71   3.63   (0.18 )% 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(e)    1.18   1.15   1.47   1.46   1.37
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.48   0.53   0.35   0.35   0.35
Net Investment Income(e)    2.96   3.09   2.89   2.91   2.84
Portfolio Turnover Rate    20   9   9   4   4
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $5,861      $2,649      $2,019      $2,544      $3,360   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(c)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(d)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(e)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

39


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The charts show the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in each share class of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The charts also assume that all dividends and distributions are reinvested and that Class B shares convert to Class A shares after eight years. The annual expense ratio used for each share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the charts and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The charts shown below reflect the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class A Shares

Maximum Initial Sales
Charge 3.25%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year        Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
    Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1     5.00%   0.92%   0.70% (b)    $10,069.74   $415.83
2     10.25%   0.92%   4.81%      $10,480.59   $94.53
3     15.76%   0.92%   9.08%      $10,908.19   $98.39
4     21.55%   0.92%   13.53%      $11,353.25   $102.40
5     27.63%   0.92%   18.16%      $11,816.46   $106.58
6     34.01%   0.92%   22.99%      $12,298.57   $110.93
7     40.71%   0.92%   28.00%      $12,800.35   $115.46
8     47.75%   0.92%   33.23%      $13,322.61   $120.17
9     55.13%   0.92%   38.66%      $13,866.17   $125.07
10     62.89%   0.92%   44.32%      $14,431.91   $130.17
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses      $4,431.91    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid          $1,419.53

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

40


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class B Shares

Maximum Initial Sales
Charge 0.00%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of
Return 5%
Year        Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
  Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1     5.00%   1.67%   3.33%   $10,333.00   $169.78
2     10.25%   1.67%   6.77%   $10,677.09   $175.43
3     15.76%   1.67%   10.33%   $11,032.64   $181.28
4     21.55%   1.67%   14.00%   $11,400.02   $187.31
5     27.63%   1.67%   17.80%   $11,779.64   $193.55
6     34.01%   1.67%   21.72%   $12,171.91   $200.00
7     40.71%   1.67%   25.77%   $12,577.23   $206.66
8     47.75%   1.67%   29.96%   $12,996.05   $213.54
9     55.13%   0.92%   35.26%   $13,526.29   $122.00
10     62.89%   0.92%   40.78%   $14,078.16   $126.98
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $4,078.16    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid       $1,776.53

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class C Shares

Maximum Initial Sales
Charge 0.00%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of
Return 5%
Year        Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
  Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1     5.00%   1.67%   3.33%   $10,333.00   $169.78
2     10.25%   1.67%   6.77%   $10,677.09   $175.43
3     15.76%   1.67%   10.33%   $11,032.64   $181.28
4     21.55%   1.67%   14.00%   $11,400.02   $187.31
5     27.63%   1.67%   17.80%   $11,779.64   $193.55
6     34.01%   1.67%   21.72%   $12,171.91   $200.00
7     40.71%   1.67%   25.77%   $12,577.23   $206.66
8     47.75%   1.67%   29.96%   $12,996.05   $213.54
9     55.13%   1.67%   34.29%   $13,428.82   $220.65
10     62.89%   1.67%   38.76%   $13,876.00   $228.00
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $3,876.00    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid       $1,976.20

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

41


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

42


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

43

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund Class A, Class B and Class C Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds
c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 8081 Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34214-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbol

Class T Shares GANYX

 

 

NOT FDIC INSURED   May Lose Value     The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
NOT BANK ISSUED   No Bank Guarantee    


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
About Class T Shares   16
   

Description of the Share Class

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  17
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  19
   

Shareholder Service Fees

  21
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  22
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   23
   

Share Price Determination

  23
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  24
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  28
   
Distributions and Taxes   31
   
Financial Highlights   35
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   36

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates - Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal income tax and, to the extent possible, from New York individual income tax, as is consistent with relative stability of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class T shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the About Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 17 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class T Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    4.75%   
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    1.00% (a) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class T Shares  
Management fees    0.55
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.00
Other expenses(b)    0.27
Total annual Fund operating expenses    0.82

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class T shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See About Class T Shares – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class T shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class T Shares      $ 555      $ 724      $ 908      $ 1,440

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 20% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and New York individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of New York and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer than can a diversified fund.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

 

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

a municipal security can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in New York municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of New York and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of New York municipal securities to meet their obligations. New York City is the nation’s leading center of banking and finance, and the recent national and international crisis in the financial sectors has had a disproportionate effect on New York City. The economy of New York State is significantly influenced by the financial health of New York City and the surrounding area. As a result, when New York City experiences financial difficulty, it has a substantial impact on the financial condition of New York State. New York State has projected a budget deficit of over $20 billion (twice as large as the original estimate) and in the past has announced that it might not be able to pay all of its obligations because of a lack of funds. In addition, New York State is party to numerous lawsuits in which an adverse final decision could materially affect the State’s governmental operations and consequently its ability to fulfill its obligations. Moreover, there can be no assurances that the financial condition of New York will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of New York or its municipalities to pay their respective obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to New York municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and

   

special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Non-Diversified Mutual Fund Risk – The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of more diversified funds. The Fund may not operate as a non-diversified fund at all times.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown include the returns of the Galaxy New York Municipal Bond Fund, the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to November 25, 2002, the date on which Class T shares were initially offered by the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Year by Year Total Return (%)

as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class T shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   5.86%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.46%

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding, and the Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks investment grade bonds issued from the state of New York and its municipalities. Prior to January 1, 2010, the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index was the Fund’s sole benchmark. The Fund added the Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index effective January 1, 2010 because the Advisor believes that the Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index provides a reasonable view of the available municipal investment opportunities in New York and therefore provides an additional useful performance comparison. The Fund’s average annual returns for the one-year, five-year and ten-year periods are shown compared to the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index and the Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index.

 

     1 year    5 years    10 years
Class T shares returns before taxes    4.64%    2.43%    4.41%
Class T shares returns after taxes on distributions    4.64%    2.43%    4.40%
Class T shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    4.24%    2.56%    4.31%
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46%    4.49%    5.60%
Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.96%    4.37%    5.53%

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. There are no minimum initial or minimum additional investments for Class T shares, but Class T shares are available for purchase only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds). You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The

Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

including, for example, investments in money market instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.48% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee, as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067%

 

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims

under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Description of the Share Class

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers one class of shares in this prospectus: Class T shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class T shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class T Shares
Eligible Investors(a)    The share class is available only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds).
Investment Limits    none
Conversion Features    none
Front-End
Sales Charges(b)
   4.75% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)(b)    none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Service Fees    service fees of up to 0.40%(c)

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of this share class.

 

(b)

See About Class T Shares – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(c)

See About Class T Shares – Shareholder Service Fees for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors,

   third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class T shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See About Class T Shares – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

 

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n  The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n  The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See About Class T Shares – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class T shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
  

Sales charge as a %

of the offering price(b)

    

Sales charge as a %

of the net amount invested(b)

     Amount retained by or paid to
selling and/or servicing agents
as a % of the offering price
 
$0 – $49,999    4.75%      4.99%      4.25%   
$50,000 – $99,999    4.50%      4.71%      3.75%   
$100,000 – $249,999    3.50%      3.63%      2.75%   
$250,000 – $499,999    2.50%      2.56%      2.00%   
$500,000 – $999,999    2.00%      2.04%      1.75%   
$1,000,000 or more    0.00%      0.00%      1.00% (c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

17


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Class T Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class T shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class T shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class T share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class T shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class T shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class T shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 4.25% of the offering price per share when you buy Class T shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class T shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class T Shares – Commission Schedule

Purchase Amount   

Commission Level

(as a % of net asset
value per share)

$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00%
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50%
$50 million or more    0.25%
FUNDamentals™

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.


 

18


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class T shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class T shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

FUNDamentals™

Your “Immediate Family” and
Account Value Aggregation

 

For purposes of obtaining a Class T shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, step-child, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

19


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class T shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class T shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.


 

20


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Shareholder Service Fees

The Fund has adopted a shareholder services plan that permits it to pay for certain services provided to Class T shareholders by their selling and/or servicing agents. The Fund may pay shareholder service fees up to an aggregate annual rate of 0.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T shares (comprised of an annual rate of up to 0.20% for shareholder liaison services and up to 0.20% for administrative support services), but such fees will not exceed the Fund’s net investment income attributable to Class T shares. The Fund currently limits such fees to an aggregate annual rate of not more than 0.15% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T shares for shareholder liaison services and administrative support services.

Over time, these fees will reduce the return on your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The Fund will pay these fees to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the shareholder servicing plan continues. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.


 

21


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with

certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

22


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one

sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good

form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send

you written notification in advance of any automatic sale, which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Share Class Closing

Class T shares of Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund are available for purchase only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds).

Eligible Investors

If you have an eligible account, you can buy Class T shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class T shares.

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details.

 

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class T shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class T shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class T shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

$7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class T shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class T shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class T shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

 

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange. Ordinarily, shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/ or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

30


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

31


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

32


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of New York and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to New York State personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

   

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

34


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class T Shares

     Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007(a)
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period   $11.03      $11.54      $11.68      $11.61      $11.98   
Income from Investment Operations:          
Net Investment Income(b)   0.41      0.42      0.39      0.39      0.40   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts   0.72      (0.52   (0.14   0.08      (0.36
Total from Investment Operations   1.13      (0.10   0.25      0.47      0.04   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:          
From Net Investment Income   (0.40   (0.41   (0.39   (0.39   (0.40
From Net Realized Gains             (c)    (0.01   (0.01
Total Distributions to Shareholders   (0.40   (0.41   (0.39   (0.40   (0.41
Net Asset Value, End of Period   $11.76      $11.03      $11.54      $11.68      $11.61   
Total Return(d)   10.42 %(e)    (0.90 )%(e)    2.22   4.15   0.32 %(e) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:          
Net Expenses(f)   0.68   0.65   0.97   0.96   0.87
Waiver/Reimbursement   0.13   0.18             %(g) 
Net Investment Income(f)   3.52   3.62   3.40   3.41   3.36
Portfolio Turnover Rate   20   9   9   4   4
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)   $11,667      $11,520      $13,575      $14,634      $17,943   

 

(a)

On August 8, 2007, Class G shares were exchanged for Class T shares.

 

(b)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(c)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(d)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(e)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(f)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(g)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

35


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The chart shows the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class T shares of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The chart also assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The annual expense ratio used for the share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the chart and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The chart shown below reflects the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class T Shares

Maximum Initial Sales Charge
4.75%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
    Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   0.82%   -0.77% (b)    $9,923.15   $554.74
2   10.25%   0.82%   3.38%      $10,337.93   $83.07
3   15.76%   0.82%   7.70%      $10,770.06   $86.54
4   21.55%   0.82%   12.20%      $11,220.25   $90.16
5   27.63%   0.82%   16.89%      $11,689.25   $93.93
6   34.01%   0.82%   21.78%      $12,177.86   $97.86
7   40.71%   0.82%   26.87%      $12,686.90   $101.95
8   47.75%   0.82%   32.17%      $13,217.21   $106.21
9   55.13%   0.82%   37.70%      $13,769.69   $110.65
10   62.89%   0.82%   43.45%      $14,345.26   $115.27
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses      $4,345.26    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid          $1,440.38

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

36


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

37

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

38

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

39

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class T Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc. P.O. Box 8081 Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


 

©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34215-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbol

Class Z Shares GNYTX

 

NOT FDIC INSURED   May Lose Value     The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
NOT BANK ISSUED   No Bank Guarantee    


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
About Class Z Shares   16
   

Description of the Share Class

  16
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  17
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   18
   

Share Price Determination

  18
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  19
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  23
   
Distributions and Taxes   27
   
Financial Highlights   31
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   32

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of
Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal income tax and, to the extent possible, from New York individual income tax, as is consistent with relative stability of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class Z Shares
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    N/A
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    N/A

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

     Class Z Shares
Management fees    0.55%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.00%
Other expenses(a)    0.12%
Total annual Fund operating expenses    0.67%

 

(a)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class Z shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class Z Shares      $ 68      $ 214      $ 373      $ 835

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 20% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and New York individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of New York and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer than can a diversified fund.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

 

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of a municipal security can be significantly affected by


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in New York municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of New York and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of New York municipal securities to meet their obligations. New York City is the nation’s leading center of banking and finance, and the recent national and international crisis in the financial sectors has had a disproportionate effect on New York City. The economy of New York State is significantly influenced by the financial health of New York City and the surrounding area. As a result, when New York City experiences financial difficulty, it has a substantial impact on the financial condition of New York State. New York State has projected a budget deficit of over $20 billion (twice as large as the original estimate) and in the past has announced that it might not be able to pay all of its obligations because of a lack of funds. In addition, New York State is party to numerous lawsuits in which an adverse final decision could materially affect the State’s governmental operations and consequently its ability to fulfill its obligations. Moreover, there can be no assurances that the financial condition of New York will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of New York or its municipalities to pay their respective obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to New York municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are

   

backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Non-Diversified Mutual Fund Risk – The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of more diversified funds. The Fund may not operate as a non-diversified fund at all times.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown include the returns of the Galaxy New York Municipal Bond Fund, the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to November 25, 2002, the date on which Class Z shares were initially offered by the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class Z shares has varied from year to year.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   5.90%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.43%

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding, and the Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks investment grade bonds issued from the state of New York and its municipalities. Prior to January 1, 2010, the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index was the Fund’s sole benchmark. The Fund added the Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index effective January 1, 2010 because the Advisor believes that the Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index provides a reasonable view of the available municipal investment opportunities in New York and therefore provides an additional useful performance comparison. The Fund’s average annual returns for the one-year, five-year and ten-year periods are shown compared to the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index and the Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index.

 

     1 year    5 years    10 years
Class Z shares returns before taxes    10.06%    3.58%    5.10%
Class Z shares returns after taxes on distributions    10.06%    3.58%    5.08%
Class Z shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    7.87%    3.58%    4.95%
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46%    4.49%    5.60%
Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.96%    4.37%    5.53%

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class Z shares of the Fund range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class Z shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example,

it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions including, for example, investments in money market


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.48% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067%

 

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims

under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

About Class Z Shares

 

Description of the Share Class

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers one class of shares in this prospectus: Class Z shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class Z shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class Z Shares
Eligible Investors and Minimum Initial Investments    Class Z shares are available only to certain eligible investors, which are subject to different minimum initial investment requirements. These minimum initial investment amounts range from $0 to $2,500. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for details.
Investment Limits    none
Conversion Features    none
Front-End Sales Charges    none

Contingent Deferred

Sales Charges (CDSCs)

   none

Maximum Distribution

and Service Fees

   none

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors,

   third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

About Class Z Shares

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average

aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

17


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

18


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction,

“good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be


 

19


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send

you written notification in advance of any automatic sale, which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we


 

20


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading

policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan


 

21


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

22


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class Z shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer. Class Z shares are only available to the categories of eligible investors described below, each of which is subject to its own minimum initial investment requirements.

Minimum Initial Investments

There is no minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors:

 

n  

Any person investing all or part of the proceeds of a distribution, rollover or transfer of assets into a Columbia Management Individual Retirement Account, from any deferred compensation plan which was a shareholder of any of the funds of Columbia Acorn Trust (formerly named Liberty Acorn Trust) on September 29, 2000, in which the investor was a participant and through which the investor invested in one or more of the funds of Columbia Acorn Trust immediately prior to the distribution, transfer or rollover.

 

n  

Any health savings account sponsored by a third party platform, including those sponsored by Bank of America affiliates, and any omnibus group retirement plan for which a financial intermediary or other entity provides services and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than in the form of payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

 

n  

Any investor participating in a wrap program sponsored by a financial intermediary or other entity that is paid an

   

asset-based fee by the investor and that is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

The minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors is $1,000:

 

n  

Any individual retirement plan (assuming the eligibility criteria below are met) or group retirement plan that is not held in an omnibus manner for which a financial intermediary or other entity provides services and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than in the form of payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

The minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors is $2,500:

 

n  

Any client of Bank of America or one of its subsidiaries buying shares through an asset management company, trust, fiduciary, retirement plan administration or similar arrangement with Bank of America or the subsidiary.

 

n  

Any investor buying shares through a Columbia Management state tuition plan organized under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

n  

Any shareholder (as well as any family member of a shareholder or person listed on an account registration for any account of the shareholder) of another fund distributed by the Distributor (i) who holds Class Z shares; (ii) who held Primary A shares prior to the share class redesignation of Primary A shares as Class Z shares that occurred on August 22, 2005; (iii) who holds Class A shares that were obtained by an exchange of Class Z shares; or (iv) who bought shares of certain mutual funds that were not subject to sales charges and that merged with another fund distributed by the Distributor.

 

n  

Any trustee or director (or family member of a trustee or director) of a fund distributed by the Distributor.

 

n  

Any employee (or family member of an employee) of Bank of America or one of its subsidiaries.

 

n  

Any investor participating in an account offered by a financial intermediary or other entity that provides services to such an account, is paid an asset-based fee by the investor and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

   

(each investor buying shares through a financial intermediary must independently satisfy the minimum investment requirement noted above).

 

n  

Any institutional investor who is a corporation, partnership, trust, foundation, endowment, institution, government entity, or similar organization, which meets the respective qualifications for an accredited investor, as defined under the Securities Act of 1933.

 

n  

Certain financial institutions and intermediaries, such as insurance companies, trust companies, banks, endowments, investment companies or foundations, buying shares for their own account, including Bank of America and its affiliates and/or subsidiaries.

For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class Z shares.

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund

account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated net asset value per share.

 

n  

You generally buy Class Z shares at net asset value because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of this share class.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class Z shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class Z shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class Z shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

 


 

26


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

27


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.

 


 

28


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of New York and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to New York State personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

   

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

29


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.

 


 

30


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class Z Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period      $11.03        $11.54        $11.68        $11.61        $11.98   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)      0.42        0.42        0.41        0.41        0.42   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts      0.73        (0.50     (0.14     0.08        (0.36
Total from Investment Operations      1.15        (0.08     0.27        0.49        0.06   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income      (0.42     (0.43     (0.41     (0.41     (0.42
From Net Realized Gains                    (b)      (0.01     (0.01
Total Distributions to Shareholders      (0.42     (0.43     (0.41     (0.42     (0.43
Net Asset Value, End of Period      $11.76        $11.03        $11.54        $11.68        $11.61   
Total Return(c)      10.58 %(d)      (0.75 )%(d)      2.37     4.30     0.47 %(d) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(e)      0.53     0.50     0.82     0.81     0.72
Waiver/Reimbursement      0.13     0.18                   %(f) 
Net Investment Income(e)      3.66     3.73     3.55     3.55     3.51
Portfolio Turnover Rate      20     9     9     4     4
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $ 293,160      $ 272,139      $ 130,411      $ 119,457      $ 105,300   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(c)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested.

 

(d)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(e)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(f)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

31


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The chart shows the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class Z shares of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The chart also assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The annual expense ratio used for the share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the chart and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

 

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class Z Shares

Maximum Initial Sales
Charge 0.00%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
  Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   0.67%   4.33%   $10,433.00   $68.45
2   10.25%   0.67%   8.85%   $10,884.75   $71.41
3   15.76%   0.67%   13.56%   $11,356.06   $74.51
4   21.55%   0.67%   18.48%   $11,847.78   $77.73
5   27.63%   0.67%   23.61%   $12,360.78   $81.10
6   34.01%   0.67%   28.96%   $12,896.01   $84.61
7   40.71%   0.67%   34.54%   $13,454.40   $88.27
8   47.75%   0.67%   40.37%   $14,036.98   $92.10
9   55.13%   0.67%   46.45%   $14,644.78   $96.08
10   62.89%   0.67%   52.79%   $15,278.90   $100.24
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $5,278.90    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $834.50

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

32


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

33


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

34


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

35


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class Z Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc. P.O. Box 8081 Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


 

©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34414-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbols

Class A Shares LRIAX

Class B Shares LRIBX

Class C Shares LRICX

LOGO

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
Choosing a Share Class   16
   

Comparison of the Share Classes

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  17
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  20
   

Distribution and Service Fees

  22
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  23
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   24
   

Share Price Determination

  24
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  25
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  29
   
Distributions and Taxes   33
   
Financial Highlights   37
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   40

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of
Bank of America and its Affiliates— Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO    Investment Objective

The Fund seeks as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal income tax and, to the extent possible, from Rhode Island individual income tax, as is consistent with relative stability of principal.

LOGO    Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 17 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class A Shares     Class B Shares     Class C Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    3.25%      N/A      N/A   
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    1.00% (a)    3.00% (b)    1.00% (c) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares
Management fees    0.55%    0.55%    0.55%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.25%    1.00%    1.00%
Other expenses(d)    0.22%    0.22%    0.22%
Total annual Fund operating expenses    1.02%    1.77%    1.77%

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class A shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

This charge decreases over time. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(c)

This charge applies to investors who buy Class C shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(d)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class A Shares      $ 426      $ 639      $ 870      $ 1,532
Class B Shares                    
Assuming no redemption      $ 180      $ 557      $ 959      $ 1,886
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period      $ 480      $ 757      $ 959      $ 1,886
Class C Shares                    
Assuming no redemption      $ 180      $ 557      $ 959      $ 2,084
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period      $ 280      $ 557      $ 959      $ 2,084

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 13% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO    Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and Rhode Island individual income tax, including securities issued by the State of Rhode Island and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer than can a diversified fund.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

 

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO    Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of a municipal security can be significantly affected by


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in Rhode Island municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of Rhode Island and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of Rhode Island municipal securities to meet their obligations. From time to time, including in recent fiscal years, Rhode Island and its various agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions have experienced significant financial difficulties. In particular, Rhode Island has experienced, and is expected to continue experiencing, significant budget deficits. In addition, Rhode Island’s unemployment rate has increased steadily and has been above the national rate consistently. Rhode Island has taken various actions intended to address such difficulties, including, but not limited to, making spending reductions in the areas of social services and local aid, placing greater reliance on federal support and using reserve funds. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of Rhode Island will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to Rhode Island municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for

   

payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information .

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if

   

the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Non-Diversified Mutual Fund Risk – The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of more diversified funds. The Fund may not operate as a non-diversified fund at all times.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO    Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown for Class A, Class B and Class C shares include the returns of the Galaxy Rhode Island Municipal Bond Fund, the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to November 18, 2002, the date on which Class A, Class B, and Class C shares were initially offered by the Fund. The returns shown have not been adjusted to reflect differences in expenses. If differences in expenses were reflected, the returns shown for Class B and Class C shares for periods prior to November 18, 2002 would be lower. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class A shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   4.85%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.26%

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding.

 

     1 year     5 years     10 years  
Class A shares returns before taxes    4.90   2.18   4.15
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions    4.90   2.17   4.14
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    4.48   2.36   4.11
Class B shares returns before taxes    4.63   2.41   3.95
Class C shares returns before taxes    7.01   2.77   4.21
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46   4.49   5.60

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs. The after-tax returns are shown only for the Class A shares, and will vary for other share classes.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class A, Class B and Class C shares range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class A, Class B or Class C shares. Subject to certain limited exceptions, the Fund no longer accepts investments in Class B shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI) . The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

 

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions including, for example, investments in money market instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.48% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067

 

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims under the federal securities laws and state common law, and

that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Comparison of the Share Classes

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers three classes of shares in this prospectus: Class A, Class B and Class C shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class A, Class B and Class C shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares

Eligible Investors and

Minimum Initial

Investments(a)

   Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.    The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange as described in more detail under Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares - Opening an Account and Placing Orders - Buying Shares - Class B Shares Closing.    Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.
Investment Limits    none    up to $49,999 (based on aggregate account value)(b)    up to $999,999
Conversion Features    none    convert to Class A shares eight years after purchase    none
Front-End Sales Charges(c)    3.25% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more    none    none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)(c)    none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase    3.00% maximum, gradually declining to 0.00% after four years    1.00% on investments sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees(d)    0.25% service fee    0.75% distribution fee 0.25% service fee    0.75% distribution fee 0.25% service fee

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of these share classes.

 

(b)

The value of your account, for this purpose, includes the value of all eligible accounts held by you and your “immediate family.” See the discussion about account value aggregation and eligible accounts in Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information. The amount of Class B shares purchased through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange is not included in the calculation to determine whether your account has reached the $49,999 limit.

 

(c)

See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(d)

This is the maximum applicable distribution and service fee. See Choosing a Share Class - Distribution and Service Fees for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for

   example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class A shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

 

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n  The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n  The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class A shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
   Sales charge as a %
of the offering price(b)
     Sales charge as a %
of the net amount invested(b)
     Amount retained by or paid to
selling and/or servicing agents
as a % of the offering price
 
$0 – $99,999    3.25%      3.36%      3.00%   
$100,000 – $249,999    2.50%      2.56%      2.25%   
$250,000 – $499,999    2.00%      2.04%      1.75%   
$500,000 – $999,999    1.50%      1.52%      1.25%   
$1,000,000 or more    0.00%      0.00%      1.00% (c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

17


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class A Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class A shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class A shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class A share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class A shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class A shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class A shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 3.00% of the offering price per share when you buy Class A shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class A shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class A Shares – Commission Schedule

Purchase Amount    Commission Level
(as a % of net asset
value per share)
$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00%
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50%
$50 million or more    0.25%

 

FUNDamentals™

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.

Class B and Class C Shares – Sales Charges

You don’t pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class B or Class C shares, but you may pay a CDSC when you sell Class B or Class C shares.

The CDSC on Class B and Class C shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower,

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions, and

 

n  

generally declines each year until there is no sales charge for selling shares.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which your purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class B or Class C shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest.


 

18


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class B Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class B shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details. The CDSC you pay on Class B shares depends on how long you’ve held your shares:

 

Class B Shares – CDSC Schedule

Number of Years
Class B Shares Held
   Applicable CDSC
One    3.00%
Two    3.00%
Three    2.00%
Four    1.00%
Five    none
Six    none
Seven    none
Eight    none
Nine    Conversion to Class A Shares

If you are an investor who purchased Class B shares prior to their being closed (except for certain limited transactions), the Distributor paid an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 2.75% of the net asset value per share when you bought the Class B shares. The Distributor continues to seek to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.

Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares after you’ve owned them for eight years. This conversion feature allows you to benefit from the lower operating costs of Class A shares, which can help increase your total returns from an investment in the Fund.

The following rules apply to the conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares:

 

n  

Class B shares are converted on or about the 15th day of the month that they become eligible for conversion.

 

n  

Any shares you received from reinvested distributions on these shares generally will convert to Class A shares at the same time.

 

n  

You’ll receive the same dollar value of Class A shares as the Class B shares that were converted. Class B shares that you received from an exchange of Class B shares of another

   

Columbia Fund will convert based on the day you bought the original shares.

 

n  

No sales charge or other charges apply, and conversions are free from federal income tax.

Class C Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC of 1.00% if you sell Class C shares within one year of buying them unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details.

The Distributor pays an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 1.00% of the net asset value per share when you buy Class C shares. The Distributor seeks to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC applied when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.


 

19


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class A shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class A shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

 

FUNDamentals™

Your “Immediate Family” and
Account Value Aggregation

 

For purposes of reaching the Class B shares investment limits described in Choosing a Share Class – Comparison of the Share Classes and obtaining a Class A shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all applicable shares in eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, stepchild, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

20


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class A shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.


 

21


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Distribution and Service Fees

Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, distribution and shareholder servicing plans which set the distribution and service fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or eligible selling and/or servicing agents for selling shares of the Fund and providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.

The table below shows the maximum annual distribution and service fees (as an annual % of average daily net assets) and the combined amount of such fees applicable to each share class:

 

Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees

     Distribution
Fee
   Service
Fee
   Combined
Total
 
Class A    —      0.25%    0.25%   
Class B    0.75%    0.25%    1.00%   
Class C    0.75%    0.25%    1.00% (a) 

 

(a)

The Distributor has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of the distribution fee for Class C shares so that the combined distribution and service fees do not exceed 0.65% annually. This arrangement may be modified or terminated by the Distributor at any time.

The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the distribution and/or shareholder servicing plans continue. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.


 

22


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with

certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one

sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion

signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale, which will provide details on how you may avoid such an

automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Eligible Investors

Class A and Class C shares are available to the general public for investment. Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class A and Class C shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Class B Shares Closing

The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except for certain limited transactions involving existing investors in Class B shares as described in more detail below.

Additional Class B shares will be issued only to existing investors in Class B shares and only through the following two types of transactions (Qualifying Transactions):

 

n  

Dividends and/or capital gain distributions may continue to be reinvested in Class B shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Shareholders invested in Class B shares of the Fund may exchange those shares for Class B shares of other Columbia Funds offering such shares.

Any initial purchase orders for the Fund’s Class B shares will be rejected (other than through a Qualifying Transaction that is an exchange transaction).

Unless contrary instructions are received in advance by the Fund, purchase orders (except those submitted by a financial intermediary through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) as described in more detail below) for additional Class B shares of the Fund received from existing

investors in Class B shares, including orders made through an active systematic investment plan, will be invested in Class A shares of the Fund, without regard to the normal minimum initial investment for Class A shares, but subject to the front-end sales charge that generally applies to Class A shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-end Sales Charge for additional information.

Additional purchase orders for a Fund’s Class B shares by an existing Class B shareholder, submitted by such shareholder’s financial intermediary through the NSCC, will be rejected due to operational limitations of the NSCC. Investors should consult their financial advisor if they wish to invest in the Fund by purchasing a share class of the Fund other than Class B shares.

In addition, dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will no longer be automatically invested in Class B shares of another Columbia Fund. Unless contrary instructions are received in advance of the date of declaration, such dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will be reinvested in Class B shares of the same Columbia Fund that is making the distribution.

Minimum Initial Investments

The minimum initial investment for Class A and Class C shares is $2,500 for regular accounts and $1,000 for individual retirement plans (including traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts) and non-omnibus group retirement plans. For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50. There is no minimum initial investment for Class A or Class C shares bought through omnibus accounts, wrap accounts or health savings accounts, although your selling and/or servicing agent may impose its own investment minimum. For group retirement plans, the minimum initial investment and minimum additional investment are determined based on the plan’s investment rather than that of its individual participants.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class A or Class C shares.


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares – Class B Shares Closing for restrictions applicable to Class B shares.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class A shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class A shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

n  

You buy Class B and Class C shares at net asset value per share because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of these share classes.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class A, Class B or Class C shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap


 

30


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class A, Class B or Class C shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.


 

31


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange, except that when Class B shares are exchanged for Class Z shares, any CDSC charges applicable to Class B shares will be applied. Ordinarily, shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal

income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/ or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

32


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain. If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

34


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of Rhode Island and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to Rhode Island personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

   

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

35


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

36


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights tables are designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class A Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $ 10.52      $ 11.05      $ 11.21      $ 11.20      $ 11.54   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)      0.41        0.41        0.38        0.40        0.40   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts      0.60        (0.53     (0.15     0.04        (0.33
Total from Investment Operations      1.01        (0.12     0.23        0.44        0.07   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income      (0.40     (0.41     (0.38     (0.40     (0.40
From Net Realized Gains                    (0.01     (0.03     (0.01
Total Distributions to Shareholders      (0.40     (0.41     (0.39     (0.43     (0.41
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $ 11.13      $ 10.52      $ 11.05      $ 11.21      $ 11.20   
Total Return(b)      9.76 %(c)      (1.16 )%(c)      2.11     3.98     0.63 %(c) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(d)      0.79     0.75     1.11     1.02     0.97
Waiver/Reimbursement      0.23     0.27                   %(e) 
Net Investment Income(d)      3.74     3.71     3.44     3.57     3.50
Portfolio Turnover Rate      13     14     11     10     12
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)      $2,432        $3,247        $1,130        $979        $1,544   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(e)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

37


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class B Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $ 10.52      $ 11.05      $ 11.21      $ 11.20      $ 11.54   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)      0.32        0.33        0.30        0.31        0.31   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts      0.61        (0.53     (0.15     0.04        (0.32
Total from Investment Operations      0.93        (0.20     0.15        0.35        (0.01
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income      (0.32     (0.33     (0.30     (0.31     (0.32
From Net Realized Gains                    (0.01     (0.03     (0.01
Total Distributions to Shareholders      (0.32     (0.33     (0.31     (0.34     (0.33
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $ 11.13      $ 10.52      $ 11.05      $ 11.21      $ 11.20   
Total Return(b)      8.94 %(c)      (1.88 )%(c)      1.35     3.21     (0.12 )%(c) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(d)      1.54     1.50     1.86     1.77     1.72
Waiver/Reimbursement      0.23     0.27                   %(e) 
Net Investment Income(d)      2.95     3.00     2.73     2.82     2.75
Portfolio Turnover Rate      13     14     11     10     12
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)      $282        $307        $303        $638        $899   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(e)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

38


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class C Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $10.52      $11.05      $11.21      $11.20      $11.54   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)    0.36      0.37      0.34      0.35      0.35   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.61      (0.53   (0.15   0.04      (0.32
Total from Investment Operations    0.97      (0.16   0.19      0.39      0.03   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.36   (0.37   (0.34   (0.35   (0.36
From Net Realized Gains              (0.01   (0.03   (0.01
Total Distributions to Shareholders    (0.36   (0.37   (0.35   (0.38   (0.37
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $11.13      $10.52      $11.05      $11.21      $11.20   
Total Return(b)(c)    9.32   (1.54 )%    1.70   3.57   0.23
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(d)    1.19   1.15   1.51   1.42   1.37
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.58   0.62   0.35   0.35   0.35
Net Investment Income(d)    3.26   3.35   3.06   3.17   3.10
Portfolio Turnover Rate    13   14   11   10   12
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $1,605      $918      $825      $1,365      $1,487   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

39


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The charts show the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in each share class of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The charts also assume that all dividends and distributions are reinvested and that Class B shares convert to Class A shares after eight years. The annual expense ratio used for each share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the charts and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The charts shown below reflect the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class A Shares

Maximum Initial Sales

Charge 3.25%

 

Initial Hypothetical Investment

Amount $10,000.00

    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year  

Cumulative

Return Before

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual

Expense Ratio

 

Cumulative

Return After

Fees and Expenses

   

Hypothetical

Year-End

Balance After

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual Fees

and Expenses(a)

1   5.00%   1.02%   0.60% (b)    $10,060.07   $425.65
2   10.25%   1.02%   4.60%      $10,460.46   $104.65
3   15.76%   1.02%   8.77%      $10,876.78   $108.82
4   21.55%   1.02%   13.10%      $11,309.68   $113.15
5   27.63%   1.02%   17.60%      $11,759.80   $117.65
6   34.01%   1.02%   22.28%      $12,227.84   $122.34
7   40.71%   1.02%   27.15%      $12,714.51   $127.21
8   47.75%   1.02%   32.21%      $13,220.55   $132.27
9   55.13%   1.02%   37.47%      $13,746.73   $137.53
10   62.89%   1.02%   42.94%      $14,293.85   $143.01
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses      $4,293.85    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid          $1,532.28

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

40


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class B Shares

Maximum Initial Sales

Charge 0.00%

 

Initial Hypothetical Investment

Amount $10,000.00

  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year  

Cumulative

Return Before

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual

Expense Ratio

 

Cumulative

Return After

Fees and Expenses

 

Hypothetical

Year-End

Balance After

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual Fees

and Expenses(a)

1   5.00%   1.77%   3.23%   $10,323.00   $179.86
2   10.25%   1.77%   6.56%   $10,656.43   $185.67
3   15.76%   1.77%   10.01%   $11,000.64   $191.67
4   21.55%   1.77%   13.56%   $11,355.96   $197.86
5   27.63%   1.77%   17.23%   $11,722.75   $204.25
6   34.01%   1.77%   21.01%   $12,101.40   $210.84
7   40.71%   1.77%   24.92%   $12,492.27   $217.65
8   47.75%   1.77%   28.96%   $12,895.77   $224.68
9   55.13%   1.02%   34.09%   $13,409.03   $134.15
10   62.89%   1.02%   39.43%   $13,942.71   $139.49
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $3,942.71    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid       $1,886.12

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class C Shares

Maximum Initial Sales

Charge 0.00%

 

Initial Hypothetical Investment

Amount $10,000.00

  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year  

Cumulative

Return Before

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual

Expense Ratio

 

Cumulative

Return After

Fees and Expenses

 

Hypothetical

Year-End

Balance After

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual Fees

and Expenses(a)

1   5.00%   1.77%   3.23%   $10,323.00   $179.86
2   10.25%   1.77%   6.56%   $10,656.43   $185.67
3   15.76%   1.77%   10.01%   $11,000.64   $191.67
4   21.55%   1.77%   13.56%   $11,355.96   $197.86
5   27.63%   1.77%   17.23%   $11,722.75   $204.25
6   34.01%   1.77%   21.01%   $12,101.40   $210.84
7   40.71%   1.77%   24.92%   $12,492.27   $217.65
8   47.75%   1.77%   28.96%   $12,895.77   $224.68
9   55.13%   1.77%   33.12%   $13,312.31   $231.94
10   62.89%   1.77%   37.42%   $13,742.30   $239.43
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $3,742.30    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid       $2,083.85

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

41


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

42

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

43

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class A, Class B and Class C Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds
c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 8081
Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34416-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbol

Class T Shares GRBAX

LOGO

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
About Class T Shares   16
   

Description of the Share Class

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  17
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  19
   

Shareholder Service Fees

  21
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  22
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   23
   

Share Price Determination

  23
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  24
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  28
   
Distributions and Taxes   31
   
Financial Highlights   35
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   36

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal income tax and, to the extent possible, from Rhode Island individual income tax, as is consistent with relative stability of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class T shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the About Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 17 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class T Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    4.75%   
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    1.00% (a) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class T Shares
Management fees    0.55%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.00%
Other expenses(b)    0.22%
Total annual Fund operating expenses    0.77%

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class T shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See About Class

  T Shares – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class T shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

     1 year    3 years    5 years    10 years
Class T Shares    $ 550    $ 709    $ 883    $ 1,384

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 13% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and Rhode Island individual income tax, including securities issued by the State of Rhode Island and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer than can a diversified fund.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the

security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of a municipal security can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in Rhode Island municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of Rhode Island and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of Rhode Island municipal securities to meet their obligations. From time to time, including in recent fiscal years, Rhode Island and its various agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions have experienced significant financial difficulties. In particular, Rhode Island has experienced, and is expected to continue experiencing, significant budget deficits. In addition, Rhode Island’s unemployment rate has increased steadily and has been above the national rate consistently. Rhode Island has taken various actions intended to address such difficulties, including, but not limited to, making spending reductions in the areas of social services and local aid, placing greater reliance on federal support and using reserve funds. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of Rhode Island will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to Rhode Island municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are

   

generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Non-Diversified Mutual Fund Risk – The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of more diversified funds. The Fund may not operate as a non-diversified fund at all times.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown include the returns of the Galaxy Rhode Island Municipal Bond Fund, the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to November 18, 2002, the date on which Class T shares were initially offered by the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Year by Year Total Return (%)

as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class T shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns

During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   4.92%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.20%

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding.

 

     1 year    5 years    10 years
Class T shares returns before taxes    3.57%    2.44%    4.33%
Class T shares returns after taxes on distributions    3.57%    2.43%    4.33%
Class T shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    3.68%    2.62%    4.29%
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46%    4.49%    5.60%

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. There are no minimum initial or minimum additional investments for Class T shares, but Class T shares are available for purchase only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds). You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after

the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions including, for example, investments in money market instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.48% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067

 

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended

and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Description of the Share Class

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers one class of shares in this prospectus: Class T shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class T shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class T Shares
Eligible Investors(a)    The share class is available only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds).
Investment Limits    none
Conversion Features    none
Front-End Sales Charges(b)    4.75% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)(b)    none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Service Fees    service fees of up to 0.40%(c)

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares - Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of this share class.

 

(b)

See About Class T Shares - Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(c)

See About Class T Shares - Shareholder Service Fees for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for example,

   brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class T shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See About Class T Shares – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

 

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n  The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n  The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See About Class T Shares – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class T shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class T Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
   Sales charge as a %
of the offering price(b)
   Sales charge as a %
of the net amount invested(b)
  

Amount retained by or paid to
selling and/or servicing agents

as a % of the offering price

 
$0 – $49,999    4.75%    4.99%    4.25%   
$50,000 – $99,999    4.50%    4.71%    3.75%   
$100,000 – $249,999    3.50%    3.63%    2.75%   
$250,000 – $499,999    2.50%    2.56%    2.00%   
$500,000 – $999,999    2.00%    2.04%    1.75%   
$1,000,000 or more    0.00%    0.00%    1.00% (c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

17


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Class T Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class T shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class T shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class T share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class T shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class T shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class T shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 4.25% of the offering price per share when you buy Class T shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class T shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class T Shares – Commission Schedule

Purchase Amount    Commission Level
(as a % of net asset
value per share)
 
$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50
$50 million or more    0.25

 

FUNDamentalsTM

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.


 

18


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class T shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class T shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

 

FUNDamentalsTM

Your “Immediate Family” and
Account Value Aggregation

 

For purposes of obtaining a Class T shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, step-child, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

19


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class T shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class T shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.


 

20


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Shareholder Service Fees

The Fund has adopted a shareholder services plan that permits it to pay for certain services provided to Class T shareholders by their selling and/or servicing agents. The Fund may pay shareholder service fees up to an aggregate annual rate of 0.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T shares (comprised of an annual rate of up to 0.20% for shareholder liaison services and up to 0.20% for administrative support services), but such fees will not exceed the Fund’s net investment income attributable to Class T shares. The Fund currently limits such fees to an aggregate annual rate of not more than 0.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T shares for shareholder liaison services and administrative support services.

Over time, these fees will reduce the return on your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The Fund will pay these fees to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the shareholder servicing plan continues. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.


 

21


Table of Contents

About Class T Shares

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with

certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

22


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s

market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale,

which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Share Class Closing

Class T shares of Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund are available for purchase only to investors who received (and who have continuously held) Class T shares in connection with the merger of certain Galaxy Funds into various Columbia Funds (formerly named Liberty Funds).

Eligible Investors

If you have an eligible account, you can buy Class T shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class T shares.

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when

you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class T shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class T shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class T shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class T shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class T shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class T shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

 

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class T shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange. Ordinarily, shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/ or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

30


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

31


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

32


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of Rhode Island and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to Rhode Island personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

   

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

34


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class T Shares

     

Year Ended
October 31,
2009

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2008

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2007(a)

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2006

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2005

 

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

   $ 10.52      $ 11.05      $ 11.21      $ 11.20      $ 11.54   

Income from Investment Operations:

          

Net Investment Income(b)

     0.43        0.44        0.41        0.42        0.43   

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts

     0.61        (0.53     (0.15     0.04        (0.33

Total from Investment Operations

     1.04        (0.09     0.26        0.46        0.10   

Less Distributions to Shareholders:

          

From Net Investment Income

     (0.43     (0.44     (0.41     (0.42     (0.43

From Net Realized Gains

                   (0.01     (0.03     (0.01

Total Distributions to Shareholders

     (0.43     (0.44     (0.42     (0.45     (0.44

Net Asset Value, End of Period

   $ 11.13      $ 10.52      $ 11.05      $ 11.21      $ 11.20   

Total Return(c)

     10.03 %(d)      (0.89 )%(d)      2.36     4.25     0.88 %(d) 

Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:

          

Net Expenses(e)

     0.54     0.50     0.86     0.77     0.72

Waiver/Reimbursement

     0.23     0.27                   %(f) 

Net Investment Income(e)

     3.95     4.00     3.69     3.81     3.75

Portfolio Turnover Rate

     13     14     11     10     12

Net Assets, End of Period (000s)

     $8,760        $9,011        $10,852        $11,879        $12,284   

 

(a)

On August 8, 2007, Class G shares were exchanged for Class T shares.

 

(b)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(c)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(d)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(e)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(f)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

35


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The chart shows the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class T shares of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The chart also assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The annual expense ratio used for the share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the chart and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The chart shown below reflects the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class T Shares

Maximum Initial Sales Charge
4.75%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment Amount
$10,000.00
    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year  

Cumulative

Return Before

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual

Expense Ratio

 

Cumulative

Return After

Fees and Expenses

   

Hypothetical

Year-End

Balance After

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual Fees

and Expenses(a)

1   5.00%   0.77%   -0.72% (b)    $9,927.91   $549.89
2   10.25%   0.77%   3.48%      $10,347.86   $78.06
3   15.76%   0.77%   7.86%      $10,785.57   $81.36
4   21.55%   0.77%   12.42%      $11,241.80   $84.81
5   27.63%   0.77%   17.17%      $11,717.33   $88.39
6   34.01%   0.77%   22.13%      $12,212.97   $92.13
7   40.71%   0.77%   27.30%      $12,729.58   $96.03
8   47.75%   0.77%   32.68%      $13,268.04   $100.09
9   55.13%   0.77%   38.29%      $13,829.28   $104.32
10   62.89%   0.77%   44.14%      $14,414.26   $108.74
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses         $4,414.26    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid             $1,383.82

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

36


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

37

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

38

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

39

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class T Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds
c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 8081
Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


 

©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34417-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

 

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Ticker symbol

Class Z Shares GRITX

 

NOT FDIC INSURED   May Lose Value     The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
NOT BANK ISSUED   No Bank Guarantee    


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
About Class Z Shares   16
   

Description of the Share Class

  16
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  17
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   18
   

Share Price Determination

  18
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  19
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  23
   
Distributions and Taxes   27
   
Financial Highlights   31
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   32

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks as high a level of current interest income exempt from federal income tax and, to the extent possible, from Rhode Island individual income tax, as is consistent with relative stability of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class Z Shares
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    N/A
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    N/A

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class Z Shares  
Management fees    0.55
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.00
Other expenses(a)    0.22
Total annual Fund operating expenses    0.77

 

(a)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class Z shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class Z Shares      $ 79      $ 246      $ 428      $ 954

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 13% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and Rhode Island individual income tax, including securities issued by the State of Rhode Island and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) to be of comparable quality. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer than can a diversified fund.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the

security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of a municipal security can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in Rhode Island municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of Rhode Island and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of Rhode Island municipal securities to meet their obligations. From time to time, including in recent fiscal years, Rhode Island and its various agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions have experienced significant financial difficulties. In particular, Rhode Island has experienced, and is expected to continue experiencing, significant budget deficits. In addition, Rhode Island’s unemployment rate has increased steadily and has been above the national rate consistently. Rhode Island has taken various actions intended to address such difficulties, including, but not limited to, making spending reductions in the areas of social services and local aid, placing greater reliance on federal support and using reserve funds. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of Rhode Island will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to Rhode Island municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and

   

special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

   

the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Non-Diversified Mutual Fund Risk – The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of more diversified funds. The Fund may not operate as a non-diversified fund at all times.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown include the returns of the Galaxy Rhode Island Municipal Bond Fund, the predecessor to the Fund, for periods prior to November 18, 2002, the date on which Class Z shares were initially offered by the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class Z shares has varied from year to year.

LOGO

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   4.92%
Worst:   2nd quarter 2004:   -2.20%

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index, which tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued after December 31, 1990 with remaining maturities between 2 and 17 years and at least $5 million in principal amount outstanding.

 

     1 year     5 years     10 years  
Class Z shares returns before taxes    8.71   3.44   4.85
Class Z shares returns after taxes on distributions    8.71   3.43   4.84
Class Z shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    7.09   3.49   4.76
Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    9.46   4.49   5.60

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class Z shares of the Fund range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class Z shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective cannot be changed without shareholder approval. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The

Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

 

including, for example, investments in money market instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.

 


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.48% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Brian M. McGreevy

Manager. Service with the Fund since 1998.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1994.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Fund pays the Administrator a fee for its services, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses. The fee is calculated as an annual percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets and is paid monthly, as follows:

 

Annual Administration Fee,

as a % of Average Daily Net Assets

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    0.067%

 

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims

under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

About Class Z Shares

 

Description of the Share Class

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers one class of shares in this prospectus: Class Z shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class Z shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class Z Shares
Eligible Investors and Minimum Initial Investments    Class Z shares are available only to certain eligible investors, which are subject to different minimum initial investment requirements. These minimum initial investment amounts range from $0 to $2,500. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for details.
Investment Limits    none
Conversion Features    none
Front-End Sales Charges    none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)    none
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees    none

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for

   example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

About Class Z Shares

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average

aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

17


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

18


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be


 

19


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send

you written notification in advance of any automatic sale, which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we


 

20


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to


 

21


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

 

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

22


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class Z shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer. Class Z shares are only available to the categories of eligible investors described below, each of which is subject to its own minimum initial investment requirements.

Minimum Initial Investments

There is no minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors:

 

n  

Any person investing all or part of the proceeds of a distribution, rollover or transfer of assets into a Columbia Management Individual Retirement Account, from any deferred compensation plan which was a shareholder of any of the funds of Columbia Acorn Trust (formerly named Liberty Acorn Trust) on September 29, 2000, in which the investor was a participant and through which the investor invested in one or more of the funds of Columbia Acorn Trust immediately prior to the distribution, transfer or rollover.

 

n  

Any health savings account sponsored by a third party platform, including those sponsored by Bank of America affiliates, and any omnibus group retirement plan for which a financial intermediary or other entity provides services and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than in the form of payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

 

n  

Any investor participating in a wrap program sponsored by a financial intermediary or other entity that is paid an

   

asset-based fee by the investor and that is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

The minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors is $1,000:

 

n  

Any individual retirement plan (assuming the eligibility criteria below are met) or group retirement plan that is not held in an omnibus manner for which a financial intermediary or other entity provides services and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than in the form of payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

The minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors is $2,500:

 

n  

Any client of Bank of America or one of its subsidiaries buying shares through an asset management company, trust, fiduciary, retirement plan administration or similar arrangement with Bank of America or the subsidiary.

 

n  

Any investor buying shares through a Columbia Management state tuition plan organized under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

n  

Any shareholder (as well as any family member of a shareholder or person listed on an account registration for any account of the shareholder) of another fund distributed by the Distributor (i) who holds Class Z shares; (ii) who held Primary A shares prior to the share class redesignation of Primary A shares as Class Z shares that occurred on August 22, 2005; (iii) who holds Class A shares that were obtained by an exchange of Class Z shares; or (iv) who bought shares of certain mutual funds that were not subject to sales charges and that merged with another fund distributed by the Distributor.

 

n  

Any trustee or director (or family member of a trustee or director) of a fund distributed by the Distributor.

 

n  

Any employee (or family member of an employee) of Bank of America or one of its subsidiaries.

 

n  

Any investor participating in an account offered by a financial intermediary or other entity that provides services to such an account, is paid an asset-based fee by the investor and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

   

(each investor buying shares through a financial intermediary must independently satisfy the minimum investment requirement noted above).

 

n  

Any institutional investor who is a corporation, partnership, trust, foundation, endowment, institution, government entity, or similar organization, which meets the respective qualifications for an accredited investor, as defined under the Securities Act of 1933.

 

n  

Certain financial institutions and intermediaries, such as insurance companies, trust companies, banks, endowments, investment companies or foundations, buying shares for their own account, including Bank of America and its affiliates and/or subsidiaries.

For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class Z shares.

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An

electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated net asset value per share.

 

n  

You generally buy Class Z shares at net asset value because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of this share class.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class Z shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class Z shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class Z shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

 


 

26


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations   daily
Distributions   monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

27


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.

 


 

28


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of Rhode Island and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to Rhode Island personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

 

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

29


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.

 


 

30


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class Z Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $ 10.52      $ 11.05      $ 11.21      $ 11.20      $ 11.54   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)      0.43        0.44        0.41        0.42        0.43   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts      0.61        (0.53     (0.15     0.04        (0.33
Total from Investment Operations      1.04        (0.09     0.26        0.46        0.10   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income      (0.43     (0.44     (0.41     (0.42     (0.43
From Net Realized Gains                    (0.01     (0.03     (0.01
Total Distributions to Shareholders      (0.43     (0.44     (0.42     (0.45     (0.44
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $ 11.13      $ 10.52      $ 11.05      $ 11.21      $ 11.20   
Total Return(b)      10.03 %(c)      (0.89 )%(c)      2.36     4.25     0.88 %(c) 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(d)      0.54     0.50     0.86     0.77     0.72
Waiver/Reimbursement      0.23     0.27                   %(e) 
Net Investment Income(d)      3.95     4.01     3.69     3.81     3.75
Portfolio Turnover Rate      13     14     11     10     12
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $ 93,422      $ 99,493      $ 103,512      $ 103,708      $ 104,062   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(e)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

31


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The chart shows the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class Z shares of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The chart also assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The annual expense ratio used for the share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the chart and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

 

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund – Class Z Shares

Maximum Initial Sales

Charge 0.00%

 

Initial Hypothetical Investment

Amount $10,000.00

  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
 

Cumulative
Return After

Fees and Expenses

 

Hypothetical

Year-End

Balance After

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual Fees

and Expenses(a)

1   5.00%   0.77%   4.23%   $10,423.00   $78.63
2   10.25%   0.77%   8.64%   $10,863.89   $81.95
3   15.76%   0.77%   13.23%   $11,323.44   $85.42
4   21.55%   0.77%   18.02%   $11,802.42   $89.03
5   27.63%   0.77%   23.02%   $12,301.66   $92.80
6   34.01%   0.77%   28.22%   $12,822.02   $96.73
7   40.71%   0.77%   33.64%   $13,364.39   $100.82
8   47.75%   0.77%   39.30%   $13,929.70   $105.08
9   55.13%   0.77%   45.19%   $14,518.93   $109.53
10   62.89%   0.77%   51.33%   $15,133.08   $114.16
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $5,133.08    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $954.15

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

32


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

33


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

34


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

35


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Class Z Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds
c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 8081
Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing, (ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication

relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


 

©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34129-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

Ticker symbols

Class A Shares CLMPX

Class B Shares CCABX

Class C Shares CCAOX

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

LOGO


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
Choosing a Share Class   16
   

Comparison of the Share Classes

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  17
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  20
   

Distribution and Service Fees

  22
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  23
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   24
   

Share Price Determination

  24
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  25
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  29
   
Distributions and Taxes   33
   
Financial Highlights   37
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   40

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks total return, consisting of current income exempt from federal income tax and California individual income tax and of capital appreciation, consistent with moderate fluctuation of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 17 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class A Shares     Class B Shares     Class C Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    4.75   N/A      N/A   
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    1.00 %(a)    5.00 %(b)    1.00 %(c) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class A Shares     Class B Shares     Class C Shares  
Management fees    0.50   0.50   0.50
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.24   0.99   0.99
Other expenses    0.12   0.12   0.12
Acquired fund fees and expenses    0.01   0.01   0.01
Total annual Fund operating expenses(d)    0.87   1.62   1.62

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class A shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

This charge decreases over time. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(c)

This charge applies to investors who buy Class C shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(d)

“Total annual Fund operating expenses” do not match “Net Expenses” in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus, which does not include, among other things, fees and expenses incurred as a result of investment in shares of certain pooled investment vehicles.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

    

1 year

  

3 years

  

5 years

  

10 years

Class A Shares    $ 560    $ 739    $ 934    $ 1,497
Class B Shares            
Assuming no redemption    $ 165    $ 511    $ 881    $ 1,721
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period    $ 665    $ 811    $ 1,081    $ 1,721
Class C Shares            
Assuming no redemption    $ 165    $ 511    $ 881    $ 1,922
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period    $ 265    $ 511    $ 881    $ 1,922

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 14% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal bonds that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and California individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of California and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity and duration will vary over time depending on the expectations of Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) for market and economic conditions.

The Fund primarily invests in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality. The Fund also may invest up to 25% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.” The Fund may also invest in zero-coupon bonds.

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

 

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

   

a municipal security can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in California municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of California and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of California municipal securities to meet their obligations. California is in a severe economic recession. Personal income has been declining in California for some time. Taxable sales and the assessed value of property have both fallen sharply in California. In addition, California’s unemployment rate has seen steady increases. California’s Governor and Legislature have taken various actions designed to address these conditions, including, but not limited to, revenue building and cost cutting programs and the issuance of additional debt. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of California will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to California municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue

   

obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

 

revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Zero-Coupon Bonds Risk – Zero-coupon bonds are bonds that do not pay interest in cash on a current basis, but instead accrue interest over the life of the bond. As a result, these securities are issued at a discount and their values may fluctuate more than the values of similar securities that pay interest periodically. Although these securities pay no interest to holders prior to maturity, interest accrued on these securities is reported as income to the Fund and distributed to its shareholders.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

Year by Year Total Return (%)

as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class A

shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns

During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   10.08%
Worst:   3rd quarter 2008:   -4.07%

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009


Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index and the Lipper California Municipal Debt Funds Classification. The Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index is considered representative of the broad market for investment-grade, tax-exempt bonds with maturities of at least one year. The Lipper California Municipal Debt Funds Classification is composed of funds with investment objectives similar to those of the Fund.

 

     1 year     5 years     10 years  
Class A shares returns before taxes    8.38   2.40   4.83
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions    8.33   2.34   4.71
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    7.08   2.62   4.74
Class B shares returns before taxes    7.95   2.29   4.56
Class C shares returns before taxes    12.28   2.94   4.87
Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    12.91   4.32   5.75
Lipper California Municipal Debt Funds Classification    17.67   2.75   4.62

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs. The after-tax returns are shown only for the Class A shares, and will vary for other share classes.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Kimberly A. Campbell

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class A, Class B and Class C shares range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class A, Class B or Class C shares. Subject to certain limited exceptions, the Fund no longer accepts investments in Class B shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective and certain of its investment policies can be changed without shareholder approval unless otherwise stated in this prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The

Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

including, for example, investments in money market instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.50% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Kimberly A. Campbell

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1995.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Administrator does not currently receive any fees for the administrative services it provides to the Fund.

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and

sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.60% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL.

On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Comparison of the Share Classes

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers three classes of shares in this prospectus: Class A, Class B and Class C shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class A, Class B and Class C shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares
Eligible Investors and Minimum Initial Investments(a)    Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.    The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange as described in more detail under Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares - Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares - Class B Shares Closing.    Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.
Investment Limits    none    up to $49,999 (based on aggregate account value)(b)    up to $999,999
Conversion Features    none    convert to Class A shares eight years after purchase    none
Front-End Sales Charges(c)    4.75% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more    none    none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)(c)    none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase    5.00% maximum, gradually declining to 0.00% after six years    1.00% on investments sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees(d)    0.25% service fee    0.75% distribution fee 0.25% service fee    0.75% distribution fee 0.25% service fee

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of these share classes.

 

(b)

The value of your account, for this purpose, includes the value of all eligible accounts held by you and your “immediate family.” See the discussion about account value aggregation and eligible accounts in Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information. The amount of Class B shares purchased through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange is not included in the calculation to determine whether your account has reached the $49,999 limit.

 

(c)

See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(d)

This is the maximum applicable distribution and service fee. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for

   example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class A shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

 

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n  The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n  The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class A shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
   Sales charge as a %
of the offering price(b)
     Sales charge as a %
of the net amount invested(b)
     Amount retained or paid to
selling and/or servicing agents
as a % of the offering price
 
$0 – $49,999    4.75%      4.99%      4.25%   
$50,000 – $99,999    4.50%      4.71%      4.00%   
$100,000 – $249,999    3.50%      3.63%      3.00%   
$250,000 – $499,999    2.50%      2.56%      2.25%   
$500,000 – $999,999    2.00%      2.04%      1.75%   
$1,000,000 or more    0.00%      0.00%      1.00% (c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

17


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class A Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class A shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class A shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class A share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class A shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class A shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class A shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 4.25% of the offering price per share when you buy Class A shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class A shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class A Shares – Commission Schedule

 

Purchase Amount    Commission Level
(as a % of net asset
value per share)
$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00%
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50%
$50 million or more    0.25%
FUNDamentals™     

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end

   sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.

Class B and Class C Shares – Sales Charges

You don’t pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class B or Class C shares, but you may pay a CDSC when you sell Class B or Class C shares.

The CDSC on Class B and Class C shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower,

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions, and

 

n  

generally declines each year until there is no sales charge for selling shares.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which your purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class B or Class C shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest.


 

18


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class B Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class B shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details. The CDSC you pay on Class B shares depends on how long you’ve held your shares:

 

Class B Shares – CDSC Schedule

 

Number of Years
Class B Shares Held
   Applicable
CDSC
One    5.00%
Two    4.00%
Three    3.00%
Four    3.00%
Five    2.00%
Six    1.00%
Seven    none
Eight    none
Nine    Conversion to
Class A Shares

If you are an investor who purchased Class B shares prior to their being closed (except for certain limited transactions), the Distributor paid an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 4.00% of the net asset value per share when you bought the Class B shares. The Distributor continues to seek to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.

Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares after you’ve owned them for eight years. This conversion feature allows you to benefit from the lower operating costs of Class A shares, which can help increase your total returns from an investment in the Fund.

The following rules apply to the conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares:

 

n  

Class B shares are converted on or about the 15th day of the month that they become eligible for conversion.

 

n  

Any shares you received from reinvested distributions on these shares generally will convert to Class A shares at the same time.

n  

You’ll receive the same dollar value of Class A shares as the Class B shares that were converted. Class B shares that you received from an exchange of Class B shares of another Columbia Fund will convert based on the day you bought the original shares.

 

n  

No sales charge or other charges apply, and conversions are free from federal income tax.

Class C Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC of 1.00% if you sell Class C shares within one year of buying them unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details.

The Distributor pays an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 1.00% of the net asset value per share when you buy Class C shares. The Distributor seeks to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC applied when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.


 

19


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class A shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class A shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

 

FUNDamentalsTM

Your “Immediate Family” and

Account Value Aggregation

 

For purposes of reaching the Class B shares investment limits described in Choosing a Share Class – Comparison of the Share Classes and obtaining a Class A shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all applicable shares in eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, stepchild, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

20


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class A shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.


 

21


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Distribution and Service Fees

Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, distribution and shareholder servicing plans which set the distribution and service fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or eligible selling and/or servicing agents for selling shares of the Fund and providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.

The table below shows the maximum annual distribution and service fees (as an annual % of average daily net assets) and the combined amount of such fees applicable to each share class:

 

Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees

     Distribution
Fee
    Service
Fee(a)
    Combined
Total
 
Class A         0.25   0.25
Class B    0.75   0.25   1.00
Class C    0.75 %(b)    0.25   1.00

 

(a)

The annual service fee may equal up to 0.10% on net assets attributable to Fund shares issued prior to December 1, 1994 and 0.25% on net assets attributable to Fund shares issued thereafter. This arrangement results in a rate of service fee for all Fund shares that is a blend between the 0.10% and 0.25% rates. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, the blended service fee was 0.24% of the Fund’s average net assets.

 

(b)

The Distributor has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of the distribution fee for Class C shares so that it does not exceed 0.45% annually. This arrangement may be modified or terminated by the Distributor at any time.

The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the distribution and/or shareholder servicing plans continue. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.


 

22


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average

aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale, which will provide details on how you may avoid such an

automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Eligible Investors

Class A and Class C shares are available to the general public for investment. Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class A and Class C shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Class B Shares Closing

The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except for certain limited transactions involving existing investors in Class B shares as described in more detail below.

Additional Class B shares will be issued only to existing investors in Class B shares and only through the following two types of transactions (Qualifying Transactions):

 

n  

Dividends and/or capital gain distributions may continue to be reinvested in Class B shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Shareholders invested in Class B shares of the Fund may exchange those shares for Class B shares of other Columbia Funds offering such shares.

Any initial purchase orders for the Fund’s Class B shares will be rejected (other than through a Qualifying Transaction that is an exchange transaction).

Unless contrary instructions are received in advance by the Fund, purchase orders (except those submitted by a financial intermediary through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) as described in more detail below) for additional Class B shares of the Fund received from existing

investors in Class B shares, including orders made through an active systematic investment plan, will be invested in Class A shares of the Fund, without regard to the normal minimum initial investment for Class A shares, but subject to the front-end sales charge that generally applies to Class A shares. See Choosing a Share Class—Class A Shares—Front-end Sales Charge for additional information.

Additional purchase orders for a Fund’s Class B shares by an existing Class B shareholder, submitted by such shareholder’s financial intermediary through the NSCC, will be rejected due to operational limitations of the NSCC. Investors should consult their financial advisor if they wish to invest in the Fund by purchasing a share class of the Fund other than Class B shares.

In addition, dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will no longer be automatically invested in Class B shares of another Columbia Fund. Unless contrary instructions are received in advance of the date of declaration, such dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will be reinvested in Class B shares of the same Columbia Fund that is making the distribution.

Minimum Initial Investments

The minimum initial investment for Class A and Class C shares is $2,500 for regular accounts and $1,000 for individual retirement plans (including traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts) and non-omnibus group retirement plans. For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50. There is no minimum initial investment for Class A or Class C shares bought through omnibus accounts, wrap accounts or health savings accounts, although your selling and/or servicing agent may impose its own investment minimum. For group retirement plans, the minimum initial investment and minimum additional investment are determined based on the plan’s investment rather than that of its individual participants.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class A or Class C shares.


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares – Class B Shares Closing for restrictions applicable to Class B shares.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class A shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class A shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

n  

You buy Class B and Class C shares at net asset value per share because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of these share classes.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class A, Class B or Class C shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at


 

30


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

 

least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class A, Class B or Class C shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.


 

31


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

 

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange, except that when Class B shares are exchanged for Class Z shares, any CDSC charges applicable to Class B shares will be applied. Ordinarily, shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/ or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

32


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

34


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of California and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to California personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on


 

35


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

   

your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

36


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights tables are designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund – Class A Shares

     

Year Ended
October 31,
2009

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2008

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2007

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2006

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2005

 

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

     $6.71        $7.55        $7.74        $7.59        $7.74   

Income from Investment Operations:

          

Net Investment Income(a)

     0.31        0.30        0.30        0.31        0.31   

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts

     0.59        (0.79     (0.16     0.18        (0.15

Total from Investment Operations

     0.90        (0.49     0.14        0.49        0.16   

Less Distributions to Shareholders:

          

From Net Investment Income

     (0.30     (0.31     (0.30     (0.31     (0.31

From Net Realized Gains

     (0.01     (0.04     (0.03     (0.03       

Total Distributions to Shareholders

     (0.31     (0.35     (0.33     (0.34     (0.31

Increase from Regulatory Settlements

     (b)                             

Net Asset Value, End of Period

     $7.30        $6.71        $7.55        $7.74        $7.59   

Total Return(c)(d)

     13.76     (6.80 )%      1.86     6.61     2.05

Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:

          

Net Expenses(e)

     0.84     0.84     0.83     0.83     0.90

Waiver/Reimbursement

     0.02     0.01     0.03     0.02     %(f) 

Net Investment Income(e)

     4.38     4.14     3.99     4.04     4.00

Portfolio Turnover Rate

     14     12     12     10     7
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $ 265,594      $ 263,220      $ 281,254      $ 292,740      $ 303,486   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(c)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(d)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(e)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(f)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

37


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund – Class B Shares

     

Year Ended
October 31,
2009

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2008

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2007

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2006

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2005

 

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

     $6.71        $7.55        $7.74        $7.59        $7.74   

Income from Investment Operations:

          

Net Investment Income(a)

     0.26        0.25        0.25        0.25        0.25   

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts

     0.59        (0.80     (0.17     0.18        (0.15

Total from Investment Operations

     0.85        (0.55     0.08        0.43        0.10   

Less Distributions to Shareholders:

          

From Net Investment Income

     (0.25     (0.25     (0.24     (0.25     (0.25

From Net Realized Gains

     (0.01     (0.04     (0.03     (0.03       

Total Distributions to Shareholders

     (0.26     (0.29     (0.27     (0.28     (0.25

Increase from Regulatory Settlements

     (b)                             

Net Asset Value, End of Period

     $7.30        $6.71        $7.55        $7.74        $7.59   

Total Return(c)(d)

     12.92     (7.49 )%      1.10     5.82     1.29

Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:

          

Net Expenses(e)

     1.59     1.59     1.58     1.58     1.65

Waiver/Reimbursement

     0.02     0.01     0.03     0.02     %(f) 

Net Investment Income(e)

     3.65     3.38     3.25     3.29     3.25

Portfolio Turnover Rate

     14     12     12     10     7
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $ 5,377      $ 9,740      $ 16,123      $ 24,004      $ 30,327   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(c)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(d)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(e)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(f)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

38


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund – Class C Shares

     

Year Ended
October 31,
2009

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2008

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2007

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2006

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2005

 

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

     $6.71        $7.55        $7.74        $7.59        $7.74   

Income from Investment Operations:

          

Net Investment Income(a)

     0.28        0.27        0.27        0.27        0.27   

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts

     0.59        (0.80     (0.16     0.18        (0.15

Total from Investment Operations

     0.87        (0.53     0.11        0.45        0.12   

Less Distributions to Shareholders:

          

From Net Investment Income

     (0.27     (0.27     (0.27     (0.27     (0.27

From Net Realized Gains

     (0.01     (0.04     (0.03     (0.03       

Total Distributions to Shareholders

     (0.28     (0.31     (0.30     (0.30     (0.27

Increase from Regulatory Settlements

     (b)                             

Net Asset Value, End of Period

     $7.30        $6.71        $7.55        $7.74        $7.59   

Total Return(c)(d)

     13.25     (7.22 )%      1.40     6.13     1.59

Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:

          

Net Expenses(e)

     1.29     1.29     1.28     1.28     1.35

Waiver/Reimbursement

     0.32     0.31     0.33     0.32     0.30

Net Investment Income(e)

     3.91     3.69     3.54     3.59     3.55

Portfolio Turnover Rate

     14     12     12     10     7

Net Assets, End of Period (000s)

   $ 28,928      $ 21,899      $ 16,765      $ 16,224      $ 17,063   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(c)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(d)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(e)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

39


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The charts show the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in each share class of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The charts also assume that all dividends and distributions are reinvested and that Class B shares convert to Class A shares after eight years. The annual expense ratio used for each share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the charts and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The charts shown below reflect the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund – Class A Shares

Maximum Initial Sales
Charge 4.75%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
    Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   0.87%   -0.82% (b)    $9,918.38   $559.58
2   10.25%   0.87%   3.28%      $10,328.01   $88.07
3   15.76%   0.87%   7.55%      $10,754.56   $91.71
4   21.55%   0.87%   11.99%      $11,198.72   $95.50
5   27.63%   0.87%   16.61%      $11,661.23   $99.44
6   34.01%   0.87%   21.43%      $12,142.84   $103.55
7   40.71%   0.87%   26.44%      $12,644.34   $107.82
8   47.75%   0.87%   31.67%      $13,166.55   $112.28
9   55.13%   0.87%   37.10%      $13,710.33   $116.91
10   62.89%   0.87%   42.77%      $14,276.56   $121.74
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses      $4,276.56    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid          $1,496.60

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

40


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund – Class B Shares

Maximum Initial Sales
Charge 0.00%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
  Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   1.62%   3.38%   $10,338.00   $164.74
2   10.25%   1.62%   6.87%   $10,687.42   $170.31
3   15.76%   1.62%   10.49%   $11,048.66   $176.06
4   21.55%   1.62%   14.22%   $11,422.10   $182.01
5   27.63%   1.62%   18.08%   $11,808.17   $188.17
6   34.01%   1.62%   22.07%   $12,207.29   $194.53
7   40.71%   1.62%   26.20%   $12,619.89   $201.10
8   47.75%   1.62%   30.46%   $13,046.45   $207.90
9   55.13%   0.87%   35.85%   $13,585.26   $115.85
10   62.89%   0.87%   41.46%   $14,146.34   $120.63
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $4,146.34    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid       $1,721.30

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund – Class C Shares

Maximum Initial Sales
Charge 0.00%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
  Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   1.62%   3.38%   $10,338.00   $164.74
2   10.25%   1.62%   6.87%   $10,687.42   $170.31
3   15.76%   1.62%   10.49%   $11,048.66   $176.06
4   21.55%   1.62%   14.22%   $11,422.10   $182.01
5   27.63%   1.62%   18.08%   $11,808.17   $188.17
6   34.01%   1.62%   22.07%   $12,207.29   $194.53
7   40.71%   1.62%   26.20%   $12,619.89   $201.10
8   47.75%   1.62%   30.46%   $13,046.45   $207.90
9   55.13%   1.62%   34.87%   $13,487.42   $214.92
10   62.89%   1.62%   39.43%   $13,943.29   $222.19
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $3,943.29    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid       $1,921.93

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

41


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

42


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

43

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

Class A, Class B and Class C Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc. P.O. Box 8081 Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


© 2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34115-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

Ticker symbol

Class Z Shares CCAZX

 

LOGO

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Managers

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
About Class Z Shares   16
   

Description of the Share Class

  16
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  17
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   18
   

Share Price Determination

  18
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  19
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  23
   
Distributions and Taxes   27
   
Financial Highlights   31
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   32

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates - Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks total return, consisting of current income exempt from federal income tax and California individual income tax and of capital appreciation, consistent with moderate fluctuation of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class Z Shares
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    N/A
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    N/A

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class Z Shares
Management fees    0.50%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.00%
Other expenses    0.12%
Acquired fund fees and expenses    0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a)    0.63%

 

(a)

“Total annual Fund operating expenses” do not match “Net Expenses” in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus, which does not include, among other things, fees and expenses incurred as a result of investment in shares of certain pooled investment vehicles.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class Z shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class Z Shares      $ 64      $ 202      $ 351      $ 786

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 14% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal bonds that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and California individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of California and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity and duration will vary over time depending on the expectations of Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) for market and economic conditions.

The Fund primarily invests in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality. The Fund also may invest up to 25% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.” The Fund may also invest in zero-coupon bonds.

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

 

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

   

a municipal security can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in California municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of California and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of California municipal securities to meet their obligations. California is in a severe economic recession. Personal income has been declining in California for some time. Taxable sales and the assessed value of property have both fallen sharply in California. In addition, California’s unemployment rate has seen steady increases. California’s Governor and Legislature have taken various actions designed to address these conditions, including, but not limited to, revenue building and cost cutting programs and the issuance of additional debt. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of California will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to California municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or

   

other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

 

may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do

   

so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Zero-Coupon Bonds Risk – Zero-coupon bonds are bonds that do not pay interest in cash on a current basis, but instead accrue interest over the life of the bond. As a result, these securities are issued at a discount and their values may fluctuate more than the values of similar securities that pay interest periodically. Although these securities pay no interest to holders prior to maturity, interest accrued on these securities is reported as income to the Fund and distributed to its shareholders.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The returns shown include the returns of Class A shares (the oldest existing Fund class) for periods prior to September 19, 2005, the date on which Class Z shares were initially offered by the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Year by Year Total Return (%)

as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class Z shares has varied from year to year.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns

During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   10.15%
Worst:   3rd quarter 2008:   -4.02%

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index and the Lipper California Municipal Debt Funds Classification. The Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index is considered representative of the broad market for investment-grade, tax-exempt bonds with maturities of at least one year. The Lipper California Municipal Debt Funds Classification is composed of funds with investment objectives similar to those of the Fund.

 

     1 year     5 years     10 years  
Class Z shares returns before taxes    14.06   3.61   5.45
Class Z shares returns after taxes on distributions    14.00   3.55   5.33
Class Z shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    10.94   3.70   5.31
Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    12.91   4.32   5.75
Lipper California Municipal Debt Funds Classification    17.67   2.75   4.62

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Kimberly A. Campbell

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class Z shares of the Fund range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class Z shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective and certain of its investment policies can be changed without shareholder approval unless otherwise stated in this prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The

Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

 

including, for example, investments in money market instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.50% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Kimberly A. Campbell

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1995.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Administrator does not currently receive any fees for the administrative services it provides to the Fund.

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account

basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.60% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims

under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

About Class Z Shares

 

Description of the Share Class

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers one class of shares in this prospectus: Class Z shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class Z shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class Z Shares
Eligible Investors and Minimum Initial Investments    Class Z shares are available only to certain eligible investors, which are subject to different minimum initial investment requirements. These minimum initial investment amounts range from $0 to $2,500. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for details.
Investment Limits    none
Conversion Features    none

Front-End

Sales Charges

   none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)    none
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees    none

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for example,

   brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

About Class Z Shares

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with

certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

17


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close

of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

18


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from


 

19


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale,

which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the


 

20


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan


 

21


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

 

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

22


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class Z shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer. Class Z shares are only available to the categories of eligible investors described below, each of which is subject to its own minimum initial investment requirements.

Minimum Initial Investments

There is no minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors:

 

n  

Any person investing all or part of the proceeds of a distribution, rollover or transfer of assets into a Columbia Management Individual Retirement Account, from any deferred compensation plan which was a shareholder of any of the funds of Columbia Acorn Trust (formerly named Liberty Acorn Trust) on September 29, 2000, in which the investor was a participant and through which the investor invested in one or more of the funds of Columbia Acorn Trust immediately prior to the distribution, transfer or rollover.

 

n  

Any health savings account sponsored by a third party platform, including those sponsored by Bank of America affiliates, and any omnibus group retirement plan for which a financial intermediary or other entity provides services and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than in the form of payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

 

n  

Any investor participating in a wrap program sponsored by a financial intermediary or other entity that is paid an

   

asset-based fee by the investor and that is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

The minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors is $1,000:

 

n  

Any individual retirement plan (assuming the eligibility criteria below are met) or group retirement plan that is not held in an omnibus manner for which a financial intermediary or other entity provides services and is not compensated by the Fund for those services, other than in the form of payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent.

The minimum initial investment in Class Z shares for the following categories of eligible investors is $2,500:

 

n  

Any client of Bank of America or one of its subsidiaries buying shares through an asset management company, trust, fiduciary, retirement plan administration or similar arrangement with Bank of America or the subsidiary.

 

n  

Any investor buying shares through a Columbia Management state tuition plan organized under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

n  

Any shareholder (as well as any family member of a shareholder or person listed on an account registration for any account of the shareholder) of another fund distributed by the Distributor (i) who holds Class Z shares; (ii) who held Primary A shares prior to the share class redesignation of Primary A shares as Class Z shares that occurred on August 22, 2005; (iii) who holds Class A shares that were obtained by an exchange of Class Z shares; or (iv) who bought shares of certain mutual funds that were not subject to sales charges and that merged with another fund distributed by the Distributor.

 

n  

Any trustee or director (or family member of a trustee or director) of a fund distributed by the Distributor.

 

n  

Any employee (or family member of an employee) of Bank of America or one of its subsidiaries.

 

n  

Any investor participating in an account offered by a financial intermediary or other entity that provides services to such an account, is paid an asset-based fee by the investor and is not compensated by the Fund for those


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

   

services, other than payments for shareholder servicing or sub-accounting performed in place of the Transfer Agent (each investor buying shares through a financial intermediary must independently satisfy the minimum investment requirement noted above).

 

n  

Any institutional investor who is a corporation, partnership, trust, foundation, endowment, institution, government entity, or similar organization, which meets the respective qualifications for an accredited investor, as defined under the Securities Act of 1933.

 

n  

Certain financial institutions and intermediaries, such as insurance companies, trust companies, banks, endowments, investment companies or foundations, buying shares for their own account, including Bank of America and its affiliates and/or subsidiaries.

For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class Z shares.

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

 

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated net asset value per share.

 

n  

You generally buy Class Z shares at net asset value because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of this share class.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class Z shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class Z shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class Z shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share.

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class Z shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.


 

26


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

27


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

28


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of California and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to California personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

   

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

29


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

30


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund – Class Z Shares

     

Year Ended
October 31,
2009

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2008

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2007

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2006

   

Period Ended
October 31,
2005(a)

 

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

     $6.71        $7.55        $7.74        $7.59        $7.73   

Income from Investment Operations:

          

Net Investment Income(b)

     0.32        0.32        0.32        0.32        0.04   

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts

     0.60        (0.80     (0.16     0.19        (0.14

Total from Investment Operations

     0.92        (0.48     0.16        0.51        (0.10

Less Distributions to Shareholders:

          

From Net Investment Income

     (0.32     (0.32     (0.32     (0.33     (0.04

From Net Realized Gains

     (0.01     (0.04     (0.03     (0.03       

Total Distributions to Shareholders

     (0.33     (0.36     (0.35     (0.36     (0.04

Increase from Regulatory Settlements

     (c)                             
Net Asset Value, End of Period      $7.30        $6.71        $7.55        $7.74        $7.59   

Total Return(d)(e)

     14.03     (6.57 )%      2.09     6.85     (1.28 )%(f) 

Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:

          

Net Expenses(g)

     0.60     0.60     0.60     0.60     0.58 %(h) 

Waiver/Reimbursement

     0.02     0.01     0.03     0.02     %(h)(i) 

Net Investment Income(g)

     4.61     4.38     4.23     4.26     4.29 %(h) 

Portfolio Turnover Rate

     14     12     12     10     7 %(f) 

Net Assets, End of Period (000s)

   $ 107,246      $ 107,591      $ 122,941      $ 123,803      $ 117,979   

 

(a)

Class Z shares commenced operations on September 19, 2005. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.

 

(b)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(c)

Rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

 

(d)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested.

 

(e)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(f)

Not annualized.

 

(g)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(h)

Annualized.

 

(i)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

31


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The chart shows the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in Class Z shares of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The chart also assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested. The annual expense ratio used for the share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the chart and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

 

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund – Class Z Shares

Maximum Initial Sales

Charge 0.00%

 

Initial Hypothetical Investment

Amount $10,000.00

  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year  

Cumulative

Return Before

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual

Expense Ratio

 

Cumulative

Return After

Fees and Expenses

 

Hypothetical

Year-End
Balance After

Fees and Expenses

  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   0.63%   4.37%   $10,437.00   $64.38
2   10.25%   0.63%   8.93%   $10,893.10   $67.19
3   15.76%   0.63%   13.69%   $11,369.13   $70.13
4   21.55%   0.63%   18.66%   $11,865.96   $73.19
5   27.63%   0.63%   23.84%   $12,384.50   $76.39
6   34.01%   0.63%   29.26%   $12,925.70   $79.73
7   40.71%   0.63%   34.91%   $13,490.55   $83.21
8   47.75%   0.63%   40.80%   $14,080.09   $86.85
9   55.13%   0.63%   46.95%   $14,695.39   $90.64
10   62.89%   0.63%   53.38%   $15,337.58   $94.60
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $5,337.58    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $786.31

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

32


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

33

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

34

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

35

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

Class Z Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds
c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 8081
Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


 

©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34116-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund

Ticker symbols

Class A Shares COCTX

Class B Shares CCTBX

Class C Shares CCTCX

LOGO

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
Choosing a Share Class   16
   

Comparison of the Share Classes

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  17
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  20
   

Distribution and Service Fees

  22
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  23
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   24
   

Share Price Determination

  24
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  25
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  29
   
Distributions and Taxes   35
   
Financial Highlights   37
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   40

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates - Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks total return, consisting of current income exempt from federal income tax and Connecticut individual income tax and of capital appreciation, consistent with moderate fluctuation of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 17 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class A Shares     Class B Shares     Class C Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of
offering price
   4.75%      N/A      N/A   
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions,
as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value
   1.00% (a)    5.00% (b)    1.00% (c) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class A Shares     Class B Shares     Class C Shares  
Management fees    0.50   0.50   0.50
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.24   0.99   0.99
Other expenses(d)    0.28   0.28   0.28
Acquired fund fees and expenses    0.02   0.02   0.02
Total annual Fund operating expenses(e)    1.04   1.79   1.79

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class A shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

This charge decreases over time. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(c)

This charge applies to investors who buy Class C shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(d)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

(e)

“Total annual Fund operating expenses” do not match “Net Expenses” in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus, which does not include, among other things, fees and expenses incurred as a result of investment in shares of certain pooled investment vehicles.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class A Shares      $576      $790      $1,022      $1,686
Class B Shares                    
Assuming no redemption      $182      $563      $970      $1,908
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period      $682      $863      $1,170      $1,908
Class C Shares                    
Assuming no redemption      $182      $563      $970      $2,105
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period      $282      $563      $970      $2,105

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 7% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal bonds that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and Connecticut individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of Connecticut and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity and duration will vary over time depending on the expectations of Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) for market and economic conditions.

The Fund primarily invests in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality. The Fund also may invest up to 25% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

 

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund

 

   

a municipal security can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in Connecticut municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of Connecticut and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of Connecticut municipal securities to meet their obligations. Connecticut is facing economic and fiscal challenges brought on by the current recession, such as a past and projected budget and services deficits and falling employment, among other issues. The Governor and the General Assembly continue to take actions designed to address these challenges and consider various corrective actions for them, including, but not limited to, the elimination or reduction of state services, increases in state taxes and reduction of aid to municipalities. In addition, several municipalities in Connecticut are facing similar economic and fiscal challenges as well. Rising costs, slow tax collections and the possibility for a reduction in state aid have caused several municipalities to consider reductions of services and programs, and increases in taxes and fees. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of Connecticut will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to Connecticut municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are

   

backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund

 

   

conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction

   

counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Year by Year Total Return (%)

as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class A shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns

During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   6.97%
Worst:   3rd quarter 2008:   -4.20%

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index and the Lipper Connecticut Municipal Debt Funds Classification. The Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index is considered representative of the broad market for investment-grade, tax-exempt bonds with maturities of at least one year. The Lipper Connecticut Municipal Debt Funds Classification is composed of funds with investment objectives similar to those of the Fund.

 

     1 year    5 years    10 years
Class A shares returns before taxes    8.09%    2.28%    4.57%
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions    8.09%    2.15%    4.46%
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    6.57%    2.44%    4.48%
Class B shares returns before taxes    7.65%    2.17%    4.30%
Class C shares returns before taxes    11.98%    2.82%    4.62%
Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    12.91%    4.32%    5.75%
Lipper Connecticut Municipal Debt Funds Classification    16.74%    3.18%    4.80%

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs. The after-tax returns are shown only for the Class A shares, and will vary for other share classes.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Kimberly A. Campbell

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class A, Class B and Class C shares range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class A, Class B or Class C shares. Subject to certain limited exceptions, the Fund no longer accepts investments in Class B shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective and certain of its investment policies can be changed without shareholder approval unless otherwise stated in this prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The

Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund

 

including, for example, investments in money market instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and its expertise of other affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.50% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Kimberly A. Campbell

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1995.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Administrator does not currently receive any fees for the administrative services it provides to the Fund.

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

 

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of

the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating

expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees,

brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary

expenses, but including custodian charges relating to

overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits

from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.60% of the Fund’s

average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor,

in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement

at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended

and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Comparison of the Share Classes

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers three classes of shares in this prospectus: Class A, Class B and Class C shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class A, Class B and Class C shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares
Eligible Investors and Minimum Initial Investments(a)    Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.    The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange as described in more detail under Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares - Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares - Class B Shares Closing.    Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.
Investment Limits    none    up to $49,999 (based on aggregate account value)(b)    up to $999,999
Conversion Features    none    convert to Class A shares eight years after purchase    none
Front-End Sales Charges(c)    4.75% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more    none    none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)(c)    none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase    5.00% maximum, gradually declining to 0.00% after six years    1.00% on investments sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees(d)    0.25% service fee   

0.75% distribution fee

0.25% service fee

  

0.75% distribution fee

0.25% service fee

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of these share classes.

 

(b)

The value of your account, for this purpose, includes the value of all eligible accounts held by you and your “immediate family.” See the discussion about account value aggregation and eligible accounts in Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information. The amount of Class B shares purchased through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange is not included in the calculation to determine whether your account has reached the $49,999 limit.

 

(c)

See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(d)

This is the maximum applicable distribution and service fee. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for

   example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class A shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

 

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n  The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n  The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class A shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
  

Sales charge as a %

of the offering price(b)

  

Sales charge as a %

of the net amount invested(b)

  

Amount retained by or paid to

selling and/or servicing agents

as a % of the offering price

 
$0 – $49,999    4.75%    4.99%    4.25%   
$50,000 – $99,999    4.50%    4.71%    4.00%   
$100,000 – $249,999    3.50%    3.63%    3.00%   
$250,000 – $499,999    2.50%    2.56%    2.25%   
$500,000 – $999,999    2.00%    2.04%    1.75%   
$1,000,000 or more    0.00%    0.00%    1.00% (c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

17


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class A Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class A shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class A shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class A share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class A shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class A shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class A shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 4.25% of the offering price per share when you buy Class A shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class A shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class A Shares – Commission Schedule

Purchase Amount   

Commission Level

(as a % of net asset

value per share)

 
$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50
$50 million or more    0.25

 

FUNDamentalsTM

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.

Class B and Class C Shares – Sales Charges

You don’t pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class B or Class C shares, but you may pay a CDSC when you sell Class B or Class C shares.

The CDSC on Class B and Class C shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower,

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions, and

 

n  

generally declines each year until there is no sales charge for selling shares.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which your purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class B or Class C shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest.


 

18


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class B Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class B shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details. The CDSC you pay on Class B shares depends on how long you’ve held your shares:

 

Class B Shares – CDSC Schedule

Number of Years
Class B Shares Held
   Applicable
CDSC
One    5.00%
Two    4.00%
Three    3.00%
Four    3.00%
Five    2.00%
Six    1.00%
Seven    none
Eight    none
Nine    Conversion to Class A Shares

If you are an investor who purchased Class B shares prior to their being closed (except for certain limited transactions), the Distributor paid an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 4.00% of the net asset value per share when you bought the Class B shares. The Distributor continues to seek to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.

Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares after you’ve owned them for eight years. This conversion feature allows you to benefit from the lower operating costs of Class A shares, which can help increase your total returns from an investment in the Fund.

The following rules apply to the conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares:

 

n  

Class B shares are converted on or about the 15th day of the month that they become eligible for conversion.

 

n  

Any shares you received from reinvested distributions on these shares generally will convert to Class A shares at the same time.

n  

You’ll receive the same dollar value of Class A shares as the Class B shares that were converted. Class B shares that you received from an exchange of Class B shares of another Columbia Fund will convert based on the day you bought the original shares.

 

n  

No sales charge or other charges apply, and conversions are free from federal income tax.

Class C Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC of 1.00% if you sell Class C shares within one year of buying them unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details.

The Distributor pays an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 1.00% of the net asset value per share when you buy Class C shares. The Distributor seeks to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC applied when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.


 

19


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class A shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class A shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

 

FUNDamentalsTM

Your “Immediate Family” and
Account Value Aggregation

 

For purposes of reaching the Class B shares investment limits described in Choosing a Share Class – Comparison of the Share Classes and obtaining a Class A shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all applicable shares in eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, stepchild, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

20


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class A shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.


 

21


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Distribution and Service Fees

Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, distribution and shareholder servicing plans which set the distribution and service fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or eligible selling and/or servicing agents for selling shares of the Fund and providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.

The table below shows the maximum annual distribution and service fees (as an annual % of average daily net assets) and the combined amount of such fees applicable to each share class:

 

Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees

    

Distribution

Fee

   

Service

Fee(a)

  

Combined

Total

Class A         0.25%    0.25%
Class B    0.75%      0.25%    1.00%
Class C    0.75%  (b)    0.25%    1.00%

 

(a)

The annual service fee may equal up to 0.10% on net assets attributable to Fund shares issued prior to December 1, 1994 and 0.25% on net assets attributable to Fund shares issued thereafter. This arrangement results in a rate of service fee for all Fund shares that is a blend between the 0.10% and 0.25% rates. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, the blended service fee was 0.24% of the Fund’s average net assets.

 

(b)

The Distributor has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of the distribution fee for Class C shares so that it does not exceed 0.45% annually. This arrangement may be modified or terminated by the Distributor at any time.

The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the distribution and/or shareholder servicing plans continue. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.


 

22


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with

certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average

aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s

market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

 

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good

form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an

automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale, which will provide details on how you may avoid such an automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

 

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Eligible Investors

Class A and Class C shares are available to the general public for investment. Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class A and Class C shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Class B Shares Closing

The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except for certain limited transactions involving existing investors in Class B shares as described in more detail below.

Additional Class B shares will be issued only to existing investors in Class B shares and only through the following two types of transactions (Qualifying Transactions):

 

n  

Dividends and/or capital gain distributions may continue to be reinvested in Class B shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Shareholders invested in Class B shares of the Fund may exchange those shares for Class B shares of other Columbia Funds offering such shares.

Any initial purchase orders for the Fund’s Class B shares will be rejected (other than through a Qualifying Transaction that is an exchange transaction).

Unless contrary instructions are received in advance by the Fund, purchase orders (except those submitted by a financial intermediary through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) as described in more detail below) for additional Class B shares of the Fund received from existing investors in Class B shares, including orders made through

an active systematic investment plan, will be invested in Class A shares of the Fund, without regard to the normal minimum initial investment for Class A shares, but subject to the front-end sales charge that generally applies to Class A shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-end Sales Charge for additional information.

Additional purchase orders for a Fund’s Class B shares by an existing Class B shareholder, submitted by such shareholder’s financial intermediary through the NSCC, will be rejected due to operational limitations of the NSCC. Investors should consult their financial advisor if they wish to invest in the Fund by purchasing a share class of the Fund other than Class B shares.

In addition, dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will no longer be automatically invested in Class B shares of another Columbia Fund. Unless contrary instructions are received in advance of the date of declaration, such dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will be reinvested in Class B shares of the same Columbia Fund that is making the distribution.

Minimum Initial Investments

The minimum initial investment for Class A and Class C shares is $2,500 for regular accounts and $1,000 for individual retirement plans (including traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts) and non-omnibus group retirement plans. For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50. There is no minimum initial investment for Class A or Class C shares bought through omnibus accounts, wrap accounts or health savings accounts, although your selling and/or servicing agent may impose its own investment minimum. For group retirement plans, the minimum initial investment and minimum additional investment are determined based on the plan’s investment rather than that of its individual participants.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class A or Class C shares.


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares – Class B Shares Closing for restrictions applicable to Class B shares.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class A shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class A shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

n  

You buy Class B and Class C shares at net asset value per share because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of these share classes.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class A, Class B or Class C shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at


 

30


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class A, Class B or Class C shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.


 

31


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange, except that when Class B shares are exchanged for Class Z shares, any CDSC charges applicable to Class B shares will be applied. Ordinarily, shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal

income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/ or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

32


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

34


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of Connecticut and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to Connecticut personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

   

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

35


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

36


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights tables are designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund – Class A Shares

     

Year Ended

October 31,

2009

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2008

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2007

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2006

   

Year Ended

October 31,

2005

 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $6.95      $7.71      $7.92      $7.91      $8.19   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net investment income(a)    0.27      0.28      0.28      0.29      0.29   
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments and futures contracts    0.63      (0.68   (0.12   0.11      (0.23
Total from investment operations    0.90      (0.40   0.16      0.40      0.06   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From net investment income    (0.27   (0.27   (0.28   (0.28   (0.29
From net realized gains    (0.02   (0.09   (0.09   (0.11   (0.05
Total distributions to shareholders    (0.29   (0.36   (0.37   (0.39   (0.34
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $7.56      $6.95      $7.71      $7.92      $7.91   
Total return(b)(c)    13.18   (5.36 )%    2.03   5.25   0.72
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net expenses(d)    0.84   0.84   0.84   0.84   0.84
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.17   0.15   0.13   0.16   0.09
Net investment income(d)    3.67   3.73   3.61   3.67   3.63
Portfolio turnover rate    7   10   14   13   9
Net assets, end of period (000s)    $75,465      $67,265      $84,351      $87,906      $98,063   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

37


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund – Class B Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $6.95      $7.71      $7.92      $7.91      $8.19   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net investment income(a)    0.21      0.22      0.22      0.23      0.23   
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments and futures contracts    0.63      (0.67   (0.12   0.11      (0.23
Total from investment operations    0.84      (0.45   0.10      0.34        
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From net investment income    (0.21   (0.22   (0.22   (0.22   (0.23
From net realized gains    (0.02   (0.09   (0.09   (0.11   (0.05
Total distributions to shareholders    (0.23   (0.31   (0.31   (0.33   (0.28
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $7.56      $6.95      $7.71      $7.92      $7.91   
Total return(b)(c)    12.34   (6.07 )%    1.27   4.47   (0.03 )% 
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net expenses(d)    1.59   1.59   1.59   1.59   1.59
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.17   0.15   0.13   0.16   0.09
Net investment income(d)    2.94   2.98   2.86   2.93   2.88
Portfolio turnover rate    7   10   14   13   9
Net assets, end of period (000s)    $6,871      $10,860      $17,026      $25,085      $34,784   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

38


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund – Class C Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $6.95      $7.71      $7.92      $7.91      $8.19   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net investment income(a)    0.24      0.25      0.24      0.25      0.26   
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments and futures contracts    0.63      (0.68   (0.12   0.12      (0.24
Total from investment operations    0.87      (0.43   0.12      0.37      0.02   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From net investment income    (0.24   (0.24   (0.24   (0.25   (0.25
From net realized gains    (0.02   (0.09   (0.09   (0.11   (0.05
Total distributions to shareholders    (0.26   (0.33   (0.33   (0.36   (0.30
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $7.56      $6.95      $7.71      $7.92      $7.91   
Total return(b)(c)    12.67   (5.79 )%    1.57   4.78   0.27
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net expenses(d)    1.29   1.29   1.29   1.29   1.29
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.47   0.45   0.43   0.46   0.39
Net investment income(d)    3.22   3.28   3.16   3.23   3.18
Portfolio turnover rate    7   10   14   13   9
Net assets, end of period (000s)    $12,311      $11,565      $12,890      $13,792      $19,585   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

39


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The charts show the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in each share class of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The charts also assume that all dividends and distributions are reinvested and that Class B shares convert to Class A shares after eight years. The annual expense ratio used for each share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the charts and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The charts shown below reflect the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund – Class A Shares

Maximum Initial Sales

Charge 4.75%

 

Initial Hypothetical Investment

Amount $10,000.00

    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year  

Cumulative

Return Before

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual

Expense Ratio

 

Cumulative

Return After

Fees and Expenses

   

Hypothetical

Year-End

Balance After

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual Fees

and Expenses(a)

1   5.00%   1.04%   -0.98% (b)    $9,902.19   $576.02
2   10.25%   1.04%   2.94%      $10,294.32   $105.02
3   15.76%   1.04%   7.02%      $10,701.97   $109.18
4   21.55%   1.04%   11.26%      $11,125.77   $113.50
5   27.63%   1.04%   15.66%      $11,566.35   $118.00
6   34.01%   1.04%   20.24%      $12,024.38   $122.67
7   40.71%   1.04%   25.01%      $12,500.54   $127.53
8   47.75%   1.04%   29.96%      $12,995.56   $132.58
9   55.13%   1.04%   35.10%      $13,510.19   $137.83
10   62.89%   1.04%   40.45%      $14,045.19   $143.29
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses         $4,045.19    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid             $1,685.62

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

40


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund – Class B Shares

Maximum Initial Sales

Charge 0.00%

 

Initial Hypothetical Investment

Amount $10,000.00

  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year  

Cumulative

Return Before

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual

Expense Ratio

 

Cumulative

Return After

Fees and Expenses

 

Hypothetical

Year-End

Balance After

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual Fees

and Expenses (a)

1   5.00%   1.79%   3.21%   $10,321.00   $181.87
2   10.25%   1.79%   6.52%   $10,652.30   $187.71
3   15.76%   1.79%   9.94%   $10,994.24   $193.74
4   21.55%   1.79%   13.47%   $11,347.16   $199.96
5   27.63%   1.79%   17.11%   $11,711.40   $206.37
6   34.01%   1.79%   20.87%   $12,087.34   $213.00
7   40.71%   1.79%   24.75%   $12,475.34   $219.84
8   47.75%   1.79%   28.76%   $12,875.80   $226.89
9   55.13%   1.04%   33.86%   $13,385.68   $136.56
10   62.89%   1.04%   39.16%   $13,915.75   $141.97
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses       $3,915.75    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid           $1,907.91

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund – Class C Shares

Maximum Initial Sales

Charge 0.00%

 

Initial Hypothetical Investment

Amount $10,000.00

  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year  

Cumulative

Return Before

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual

Expense Ratio

 

Cumulative

Return After

Fees and Expenses

 

Hypothetical

Year-End

Balance After

Fees and Expenses

 

Annual Fees

and Expenses (a)

1   5.00%   1.79%   3.21%   $10,321.00   $181.87
2   10.25%   1.79%   6.52%   $10,652.30   $187.71
3   15.76%   1.79%   9.94%   $10,994.24   $193.74
4   21.55%   1.79%   13.47%   $11,347.16   $199.96
5   27.63%   1.79%   17.11%   $11,711.40   $206.37
6   34.01%   1.79%   20.87%   $12,087.34   $213.00
7   40.71%   1.79%   24.75%   $12,475.34   $219.84
8   47.75%   1.79%   28.76%   $12,875.80   $226.89
9   55.13%   1.79%   32.89%   $13,289.11   $234.18
10   62.89%   1.79%   37.16%   $13,715.69   $241.69
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses       $3,715.69    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid           $2,105.25

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

41


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

42

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

43

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund

Class A, Class B and Class C Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds
c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 8081
Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


 

© 2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34406-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund

Ticker symbols

Class A Shares COMAX

Class B Shares CMABX

Class C Shares COMCX

LOGO

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
Choosing a Share Class   16
   

Comparison of the Share Classes

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  17
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  20
   

Distribution and Service Fees

  22
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  23
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   24
   

Share Price Determination

  24
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  25
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  29
   
Distributions and Taxes   33
   
Financial Highlights   37
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   40

 

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates - Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks total return, consisting of current income exempt from federal income tax and Massachusetts individual income tax and of capital appreciation, consistent with moderate fluctuation of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 17 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class A Shares     Class B Shares     Class C Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    4.75   N/A      N/A   
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    1.00 %(a)    5.00 %(b)    1.00 %(c) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class A Shares     Class B Shares     Class C Shares  
Management fees    0.50   0.50   0.50
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.23   0.98   0.98
Other expenses(d)    0.22   0.22   0.22
Acquired fund fees and expenses    0.01   0.01   0.01
Total annual Fund operating expenses(e)    0.96   1.71   1.71

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class A shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

This charge decreases over time. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(c)

This charge applies to investors who buy Class C shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(d)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

(e)

“Total annual Fund operating expenses” do not match “Net Expenses” in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus, which does not include, among other things, fees and expenses incurred as a result of investment in shares of certain pooled investment vehicles.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

    

1 year

  

3 years

  

5 years

  

10 years

Class A Shares    $ 568    $ 766    $ 981    $ 1,597
Class B Shares            
Assuming no redemption    $ 174    $ 539    $ 928    $ 1,821
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period    $ 674    $ 839    $ 1,128    $ 1,821
Class C Shares            
Assuming no redemption    $ 174    $ 539    $ 928    $ 2,019
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period    $ 274    $ 539    $ 928    $ 2,019

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 15% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal bonds that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and Massachusetts individual income tax. These securities are issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity and duration will vary over time depending on the expectations of Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) for market and economic conditions.

The Fund primarily invests in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality. The Fund also may invest up to 25% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.” The Fund may also invest in zero-coupon bonds.

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer than can a diversified fund.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

 

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of a municipal security can be significantly affected by


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund

 

   

adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in Massachusetts municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of Massachusetts and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of Massachusetts municipal securities to meet their obligations. From time to time, including in recent fiscal years, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its various agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions have experienced significant financial difficulties. In particular, the Commonwealth has experienced revenue shortfalls. The Commonwealth has taken various actions designed to address such difficulties, including, but not limited to, making spending reductions, placing a greater reliance on federal support and making transfers from the state’s stabilization fund. There can be no assurances, however, that the financial condition of Massachusetts will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of the state or other related issuer to pay its obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to Massachusetts municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue

   

obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund

 

   

revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Non-Diversified Mutual Fund Risk – The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of more diversified funds. The Fund may not operate as a non-diversified fund at all times.

 

n  

Zero-Coupon Bonds Risk – Zero-coupon bonds are bonds that do not pay interest in cash on a current basis, but instead accrue interest over the life of the bond. As a result, these securities are issued at a discount and their values may fluctuate more than the values of similar

 

securities that pay interest periodically. Although these securities pay no interest to holders prior to maturity, interest accrued on these securities is reported as income to the Fund and distributed to its shareholders.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

Year by Year Total Return (%)

as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class A shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

LOGO

 

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns

During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   8.63%
Worst:   3rd quarter 2008:   -4.08%

 

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index and the Lipper Massachusetts Municipal Debt Funds Classification. The Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index is considered representative of the broad market for investment-grade, tax-exempt bonds with maturities of at least one year. The Lipper Massachusetts Municipal Debt Funds Classification is composed of funds with investment objectives similar to those of the Fund.

 

     1 year     5 years     10 years  
Class A shares returns before taxes    7.95   2.65   5.07
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions    7.87   2.56   4.93
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    6.75   2.81   4.95
Class B shares returns before taxes    7.50   2.54   4.80
Class C shares returns before taxes    11.83   3.19   5.11
Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    12.91   4.32   5.75
Lipper Massachusetts Municipal Debt Funds Classification    18.59   3.37   4.98

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs. The after-tax returns are shown only for the Class A shares, and will vary for other share classes.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Kimberly A. Campbell

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class A, Class B and Class C shares range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class A, Class B or Class C shares. Subject to certain limited exceptions, the Fund no longer accepts investments in Class B shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisers, LLC (the Adviser), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective and certain of its investment policies can be changed without shareholder approval unless otherwise stated in this prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The

Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund

 

including, for example, investments in money market instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.50% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Kimberly A. Campbell

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1995.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Administrator does not currently receive any fees for the administrative services it provides to the Fund.

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account

basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.60% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended

complaints is a putative class action that includes claims under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Comparison of the Share Classes

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers three classes of shares in this prospectus: Class A, Class B and Class C shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class A, Class B and Class C shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares
Eligible Investors and Minimum Initial Investments(a)    Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.    The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange as described in more detail under Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares - Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares - Class B Shares Closing.    Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.
Investment Limits    none    up to $49,999 (based on aggregate account value)(b)    up to $999,999
Conversion Features    none    convert to Class A shares eight years after purchase    none
Front-End Sales Charges(c)    4.75% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more    none    none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)(c)    none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase    5.00% maximum, gradually declining to 0.00% after six years    1.00% on investments sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees(d)    0.25% service fee   

0.75% distribution fee

0.25% service fee

  

0.75% distribution fee

0.25% service fee

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of these share classes.

 

(b)

The value of your account, for this purpose, includes the value of all eligible accounts held by you and your “immediate family.” See the discussion about account value aggregation and eligible accounts in Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information. The amount of Class B shares purchased through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange is not included in the calculation to determine whether your account has reached the $49,999 limit.

 

(c)

See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(d)

This is the maximum applicable distribution and service fee. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™    

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for

 

  example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

16


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class A Shares—Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class A shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n  The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n  The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

 

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class A shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
   Sales charge as a %
of the offering price(b)
     Sales charge as a %
of the net amount invested(b)
     Amount retained by or paid to
selling and/or servicing agents
as a % of the offering price
 
$0 – $49,999    4.75%      4.99%      4.25%   
$50,000 – $99,999    4.50%      4.71%      4.00%   
$100,000 – $249,999    3.50%      3.63%      3.00%   
$250,000 – $499,999    2.50%      2.56%      2.25%   
$500,000 – $999,999    2.00%      2.04%      1.75%   
$1,000,000 or more    0.00%      0.00%      1.00% (c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

17


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class A Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class A shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class A shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class A share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class A shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class A shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class A shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 4.25% of the offering price per share when you buy Class A shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class A shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class A Shares – Commission Schedule

Purchase Amount    Commission Level
(as a % of net asset
value per share)
$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00%
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50%
$50 million or more    0.25%

 

FUNDamentals™

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.

Class B and Class C Shares – Sales Charges

You don’t pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class B or Class C shares, but you may pay a CDSC when you sell Class B or Class C shares.

The CDSC on Class B and Class C shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower,

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions, and

 

n  

generally declines each year until there is no sales charge for selling shares.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which your purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class B or Class C shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest.


 

18


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class B Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class B shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class—Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details. The CDSC you pay on Class B shares depends on how long you’ve held your shares:

 

Class B Shares – CDSC Schedule

Number of Years
Class B Shares Held
   Applicable
CDSC
One    5.00%
Two    4.00%
Three    3.00%
Four    3.00%
Five    2.00%
Six    1.00%
Seven    none
Eight    none
Nine    Conversion to
Class A Shares

If you are an investor who purchased Class B shares prior to their being closed (except for certain limited transactions), the Distributor paid an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 4.00% of the net asset value per share when you bought the Class B shares. The Distributor continues to seek to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.

Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares after you’ve owned them for eight years. This conversion feature allows you to benefit from the lower operating costs of Class A shares, which can help increase your total returns from an investment in the Fund.

The following rules apply to the conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares:

 

n  

Class B shares are converted on or about the 15th day of the month that they become eligible for conversion.

 

n  

Any shares you received from reinvested distributions on these shares generally will convert to Class A shares at the same time.

n  

You’ll receive the same dollar value of Class A shares as the Class B shares that were converted. Class B shares that you received from an exchange of Class B shares of another Columbia Fund will convert based on the day you bought the original shares.

 

n  

No sales charge or other charges apply, and conversions are free from federal income tax.

Class C Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC of 1.00% if you sell Class C shares within one year of buying them unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details.

The Distributor pays an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 1.00% of the net asset value per share when you buy Class C shares. The Distributor seeks to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC applied when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.


 

19


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class A shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class A shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

 

FUNDamentals™

Your “Immediate Family” and
Account Value Aggregation

For purposes of reaching the Class B shares investment limits described in Choosing a Share Class – Comparison of the Share Classes and obtaining a Class A shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all applicable shares in eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, stepchild, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

20


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class A shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.


 

21


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Distribution and Service Fees

Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, distribution and shareholder servicing plans which set the distribution and service fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or eligible selling and/or servicing agents for selling shares of the Fund and providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.

The table below shows the maximum annual distribution and service fees (as an annual % of average daily net assets) and the combined amount of such fees applicable to each share class:

 

Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees

     Distribution
Fee
    Service
Fee(a)
   Combined
Total
Class A         0.25%    0.25%
Class B    0.75%      0.25%    1.00%
Class C    0.75% (b)    0.25%    1.00%

 

(a)

The annual service fee may equal up to 0.10% on net assets attributable to Fund shares issued prior to December 1, 1994 and 0.25% on net assets attributable to Fund shares issued thereafter. This arrangement results in a rate of service fee for all Fund shares that is a blend between the 0.10% and 0.25% rates. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, the blended service fee was 0.23% of the Fund’s average net assets.

 

(b)

The Distributor has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of the distribution fee for Class C shares so that it does not exceed 0.45% annually. This arrangement may be modified or terminated by the Distributor at any time.

The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the distribution and/or shareholder servicing plans continue. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.


 

22


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with

certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

23


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale, which will provide details on how you may avoid such an

automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Eligible Investors

Class A and Class C shares are available to the general public for investment. Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class A and Class C shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Class B Shares Closing

The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except for certain limited transactions involving existing investors in Class B shares as described in more detail below.

Additional Class B shares will be issued only to existing investors in Class B shares and only through the following two types of transactions (Qualifying Transactions):

 

n  

Dividends and/or capital gain distributions may continue to be reinvested in Class B shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Shareholders invested in Class B shares of the Fund may exchange those shares for Class B shares of other Columbia Funds offering such shares.

Any initial purchase orders for the Fund’s Class B shares will be rejected (other than through a Qualifying Transaction that is an exchange transaction).

Unless contrary instructions are received in advance by the Fund, purchase orders (except those submitted by a financial intermediary through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) as described in more detail below) for additional Class B shares of the Fund received from existing

investors in Class B shares, including orders made through an active systematic investment plan, will be invested in Class A shares of the Fund, without regard to the normal minimum initial investment for Class A shares, but subject to the front-end sales charge that generally applies to Class A shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-end Sales Charge for additional information.

Additional purchase orders for a Fund’s Class B shares by an existing Class B shareholder, submitted by such shareholder’s financial intermediary through the NSCC, will be rejected due to operational limitations of the NSCC. Investors should consult their financial advisor if they wish to invest in the Fund by purchasing a share class of the Fund other than Class B shares.

In addition, dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will no longer be automatically invested in Class B shares of another Columbia Fund. Unless contrary instructions are received in advance of the date of declaration, such dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will be reinvested in Class B shares of the same Columbia Fund that is making the distribution.

Minimum Initial Investments

The minimum initial investment for Class A and Class C shares is $2,500 for regular accounts and $1,000 for individual retirement plans (including traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts) and non-omnibus group retirement plans. For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50. There is no minimum initial investment for Class A or Class C shares bought through omnibus accounts, wrap accounts or health savings accounts, although your selling and/or servicing agent may impose its own investment minimum. For group retirement plans, the minimum initial investment and minimum additional investment are determined based on the plan’s investment rather than that of its individual participants.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class A or Class C shares.


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares – Class B Shares Closing for restrictions applicable to Class B shares.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class A shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class A shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

n  

You buy Class B and Class C shares at net asset value per share because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of these share classes.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class A, Class B or Class C shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at


 

30


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class A, Class B or Class C shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.


 

31


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement, an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange, except that when Class B shares are exchanged for Class Z shares, any CDSC charges applicable to Class B shares will be applied. Ordinarily,

shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

32


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

 

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain.


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.


 

34


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of Massachusetts and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to Massachusetts personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

   

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

35


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.


 

36


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights tables are designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund – Class A Shares

     

Year Ended
October 31,
2009

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2008

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2007

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2006

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2005

 

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

   $6.98      $7.69      $7.94      $7.83      $8.17   

Income from Investment Operations:

          

Net Investment Income(a)

   0.31      0.31      0.31      0.31      0.32   

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts

   0.63      (0.71   (0.18   0.17      (0.23

Total from Investment Operations

   0.94      (0.40   0.13      0.48      0.09   

Less Distributions to Shareholders:

          

From Net Investment Income

   (0.30   (0.31   (0.31   (0.31   (0.32

From Net Realized Gains

   (0.05        (0.07   (0.06   (0.11

Total Distributions to Shareholders

   (0.35   (0.31   (0.38   (0.37   (0.43

Net Asset Value, End of Period

   $7.57      $6.98      $7.69      $7.94      $7.83   

Total Return(b)

   13.82 %(c)    (5.46 )%    1.65   6.30   1.09 %(c) 

Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:

          
Net Expenses Before Interest Expense and Fees(d)    0.85   0.93   0.94   0.93   0.90
Interest Expense and Fees         0.03 %(e)    0.07 %(e)    0.06 %(e)    0.04 %(e) 

Net Expenses(d)

   0.85   0.96   1.01   0.99   0.94

Waiver/Reimbursement

   0.09                  %(f) 

Net Investment Income(d)

   4.18   4.08   3.96   3.99   4.03

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   15   16   14   6   6

Net Assets, End of Period (000s)

   $117,193      $108,149      $128,833      $137,232      $146,149   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(e)

Interest expense and fees relate to the liability for floating-rate notes issued in conjunction with inverse floater securities transactions.

 

(f)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

37


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund – Class B Shares

     

Year Ended
October 31,
2009

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2008

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2007

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2006

   

Year Ended
October 31,
2005

 

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

   $6.98      $7.69      $7.94      $7.83      $8.17   

Income from Investment Operations:

          

Net Investment Income(a)

   0.25      0.25      0.25      0.25      0.26   

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts

   0.64      (0.71   (0.18   0.17      (0.23

Total from Investment Operations

   0.89      (0.46   0.07      0.42      0.03   

Less Distributions to Shareholders:

          

From Net Investment Income

   (0.25   (0.25   (0.25   (0.25   (0.26

From Net Realized Gains

   (0.05        (0.07   (0.06   (0.11

Total Distributions to Shareholders

   (0.30   (0.25   (0.32   (0.31   (0.37

Net Asset Value, End of Period

   $7.57      $6.98      $7.69      $7.94      $7.83   

Total Return(b)

   12.98 %(c)    (6.16 )%    0.90   5.50   0.34 %(c) 

Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:

          

Net Expenses Before Interest Expense and Fees(d)

   1.60   1.68   1.69   1.68   1.65
Interest Expense and Fees         0.03 %(e)    0.07 %(e)    0.06 %(e)    0.04 %(e) 
Net Expenses(d)    1.60   1.71   1.76   1.74   1.69

Waiver/Reimbursement

   0.09                  %(f) 

Net Investment Income(d)

   3.46   3.32   3.21   3.25   3.28

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   15   16   14   6   6

Net Assets, End of Period (000s)

   $6,641      $10,518      $14,941      $21,192      $27,208   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(e)

Interest expense and fees relate to the liability for floating-rate notes issued in conjunction with inverse floater securities transactions.

 

(f)

Rounds to less than 0.01%.

 

38


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund – Class C Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $6.98      $7.69      $7.94      $7.83      $8.17   

Income from Investment Operations:

          

Net Investment Income(a)

   0.27      0.27      0.27      0.28      0.29   

Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts

   0.64      (0.71   (0.18   0.16      (0.24

Total from Investment Operations

   0.91      (0.44   0.09      0.44      0.05   

Less Distributions to Shareholders:

          

From Net Investment Income

   (0.27   (0.27   (0.27   (0.27   (0.28

From Net Realized Gains

   (0.05        (0.07   (0.06   (0.11

Total Distributions to Shareholders

   (0.32   (0.27   (0.34   (0.33   (0.39

Net Asset Value, End of Period

   $7.57      $6.98      $7.69      $7.94      $7.83   

Total Return(b)(c)

   13.31   (5.88 )%    1.20   5.82   0.64

Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:

          

Net Expenses Before Interest Expense and Fees(d)

   1.30   1.38   1.39   1.38   1.35

Interest Expense and Fees

        0.03 %(e)    0.07 %(e)    0.06 %(e)    0.04 %(e) 

Net Expenses(d)

   1.30   1.41   1.46   1.44   1.39

Waiver/Reimbursement

   0.39   0.30   0.30   0.30   0.30

Net Investment Income(d)

   3.73   3.63   3.51   3.54   3.57

Portfolio Turnover Rate

   15   16   14   6   6

Net Assets, End of Period (000s)

   $10,339      $8,670      $10,683      $13,982      $13,986   

 

(a) Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b) Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c) Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d) The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

(e) Interest expense and fees relate to the liability for floating-rate notes issued in conjunction with inverse floater securities transactions.

 

39


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The charts show the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in each share class of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The charts also assume that all dividends and distributions are reinvested and that Class B shares convert to Class A shares after eight years. The annual expense ratio used for each share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the charts and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The charts shown below reflect the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund – Class A Shares

Maximum Initial Sales
Charge 4.75%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment Amount
$10,000.00
    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
    Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   0.96%   -0.90% (b)    $9,909.81   $568.29
2   10.25%   0.96%   3.10%      $10,310.17   $97.06
3   15.76%   0.96%   7.27%      $10,726.70   $100.98
4   21.55%   0.96%   11.60%      $11,160.06   $105.06
5   27.63%   0.96%   16.11%      $11,610.92   $109.30
6   34.01%   0.96%   20.80%      $12,080.00   $113.72
7   40.71%   0.96%   25.68%      $12,568.04   $118.31
8   47.75%   0.96%   30.76%      $13,075.78   $123.09
9   55.13%   0.96%   36.04%      $13,604.05   $128.06
10   62.89%   0.96%   41.54%      $14,153.65   $133.24
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses      $4,153.65    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid          $1,597.11

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

40


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund – Class B Shares

Maximum Initial Sales
Charge 0.00%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment Amount
$10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
  Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   1.71%   3.29%   $10,329.00   $173.81
2   10.25%   1.71%   6.69%   $10,668.82   $179.53
3   15.76%   1.71%   10.20%   $11,019.83   $185.44
4   21.55%   1.71%   13.82%   $11,382.38   $191.54
5   27.63%   1.71%   17.57%   $11,756.86   $197.84
6   34.01%   1.71%   21.44%   $12,143.66   $204.35
7   40.71%   1.71%   25.43%   $12,543.19   $211.07
8   47.75%   1.71%   29.56%   $12,955.86   $218.02
9   55.13%   0.96%   34.79%   $13,479.28   $126.89
10   62.89%   0.96%   40.24%   $14,023.84   $132.01
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $4,023.84    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid       $1,820.50

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund – Class C Shares

Maximum Initial Sales
Charge 0.00%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment Amount
$10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
  Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   1.71%   3.29%   $10,329.00   $173.81
2   10.25%   1.71%   6.69%   $10,668.82   $179.53
3   15.76%   1.71%   10.20%   $11,019.83   $185.44
4   21.55%   1.71%   13.82%   $11,382.38   $191.54
5   27.63%   1.71%   17.57%   $11,756.86   $197.84
6   34.01%   1.71%   21.44%   $12,143.66   $204.35
7   40.71%   1.71%   25.43%   $12,543.19   $211.07
8   47.75%   1.71%   29.56%   $12,955.86   $218.02
9   55.13%   1.71%   33.82%   $13,382.11   $225.19
10   62.89%   1.71%   38.22%   $13,822.38   $232.60
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $3,822.38    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid       $2,019.39

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

41


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

42

 


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

43

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund

Class A, Class B and Class C Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   

Columbia Funds

c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc.

P.O. Box 8081

Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone:    800.345.6611
Online:    www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention:

Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing, (ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34123-0310


Table of Contents

LOGO

 

Prospectus

March 1, 2010

Columbia Funds

 

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund

Ticker symbols

Class A Shares COLNX

Class B Shares CNYBX

Class C Shares CNYCX

NOT FDIC INSURED   May Lose Value     The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
NOT BANK ISSUED   No Bank Guarantee    


Table of Contents

 

   
Table of Contents    
   
Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund   3
   

Investment Objective

  3
   

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

  3
   

Principal Investment Strategies

  5
   

Principal Risks

  5
   

Performance Information

  8
   

Investment Advisor and Portfolio Manager

  9
   

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

  9
   

Tax Information

  9
   

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

  9
   

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

  10
   
Management of the Fund   12
   

Primary Service Providers

  12
   

Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates—Certain Conflicts of Interest

  14
   

Certain Legal Matters

  15
   
Choosing a Share Class   16
   

Comparison of the Share Classes

  16
   

Sales Charges and Commissions

  18
   

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

  21
   

Distribution and Service Fees

  23
   

Financial Intermediary Compensation

  24
   
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares   25
   

Share Price Determination

  25
   

Transaction Rules and Policies

  26
   

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

  30
   
Distributions and Taxes   34
   
Financial Highlights   38
   
Hypothetical Fees and Expenses   41

Icons Guide

LOGO   Investment Objective
LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund
LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies
LOGO   Principal Risks
LOGO   Performance Information
LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

 

2


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund

 

LOGO   Investment Objective

The Fund seeks total return, consisting of current income exempt from federal income tax and New York individual income tax and of capital appreciation, consistent with moderate fluctuation of principal.

LOGO   Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A shares of the Columbia Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge section on page 18 of this prospectus and in the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section of the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

     Class A Shares     Class B Shares     Class C Shares  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases, as a % of offering price    4.75%      N/A      N/A   
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions, as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or net asset value    1.00% (a)    5.00% (b)    1.00% (c) 

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

     Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares
Management fees    0.50%    0.50%    0.50%
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees    0.24%    0.99%    0.99%
Other expenses(d)    0.36%    0.36%    0.36%
Acquired fund fees and expenses    0.01%    0.01%    0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(e)    1.11%    1.86%    1.86%

 

(a)

This charge applies to investors who buy $1 million or more of Class A shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(b)

This charge decreases over time. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(c)

This charge applies to investors who buy Class C shares and redeem them within one year of purchase, with certain limited exceptions. See Choosing a Share Class – Sales Charges and Commissions for details.

 

(d)

Other expenses have been restated to reflect contractual changes to the fees paid by the Fund.

 

(e)

“Total annual Fund operating expenses” do not match “Net Expenses” in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus, which does not include, among other things, fees and expenses incurred as a result of investment in shares of certain pooled investment vehicles.

 

3


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund

 

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:

 

  n  

you invest $10,000 in Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund for the periods indicated,

 

  n  

your investment has a 5% return each year, and

 

  n  

the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the table above.

Based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:

 

       1 year      3 years      5 years      10 years
Class A Shares      $ 583      $ 811      $ 1,058      $ 1,762
Class B Shares                    
Assuming no redemption      $ 189      $ 585      $ 1,006      $ 1,984
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period      $ 689      $ 885      $ 1,206      $ 1,984
Class C Shares                    
Assuming no redemption      $ 189      $ 585      $ 1,006      $ 2,180
Assuming complete redemption of shares at the end of the period      $ 289      $ 585      $ 1,006      $ 2,180

Remember this is an example only. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 20% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

4


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund

 

LOGO   Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal bonds that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and New York individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of New York and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that pay interest subject to taxation. The Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity and duration will vary over time depending on the expectations of Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, the Fund’s investment advisor (the Advisor) for market and economic conditions.

The Fund primarily invests in municipal securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality. The Fund also may invest up to 25% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures, forwards, options, swap contracts, inverse floaters and other derivative instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer than can a diversified fund.

The Advisor evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Advisor considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements, and other relevant factors to determine the allocation of the Fund’s assets among different issuers, industry sectors and maturities.

The Advisor, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and capital appreciation. The Advisor considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.

 

The Advisor may sell a security if the Advisor believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.

The Fund’s policy regarding the 80% investment requirement of “net assets” (which includes net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) discussed above may not be changed without shareholder approval.

LOGO   Principal Risks

 

n  

Investment Strategy Risk – The Advisor uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Advisor in using these strategies may not produce the returns expected by the Advisor, may cause the Fund’s shares to lose value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

n  

Market Risk – Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities that the Fund holds will rise or fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Security values may fall because of factors affecting individual companies, industries or sectors, or the markets as a whole, reducing the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or even long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds also can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. In general, equity securities tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities.

 

n  

State-Specific Municipal Securities Risk – Securities issued by a particular state or other related issuers such as its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. The value of Fund shares may be more volatile than the value of shares of funds that invest in municipal securities of issuers in more than one state, as unfavorable developments have the potential to impact the Fund more significantly than funds that invest in municipal securities of more than one state. The value of a municipal security can be significantly affected by


 

5


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund

 

   

adverse tax, legislative, demographic or political changes as well as changes in the financial or economic condition and prospects of the state or other related issuer.

Since the Fund invests in New York municipal securities, the value of the Fund’s shares may be especially affected by factors pertaining to the economy of New York and other factors specifically impacting the ability of issuers of New York municipal securities to meet their obligations. New York City is the nation’s leading center of banking and finance, and the recent national and international crisis in the financial sectors has had a disproportionate effect on New York City. The economy of New York State is significantly influenced by the financial health of New York City and the surrounding area. As a result, when New York City experiences financial difficulty, it has a substantial impact on the financial condition of New York State. New York State has projected a budget deficit of over $20 billion (twice as large as the original estimate) and in the past has announced that it might not be able to pay all of its obligations because of a lack of funds. In addition, New York State is party to numerous lawsuits in which an adverse final decision could materially affect the State’s governmental operations and consequently its ability to fulfill its obligations. Moreover, there can be no assurances that the financial condition of New York will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including, but not limited to, lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures. Such factors may affect the ability of New York or its municipalities to pay their respective obligations. The Statement of Additional Information provides additional detail about risks specific to New York municipal securities, which investors should carefully consider.

 

n  

Municipal Securities Risk – Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are

   

backed by an issuer’s taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government’s power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal securities pay interest that, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from U.S. federal income tax (and, in some cases, the federal alternative minimum tax). There is no assurance that the IRS will agree with this opinion. In the event the IRS determines that the issuer does not comply with relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued, and the value of the security would likely fall. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return and pay additional taxes as a result.

 

n  

Interest Rate Risk – Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt securities will tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt securities will tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt security usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but may affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Interest rate risk is generally greater for debt securities with longer maturities/durations.

 

n  

Credit Risk – Credit risk applies to most debt securities, but is generally not a factor for obligations backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government. The Fund could lose money if the issuer of a debt security is unable or perceived to be unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Various factors could affect the issuer’s actual or perceived willingness or ability to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the issuer’s financial condition or in general economic


 

6


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund

 

   

conditions. Debt securities backed by an issuer’s taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer’s power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt securities are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer’s taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default.

 

n  

Changing Distribution Levels Risk – The amount of the distributions paid by the Fund generally depends on the amount of interest and/or dividends received by the Fund on the securities it holds. The Fund may not be able to pay distributions or may have to reduce its distribution level if the interest and/or dividends the Fund receives from its investments decline.

 

n  

Derivatives Risk – Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in

   

derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information.

 

n  

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities Risk – Debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) or that are below investment grade (which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) (e.g., BB or below by Standard & Poor’s or Fitch) are more speculative than securities with higher ratings, and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy, which is more likely to weaken the ability of the issuers to make principal and interest payments on these securities than is the case for higher-rated securities. These securities typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. These securities also are generally less liquid than higher rated securities. The securities ratings provided by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the securities and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid.

 

n  

Reinvestment Risk – Income from the Fund’s debt securities portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called securities in securities with market interest rates that are below the current earnings rate of the Fund’s portfolio.

 

n  

Non-Diversified Mutual Fund Risk – The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of more diversified funds. The Fund may not operate as a non-diversified fund at all times.


 

7


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund

 

LOGO   Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before or after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future.

Year by Year Total Return (%)

as of December 31 Each Year

The bar chart below shows you how the performance of the Fund’s Class A shares has varied from year to year. These returns do not reflect deductions of sales charges, if any, paid by investors and would be lower if they did.

LOGO

Best and Worst Quarterly Returns

During this Period

Best:   3rd quarter 2009:   9.75%
Worst:   3rd quarter 2008:   -4.25%

Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2009

The table compares the Fund’s returns for each period with those of the Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index and the Lipper New York Municipal Debt Funds Classification. The Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index is considered representative of the broad market for investment-grade, tax-exempt bonds with maturities of at least one year. The Lipper New York Municipal Debt Funds Classification is composed of funds with investment objectives similar to those of the Fund.

 

     1 year    5 years    10 years
Class A shares returns before taxes    13.89%    2.66%    5.11%
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions    13.47%    2.47%    5.00%
Class A shares returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares    11.46%    2.85%    5.02%
Class B shares returns before taxes    13.69%    2.57%    4.84%
Class C shares returns before taxes    18.04%    3.21%    5.15%
Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)    12.91%    4.32%    5.75%
Lipper New York Municipal Debt Funds Classification    17.96%    3.25%    4.87%

The after-tax returns shown in the table above are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-deferred accounts such as 401(k) plans or IRAs. The after-tax returns are shown only for the Class A shares, and will vary for other share classes.

 

8


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund

 

Investment Advisor

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager

Kimberly A. Campbell

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.


 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day on the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com, by mail (Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081) or by telephone at 800.422.3737. Shares may be purchased by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. Minimum initial investments for Class A, Class B and Class C shares range from $0 to $2,500. There is no minimum additional investment for Class A, Class B or Class C shares. Subject to certain limited exceptions, the Fund no longer accepts investments in Class B shares. You may receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire.

Tax Information

Generally, a substantial portion of the Fund’s distributions consists of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally not taxable to you for federal income tax purposes or for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions may not qualify as exempt-interest dividends; such distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies – including Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Advisor), Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Services, Inc. (the Transfer Agent) – may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

9


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and Policies

This section describes certain strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective, and describes some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.

Changing the Fund’s Investment Objective and Policies

The Fund’s investment objective and certain of its investment policies can be changed without shareholder approval unless otherwise stated in this prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information. Shareholders vote on changes to other investment policies that are designated as fundamental in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act).

Investment Guidelines

As a general matter, unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of the security or asset.

Holding Other Kinds of Investments

The Fund may hold investments that aren’t part of its principal investment strategies. These investments are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so.

Investing in Columbia Money Market Funds

The Fund may invest uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with its securities lending program in shares of the registered or unregistered money market funds advised by the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates receive fees from these funds for providing advisory and other services in addition to the fees which they are entitled to receive from the Fund for services provided directly.

Lending Securities

The Fund may lend portfolio securities to approved broker/dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The

Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Fund’s securities lending agent (or its affiliates). The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default.

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

A description of Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio securities is available in the SAI. The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings on the Columbia Funds’ website, www.columbiafunds.com, as described below. Once posted, the portfolio holdings information will remain available on the website until at least the date on which such Fund files a Form N-CSR or Form N-Q (forms filed with the SEC that include portfolio holdings information) for the period that includes the date as of which the information is current.

The Fund’s complete portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter end are disclosed approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end. The Fund’s largest 15 holdings as a percent of the Fund’s portfolio as of a month-end are disclosed approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

In addition, more current information concerning the Fund’s portfolio holdings as of specified dates may also be disclosed on the Columbia Funds’ website.

Investing Defensively

The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions


 

10


Table of Contents

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund

 

including, for example, investments in money market instruments or holdings of cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively.

Mailings to Households

In order to reduce shareholder expenses we may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund’s prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly.

Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover

A mutual fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year is considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for federal income tax purposes. A high portfolio turnover rate can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions will have on its returns. The Fund generally buys securities for capital appreciation, investment income or both. However, the Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. You’ll find the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate for the prior fiscal year in the Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and historical portfolio turnover rates in the Financial Highlights.


 

11


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Primary Service Providers

The Advisor, the Fund’s administrator, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America), currently provide key services to the Fund and the other Columbia Funds, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.

The Advisor

The Advisor (which is also the Fund’s administrator) is located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110, and serves as investment advisor to over 100 Columbia Funds mutual fund portfolios. As of December 31, 2009, the Advisor had assets under management of approximately $292.9 billion. The Advisor is a registered investment advisor and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. Its management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, fixed income securities and money market instruments. In addition to serving as investment advisor to mutual funds, the Advisor acts as an investment manager for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.

Subject to oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing the Fund’s portfolio transactions. Although the Advisor is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, the Advisor may delegate certain of its duties to one or more investment sub-advisors. The Advisor may also use the research and other expertise of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.

The Fund pays the Advisor a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, aggregate advisory fees paid to the Advisor by the Fund amounted to 0.50% of average daily net assets of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement with the Advisor is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended October 31, 2009.

 

Sub-Advisor(s)

The Advisor may engage an investment sub-advisor or sub-advisors to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Advisor retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any sub-advisor it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and available sub-advisors’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Advisor may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more sub-advisors; continue to retain a sub-advisor even though the sub-advisor’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a sub-advisory agreement with a sub-advisor. Applicable law requires the Fund to obtain shareholder approval in order to act on most of these types of recommendations, even if the Board has approved the proposed action and believes that the action is in shareholders’ best interests. The Advisor and the Columbia Funds have applied for relief from the SEC to permit the Fund to act on many of the Advisor’s recommendations with approval only by the Board and not by Fund shareholders. The Advisor or the Fund would inform the Fund’s shareholders of any actions taken in reliance on this relief. Until the Advisor and the Fund obtain this relief, the Fund will continue to submit these matters to shareholders for their approval to the extent required by applicable law.

At present, the Advisor has not engaged any investment sub-advisor for the Fund.


 

12


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Portfolio Manager

Information about the Advisor’s portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown in the table below. The SAI provides more information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Fund.

 

 

Kimberly A. Campbell

Manager. Service with the Fund since 2009.

Director of the Advisor; associated with the Advisor or its predecessors as an investment professional since 1995.

 

 

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Administrator) is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, coordination of the Fund’s service providers, and the provision of office facilities and related clerical and administrative services.

The Administrator does not currently receive any fees for the administrative services it provides to the Fund.

The Distributor

Shares of the Fund are distributed by the Distributor, which is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. The Distributor is a registered broker/dealer and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Bank of America affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.

The Transfer Agent

The Transfer Agent is a registered transfer agent and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America. The Transfer Agent is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, sales and exchanges, calculating and paying distributions, keeping shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Fund pays the Transfer Agent monthly fees on a per-account basis. Fees paid to the Transfer Agent include reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses and sub-transfer agency fees, subject to certain limitations, paid by the Transfer Agent on the Fund’s behalf.

 

Expense Reimbursement Arrangements

The Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of the Fund’s expenses so that the Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.60% of the Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis. The Advisor, in its discretion, may revise or discontinue this arrangement at any time.


 

13


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

LOGO   Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described in Management of the Fund – Primary Service Providers, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, provide various services to the Fund for which they are compensated. Bank of America and its affiliates may also provide other services to the Fund and be compensated for them.

The Advisor and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Fund. These activities, and other financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates (including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.), may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.

Bank of America is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, which may be bought, sold or held by the Fund.

Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect the Fund may arise from, for example, the following:

 

n  

compensation and other benefits received by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates related to the management/administration of the Fund and the sale of its shares;

 

n  

the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

separate and potentially divergent management of the Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates;

 

n  

regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;

 

n  

lending, investment banking and other relationships of Bank of America affiliates with companies and other entities in which the Fund invests; and

 

n  

regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, and the Fund.

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may use the Fund and other Columbia Funds as investment options. For example:

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are available as investments in connection with brokerage or other securities products offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned retail broker/dealer of Bank of America;

 

n  

the Columbia Funds are used as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, as well as certain Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds”; and

 

n  

the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

The use of the Columbia Funds as investment options in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest of which you should be aware. These types of conflicts of interest are highlighted in sections of account documentation and other disclosure materials relating to these products and services, as well as in the SAI.

The Advisor and Bank of America have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no absolute assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.

Additional information about Bank of America and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Advisory and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI, which is identified by the LOGO icon. Investors in the Fund should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.


 

14


Table of Contents

Management of the Fund

 

Certain Legal Matters

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (collectively, the Columbia Group) are subject to a settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General (NYAG) (the NYAG Settlement) and a settlement order with the SEC (the SEC Order) on matters relating to mutual fund trading, each dated February 9, 2005. Under the terms of the SEC Order, the Columbia Group (or predecessor entities) agreed, among other things, to: pay disgorgement and civil money penalties collectively totaling $140 million; cease and desist from violations of the antifraud provisions and certain other provisions of the federal securities laws; maintain certain compliance and ethics oversight structures; and retain an independent consultant to review the Columbia Group’s applicable supervisory, compliance, control and other policies and procedures. The NYAG Settlement, among other things, requires Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its affiliates to make certain disclosures to investors relating to expenses. In connection with the Columbia Group providing services to the Columbia Funds, the Columbia Funds have voluntarily undertaken to implement certain governance measures designed to maintain the independence of their boards of trustees and certain special consulting and compliance measures.

Pursuant to the SEC Order and related procedures, the $140 million in settlement amounts described above has been substantially distributed in accordance with a distribution plan that was developed by an independent distribution consultant and approved by the SEC on April 6, 2007.

In connection with the events described above, various parties have filed suit against certain funds, the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, FleetBoston Financial Corporation and its affiliated entities and/or Bank of America and its affiliated entities.

On February 20, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases and cases against other mutual fund companies based on similar allegations to the United States District Court in Maryland for consolidated or coordinated pretrial proceedings (the MDL). Subsequently, additional related cases were transferred to the MDL. On

September 29, 2004, the plaintiffs in the MDL filed amended and consolidated complaints. One of these amended complaints is a putative class action that includes claims under the federal securities laws and state common law, and that names Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. (which has since merged into Banc of America Capital Management, LLC (now named Columbia Management Advisors, LLC)) (Columbia), Columbia Funds Distributor, Inc. (now named Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.) (the Distributor), the Trustees of the Columbia Funds, Bank of America Corporation and others as defendants. Another of the amended complaints is a derivative action purportedly on behalf of the Columbia Funds that asserts claims under federal securities laws and state common law.

On February 25, 2005, Columbia and other defendants filed motions to dismiss the claims in the pending cases. On March 1, 2006, for reasons stated in the court’s memoranda dated November 3, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motions to dismiss. The court dismissed all of the class action claims pending against the Columbia Funds Trusts. As to Columbia and the Distributor, the claims under the Securities Act of 1933, the claims under Sections 34(b) and 36(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA) and the state law claims were dismissed. The claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and claims under Section 36(b) of the ICA were not dismissed.

On March 21, 2005, a purported class action was filed in Massachusetts state court alleging that certain conduct, including market timing, entitled Class B shareholders in certain Columbia Funds to an exemption from contingent deferred sales charges upon early redemption (the CDSC Lawsuit). The CDSC Lawsuit was removed to federal court in Massachusetts and transferred to the MDL.

On September 14, 2007, the plaintiffs and the Columbia defendants named in the MDL, including the Columbia Funds, entered into a stipulation of settlement with respect to all Columbia-related claims in the MDL described above, including the CDSC Lawsuit. The settlement is subject to court approval.


 

15


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Comparison of the Share Classes

 

Share Class Features

The Fund offers three classes of shares in this prospectus: Class A, Class B and Class C shares. The Fund may also offer other classes of shares through a separate prospectus. Each share class has its own investment eligibility criteria, cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class A, Class B and Class C shares offered by this prospectus. Contact your financial advisor or Columbia Funds for more information about the Fund’s share classes and how to choose among them.

 

      Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares

Eligible Investors and

Minimum Initial

Investments(a)

   Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.    The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange as described in more detail under Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares – Class B Shares Closing.    Minimum initial investments range from $0 to $2,500; the share class is available to the general public for investment.
Investment Limits    none    up to $49,999 (based on aggregate account value)(b)    up to $999,999
Conversion Features    none    convert to Class A shares eight years after purchase    none
Front-End Sales Charges(c)    4.75% maximum, declining to 0.00% on investments of $1 million or more    none    none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs)(c)    none, except a 1.00% CDSC applies to certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million sold within one year of purchase    5.00% maximum, gradually declining to 0.00% after six years    1.00% on investments sold within one year of purchase
Maximum Distribution and Service Fees(d)    0.25% service fee    0.75% distribution fee
0.25% service fee
   0.75% distribution fee
0.25% service fee

 

(a)

See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders for more details on the eligible investors and investment minimums of these share classes.

 

(b)

The value of your account, for this purpose, includes the value of all eligible accounts held by you and your “immediate family.” See the discussion about account value aggregation and eligible accounts in Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information. The amount of Class B shares purchased through a reinvestment of a dividend or capital gain distribution, or a permitted exchange is not included in the calculation to determine whether your account has reached the $49,999 limit.

 

(c)

See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for information about certain exceptions to these sales charges.

 

(d)

This is the maximum applicable distribution and service fee. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for more information.

 

16


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

FUNDamentals™     

Selling and/or Servicing Agents

 

The terms “selling agent” and “servicing agent” refer to the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Selling and/or servicing agents include, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisors,

   third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including affiliates of Bank of America, such as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

 

17


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Sales Charges and Commissions

Sales charges, commissions and distribution and service fees (discussed in a separate sub-section below) compensate selling and/or servicing agents, and typically your financial advisor, for selling shares to you and for maintaining and servicing the shares held in your account. These charges, commissions and fees are intended to provide incentives for selling and/or servicing agents to provide these services.

Depending on which share class you choose you will pay these charges either at the outset as a front-end sales charge, at the time you sell your shares as a contingent deferred sales charge and/or over time in the form of increased ongoing fees. Whether the ultimate cost is higher for one class over the other depends on how long you hold your shares.

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge

You’ll pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class A shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the sales charge or you buy the shares through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for more information.

 

FUNDamentals™     

Front-End Sales Charge Calculation

 

The following table presents the front-end sales charge as a percentage of both the offering price and the net amount invested.

 

n  The offering price per share is the net asset value per share plus any front-end sales charge that applies.

 

n  The net asset value (or NAV) per share is the price of a share calculated by the Fund every business day.

 

The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares you buy (based

  

on the applicable sales charge in the table) and the net asset value of those shares.

 

To determine the front-end sales charge you will pay when you buy your shares, the Fund will add the amount of your investment to the value of your account and base the sales charge on the aggregate amount. This approach is designed to assure that you pay the lowest applicable sales charge possible. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/ Waivers of Sales Charges for a discussion of account value aggregation.

The front-end sales charge you’ll pay on Class A shares:

 

n  

depends on the amount you’re investing (generally, the larger the investment, the smaller the percentage sales charge), and

 

n  

is based on the total amount of your purchase and the value of your account.

 

Class A Shares – Front-End Sales Charge – Breakpoint Schedule

Dollar amount of
shares bought(a)
   Sales charge as a %
of the offering price(b)
     Sales charge as a %
of the net amount invested(b)
     Amount retained by or paid to
selling and/or servicing agents
as a % of the offering price
 
$0 – $49,999    4.75%      4.99%      4.25%   
$50,000 – $99,999    4.50%      4.71%      4.00%   
$100,000 – $249,999    3.50%      3.63%      3.00%   
$250,000 – $499,999    2.50%      2.56%      2.25%   
$500,000 – $999,999    2.00%      2.04%      1.75%   
$1,000,000 or more    0.00%      0.00%      1.00% (c)(d) 

 

(a)

Purchase amounts and account values are aggregated among all eligible Columbia Fund accounts for the purposes of this table.

 

(b)

Because the offering price is calculated to two decimal places, the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and your net amount invested for any particular purchase of Fund shares may be higher or lower depending on whether downward or upward rounding was required during the calculation process.

 

(c)

1.00% on purchases from $1 million up to $3 million, 0.50% on purchases of $3 million up to $50 million and 0.25% on amounts of $50 million or more. The Distributor pays selling and/or servicing agents on investments of $1 million or more, but may be reimbursed if a CDSC is deducted when the shares are sold.

 

(d)

For certain group retirement plans, selling and/or servicing agents are eligible to receive a 1.00% commission from the Distributor on all purchases up to $3 million, including those in amounts of less than $1 million that are coded as commission eligible trades.

 

18


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class A Shares – CDSC and Commissions

In some cases, you’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class A shares that you bought without an initial sales charge.

 

n  

If you bought Class A shares without an initial sales charge because your accounts aggregated $1 million to $50 million at the time of purchase, you will incur a 1.00% CDSC if you redeem those shares within one year of buying them.

 

n  

Subsequent Class A share purchases that bring your aggregate account value to $1 million or more (but less than $50 million) will also be subject to a CDSC if you redeem them within one year of buying them.

The CDSC on Class A shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower, and

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class A shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest. The CDSC on Class A shares does not apply to retirement plans buying through a fee-based program.

The Distributor may pay your selling and/or servicing agent an up-front commission of up to 4.25% of the offering price per share when you buy Class A shares. The Distributor funds the commission through the applicable sales charge.

The Distributor may also pay your selling and/or servicing agent a cumulative commission when you buy $1 million or more of Class A shares, according to the following schedule:

 

Class A Shares – Commission Schedule

Purchase Amount    Commission Level
(as a % of net asset
value per share)
$1 million – $2,999,999    1.00%
$3 million – $49,999,999    0.50%
$50 million or more    0.25%

 

FUNDamentals™

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

 

A contingent deferred sales charge or CDSC is a sales charge applied at the time you sell your shares, unlike a front-end sales charge that is applied at the time of purchase. A CDSC varies based on the length of time that you have held your shares.

Class B and Class C Shares – Sales Charges

You don’t pay a front-end sales charge when you buy Class B or Class C shares, but you may pay a CDSC when you sell Class B or Class C shares.

The CDSC on Class B and Class C shares:

 

n  

is applied to the net asset value at the time of your purchase or sale, whichever is lower,

 

n  

will not be applied to any shares you receive through reinvested distributions, and

 

n  

generally declines each year until there is no sales charge for selling shares.

For purposes of calculating the CDSC, the start of the holding period is the first day of the month in which your purchase was made. When you place an order to sell your Class B or Class C shares, the Fund will first redeem any shares that aren’t subject to a CDSC followed by those you have held the longest.


 

19


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Class B Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC if you sell Class B shares unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details. The CDSC you pay on Class B shares depends on how long you’ve held your shares:

 

Class B Shares – CDSC Schedule

Number of Years
Class B Shares Held
   Applicable
CDSC
One    5.00%
Two    4.00%
Three    3.00%
Four    3.00%
Five    2.00%
Six    1.00%
Seven    none
Eight    none
Nine    Conversion to Class A Shares

If you are an investor who purchased Class B shares prior to their being closed (except for certain limited transactions), the Distributor paid an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 4.00% of the net asset value per share when you bought the Class B shares. The Distributor continues to seek to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.

Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares after you’ve owned them for eight years. This conversion feature allows you to benefit from the lower operating costs of Class A shares, which can help increase your total returns from an investment in the Fund.

The following rules apply to the conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares:

 

n  

Class B shares are converted on or about the 15th day of the month that they become eligible for conversion.

 

n  

Any shares you received from reinvested distributions on these shares generally will convert to Class A shares at the same time.

n  

You’ll receive the same dollar value of Class A shares as the Class B shares that were converted. Class B shares that you received from an exchange of Class B shares of another Columbia Fund will convert based on the day you bought the original shares.

 

n  

No sales charge or other charges apply, and conversions are free from federal income tax.

Class C Shares – CDSC and Commissions

You’ll pay a CDSC of 1.00% if you sell Class C shares within one year of buying them unless you qualify for a waiver of the CDSC or the shares you’re selling were bought through reinvested distributions. See Choosing a Share Class – Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges for details.

The Distributor pays an up-front commission directly to your selling and/or servicing agent of up to 1.00% of the net asset value per share when you buy Class C shares. The Distributor seeks to recover this commission through distribution fees it receives under the Fund’s distribution plan and any applicable CDSC applied when you sell your shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Distribution and Service Fees for details.


 

20


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges

Front-End Sales Charge Reductions

There are two ways in which you may be able to reduce the front-end sales charge that you may pay when you buy Class A shares of the Fund. These types of sales charge reductions are also referred to as breakpoint discounts.

First, through the right of accumulation, you may combine the value of eligible accounts maintained by you and your immediate family to reach a breakpoint discount level and apply a lower sales charge to your purchase. To calculate the combined value of your accounts, the Fund will use the current public offering price per share.

Second, by making a statement of intent to purchase additional shares, you may pay a lower sales charge on all purchases of Class A shares made within 13 months of the date of your statement of intent. Your statement of intent must state the aggregate amount of purchases you intend to make in that 13-month period, which must be at least $50,000. If you do not complete the purchases described in your statement of intent within 13 months, you will be charged the applicable sales charge on the amount you have invested to that date. To calculate the total value of the purchases you’ve made under a statement of intent, the Fund will use the historic cost (i.e. dollars invested) of the shares held in each eligible account.

To obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. It is the responsibility of you and your financial advisor to ensure that you receive discounts for which you are eligible; the Fund is not responsible for a financial advisor’s failure to apply the eligible discount to your account. You may be asked by your financial advisor for account statements or other records to verify your discount eligibility, including, when applicable, records for accounts opened with a different financial advisor and records of accounts established by members of your immediate family.

 

FUNDamentals™

Your “Immediate Family” and
Account Value Aggregation

 

For purposes of reaching the Class B shares investment limits described in Choosing a Share Class – Comparison of the Share Classes and obtaining a Class A shares breakpoint discount, the value of your account will be deemed to include the value of all applicable shares in eligible accounts that are held by your “immediate family,” which includes your spouse (or legal equivalent under state law), parent, step-parent, legal guardian, child, stepchild, father-in-law and mother-in-law. Remember that in order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you must notify your financial advisor in writing at the time you buy your shares of each eligible account maintained by you and/or your immediate family. Group plan accounts are valued at the plan level.

Eligible Accounts

The types of accounts that are eligible for the account value aggregation purposes described above are:

 

n  

individual accounts,

 

n  

joint accounts,

 

n  

certain IRA accounts,

 

n  

certain health savings accounts,

 

n  

certain trust accounts, and

 

n  

Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA)/Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts.

Eligible accounts include those registered in the name of the broker/dealer or other financial intermediary through which you own shares of the Columbia Funds.

Eligible accounts do not include Class R share accounts or accounts holding institutional share classes of the Columbia Money Market Funds (Capital Class shares, Liquidity Class shares, Adviser Class shares, Investor Class shares, Trust Class shares, Institutional Class shares and Marsico shares). Certain share classes are not offered by this prospectus.


 

21


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

Certain investors may buy Class A shares of the Fund at net asset value, without any front-end sales charge that would otherwise apply. These investors include affiliates of the Fund, broker/dealers, investors in wrap fee programs, investors through fee-based advisors, certain retirement plans, certain health savings accounts, certain shareholders of funds that were reorganized into Columbia Funds, investors using the proceeds of sales of Fund shares or of certain Bank of America trust or similar accounts, as well as insurance company separate accounts purchasing for the benefit of group retirement plans. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

CDSC Waivers

You may be able to avoid an otherwise applicable CDSC when you sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund. This could happen because of the way in which you originally invested in the Fund, because of your relationship with the Columbia Funds or for other reasons.

Generally, a CDSC that would otherwise be applied may be waived for certain sales, including sales made under the Systematic Withdrawal Plan or in connection with the death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder; certain medical expenses; charitable gifts; involuntary sales; and agreements by selling and/or servicing agents to waive or return their commissions. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and certain transactions.

The Fund may change or cancel these terms at any time. Any change or cancellation applies only to future purchases.

For more information about the sales charge reductions and waivers described here, consult the SAI.


 

22


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Distribution and Service Fees

Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, distribution and shareholder servicing plans which set the distribution and service fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or eligible selling and/or servicing agents for selling shares of the Fund and providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.

The table below shows the maximum annual distribution and service fees (as an annual % of average daily net assets) and the combined amount of such fees applicable to each share class:

 

Distribution and Services (Rule 12b-1) Fees

     Distribution
Fee
    Service
Fee(a)
   Combined
Total
Class A         0.25%    0.25%
Class B    0.75%      0.25%    1.00%
Class C    0.75% (b)    0.25%    1.00%

 

(a)

The annual service fee may equal up to 0.10% on net assets attributable to Fund shares issued prior to December 1, 1994 and 0.25% on net assets attributable to Fund shares issued thereafter. This arrangement results in a rate of service fee for all Fund shares that is a blend between the 0.10% and 0.25% rates. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, the blended service fee was 0.24% of the Fund’s average net assets.

 

(b)

The Distributor has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of the distribution fee for Class C shares so that it does not exceed 0.45% annually. This arrangement may be modified or terminated by the Distributor at any time.

The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible selling and/or servicing agents for as long as the distribution and/or shareholder servicing plans continue. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time. Your selling and/or servicing agent may also charge you other fees for providing services to your account, which may be different from those described here.


 

23


Table of Contents

Choosing a Share Class

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

The Distributor and the Advisor make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Columbia Funds. Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that an intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each intermediary, the support payments to any one intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.50% (and 0.03% and 0.12% with regard to the Columbia Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Columbia Money Market Funds) attributable to the intermediary.

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments in larger amounts or on a basis other than those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customers’ investments in the Fund.

The Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the Advisor may also make payments to financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, that provide shareholder services to retirement plans and other investment programs to compensate those intermediaries for services they provide to such programs, including, but not limited to, sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, similar shareholder or participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, or shareholder or participant transaction processing.

These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with

certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares in any intermediary’s program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Board has authorized the Fund to reimburse the Transfer Agent for amounts paid to financial intermediaries that maintain assets in omnibus accounts, subject to an annual cap of 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares maintained in such accounts for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets or up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a per account basis. The amounts in excess of that reimbursed by the Fund are borne by the Distributor or the Advisor. The Distributor and the Advisor may make other payments or allow promotional incentives to broker/dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

Amounts paid by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates are paid out of the Distributor’s and the Advisor’s own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details about the payments made by the Distributor and the Advisor and their affiliates and the services provided by financial intermediaries as well as a list of the intermediaries to which the Distributor and the Advisor have agreed to make marketing support payments in the SAI. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending the Fund or a particular share class over others. See Management of the Fund – Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.


 

24


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Share Price Determination

The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or exchange shares is the Fund’s next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the net asset value per share for each class of the Fund at the end of each business day.

 

FUNDamentals™
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund’s share classes calculates its NAV as follows:
      (Value of assets of the share class)
NAV   =  

– (Liabilities of the share class)

        Number of outstanding shares of the class

The value of the Fund’s shares is based on the total market value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. The prices reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world are usually used to value securities in the Fund. The Fund uses the amortized cost method, which approximates market value, to value short-term investments maturing in 60 days or less.

If a market price isn’t readily available, the Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on the Advisor’s determination of the security’s fair value. A market price is considered not readily available if, among other circumstances, the most recent reported price is deemed unreliable. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) those impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a security’s market price is readily available and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another mutual fund. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund’s performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained an independent fair valuation pricing service to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities. International markets are sometimes open on days when U.S. markets are closed, which means that the value of foreign securities owned by the Fund could change on days when Fund shares cannot be bought or sold.


 

25


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Transaction Rules and Policies

Remember that sales charges may apply to your transactions. You should also ask your selling and/or servicing agent about its rules, fees and policies for buying, selling and exchanging shares, which may be different from those described here, and about its related programs or services.

Also remember that the Fund may refuse any order to buy or exchange shares. If this happens, we’ll return any money we’ve received, but no interest will be paid on that money.

Order Processing

Orders to buy, sell or exchange shares are processed on business days. Orders can be delivered by mail, by telephone or online. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent before the end of a business day will receive that day’s net asset value per share. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s net asset value per share. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its net asset value per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called a trade date.

 

FUNDamentals™

Business Days

 

A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE closes early, the business day ends as of the time the NYSE closes. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s net asset value is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.

“Good Form”

An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. For example, when you sell shares by letter of instruction, “good form” means that your letter has (i) complete instructions

and the signatures of all account owners, (ii) a Medallion signature guarantee for amounts equal to or greater than $100,000 and (iii) any other required documents completed and attached. For the documents required for sales by corporations, agents, fiduciaries, surviving joint owners and other legal entities, call 800.345.6611.

Medallion Signature Guarantees

Qualified customers can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee from any financial institution – including commercial banks such as Bank of America, credit unions and broker/dealers – that participates in one of the three Medallion signature guarantee programs recognized by the SEC. These Medallion signature guarantee programs are the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) and the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program (MSP).

Written Transactions

Once you have an account, you can communicate written buy, sell and exchange orders to the Transfer Agent at the following address: Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081.

Telephone Transactions

Once you have an account, you may place orders to buy, sell or exchange by telephone. To place orders by telephone, call 800.422.3737. Have your account number and taxpayer identification number (TIN) available when calling.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares via the telephone in any 30-day period if you qualify for telephone orders. Wire redemptions requested via the telephone are not subject to this maximum amount. You can buy up to $100,000 of shares through your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction via the telephone per day if you qualify for telephone orders.

Telephone orders may not be as secure as written orders. Columbia Funds will take reasonable steps to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. For example, we require proof of your identification before we will act on instructions received by telephone and may record telephone conversations. However, the Fund and its agents will not be responsible for any losses, costs or expenses resulting from


 

26


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

an unauthorized telephone instruction when reasonable steps have been taken to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. Telephone orders may be difficult to complete during periods of significant economic or market change or business interruption.

Online Transactions

Once you have an account, contact Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for more information on account trading restrictions and the special sign-up procedures required for online transactions. The Transfer Agent has procedures in place to authenticate electronic orders you deliver through the internet. You will be required to accept the terms of an online agreement and establish and utilize a password in order to access online account services.

You can sell up to an aggregate of $100,000 of shares through the internet in any 30-day period if you qualify for internet orders.

Customer Identification Program

Federal law requires the Fund to obtain and record specific personal information to verify your identity when you open an account. This information may include your name, address, date of birth (for individuals), and taxpayer or other government issued identification. If you fail to provide the requested information, the Fund may need to delay the date of your purchase or may be unable to open your account, which may result in a return of your investment monies. In addition, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is open, the Fund reserves the right to close your account or take other steps as deemed reasonable. The Fund shall not be held liable for any loss resulting from any purchase delay, application rejection or account closure due to a failure to provide proper identifying information.

Small Account Policy – Accounts Below $250

Columbia Funds generally will automatically sell your shares if the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below $250. If your shares are sold, the Transfer Agent will remit the sale proceeds to you. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of any automatic sale, which will provide details on how you may avoid such an

automatic sale. Generally, you may avoid such an automatic sale by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information. The automatic sale of shares of accounts valued at less than $250 is expected to take place in the second quarter of each calendar year.

Columbia Funds may also sell your shares if a financial intermediary tells us to sell your shares pursuant to arrangements made with you, and under certain other circumstances allowed under the 1940 Act.

Small Account Policy – Minimum Balance Fee

If the value of your account (treating each account of the Fund you own separately from any other account of the Fund you may own) falls below the minimum initial investment requirement applicable to you, your account generally will be subject to a $20 annual fee. This fee will be assessed through the automatic sale of shares in your account. Any otherwise applicable CDSC will not be imposed on such an automatic sale of your shares. The Transfer Agent will reduce the expenses paid by the Fund by any amounts it collects from the assessment of this fee. For Funds that do not have transfer agency expenses against which to offset the amount collected through assessment of this fee, the fee will be paid directly to the Fund. The Transfer Agent will send you written notification in advance of assessing any fee, which will provide details on how you can avoid the imposition of such fee. Generally, you may avoid the imposition of such fee by raising your account balance, consolidating your accounts through an exchange of shares of another Columbia Fund in which you hold shares, or setting up a Systematic Investment Plan. Contact the Transfer Agent, review our website at www.columbiafunds.com, call 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor for more information.

Columbia Funds reserves the right to change the minimum investment requirements for any Fund. We also reserve the right to lower the account size trigger point for the minimum balance fee in any year or for any class of shares when we believe it is appropriate to do so in light of declines in the market value of Fund shares, sales loads applicable to a particular class of shares, or for other reasons.


 

27


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Exceptions to the Above Small Account Policy (Accounts Below $250 and Minimum Balance Fee)

The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 and the annual minimum balance fee described previously do not apply to shareholders of Class R shares or shareholders holding their shares through broker/dealer networked accounts; wrap fee and omnibus accounts; accounts with active Systematic Investment Plans; and certain qualified retirement plans and health savings accounts. The automatic sale of shares of accounts under $250 does not apply to individual retirement plans.

Small Account Policy – Broker/Dealer and Wrap Fee Accounts

Columbia Funds may automatically redeem at any time broker/dealer networked accounts and wrap fee accounts that have account balances of $20 or less or have less than one share.

Cash Flows

The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors selling Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.

Information Sharing Agreements

As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Columbia Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Columbia Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund’s excessive trading policies and procedures. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Excessive Trading Practices for more information.

 

Excessive Trading Practices

Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders – The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.

The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any buy or exchange order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its discretion restrict or reject a buy or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific exchange limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund’s best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to buy or exchange transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by selling and/or servicing agents.

Specific Buying and Exchanging Limitations – If the Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor’s future buy orders, including exchange buy orders, involving any Columbia Fund.

For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or exchange into the Fund followed by a sale or exchange out of the Fund, or a sale or exchange out of the Fund followed by a purchase or exchange into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its discretion, reject future buy orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.

These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies that invest in the Fund using a “fund of funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan


 

28


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders.

Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices – The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell and exchange orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker/ dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients’ transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identity of the shareholders is often not known.

Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to underlying investor accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund’s ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent it.

Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of shareholders in making any such judgments.

Risks of Excessive Trading – Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund’s long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:

 

n  

negative impact on the Fund’s performance;

n  

potential dilution of the value of the Fund’s shares;

 

n  

interference with the efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;

 

n  

losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices;

 

n  

increased taxable gains to the Fund’s remaining shareholders resulting from the need to sell securities to meet sell orders; and

 

n  

increased brokerage and administrative costs.

To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund’s valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund’s valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund’s valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments don’t work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund’s shares held by other shareholders.

Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded high-yield bonds (junk bonds) or equity securities of small-capitalization companies, because these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade their shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund’s portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling those portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders.


 

29


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Opening an Account and Placing Orders

Columbia Funds encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and who can help you open an account. Once you have an account, you can buy, sell and exchange shares by contacting your financial advisor who will send your order to the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent. As described in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies, once you have an account you can also communicate your orders directly to the Transfer Agent by mail, by telephone or online.

Buying Shares

Eligible Investors

Class A and Class C shares are available to the general public for investment. Once you have opened an account, you can buy Class A and Class C shares in a lump sum, through our Systematic Investment Plan, by dividend diversification, by wire or by electronic funds transfer.

Class B Shares Closing

The Fund no longer accepts investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except for certain limited transactions involving existing investors in Class B shares as described in more detail below.

Additional Class B shares will be issued only to existing investors in Class B shares and only through the following two types of transactions (Qualifying Transactions):

 

n  

Dividends and/or capital gain distributions may continue to be reinvested in Class B shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Shareholders invested in Class B shares of the Fund may exchange those shares for Class B shares of other Columbia Funds offering such shares.

Any initial purchase orders for the Fund’s Class B shares will be rejected (other than through a Qualifying Transaction that is an exchange transaction).

Unless contrary instructions are received in advance by the Fund, purchase orders (except those submitted by a financial intermediary through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) as described in more detail below) for additional Class B shares of the Fund received from existing

investors in Class B shares, including orders made through an active systematic investment plan, will be invested in Class A shares of the Fund, without regard to the normal minimum initial investment for Class A shares, but subject to the front-end sales charge that generally applies to Class A shares. See Choosing a Share Class – Class A Shares – Front-end Sales Charge for additional information.

Additional purchase orders for a Fund’s Class B shares by an existing Class B shareholder, submitted by such shareholder’s financial intermediary through the NSCC, will be rejected due to operational limitations of the NSCC. Investors should consult their financial advisor if they wish to invest in the Fund by purchasing a share class of the Fund other than Class B shares.

In addition, dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will no longer be automatically invested in Class B shares of another Columbia Fund. Unless contrary instructions are received in advance of the date of declaration, such dividend and/or capital gain distributions from Class B shares of a Columbia Fund will be reinvested in Class B shares of the same Columbia Fund that is making the distribution.

Minimum Initial Investments

The minimum initial investment for Class A and Class C shares is $2,500 for regular accounts and $1,000 for individual retirement plans (including traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts) and non-omnibus group retirement plans. For investors establishing a Systematic Investment Plan, the minimum initial investment is $50. There is no minimum initial investment for Class A or Class C shares bought through omnibus accounts, wrap accounts or health savings accounts, although your selling and/or servicing agent may impose its own investment minimum. For group retirement plans, the minimum initial investment and minimum additional investment are determined based on the plan’s investment rather than that of its individual participants.

Minimum Additional Investments

There is no minimum additional investment for Class A or Class C shares.


 

30


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

Systematic Investment Plan

The Systematic Investment Plan allows you to make regular purchases in amounts of $50 or more via automatic transfers from your bank account to the Fund on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan.

Dividend Diversification

Generally, you may automatically invest distributions made by another Columbia Fund into the same class of shares (and in some cases certain other classes of shares) of the Fund at no additional sales charge. A sales charge may apply when you invest distributions made by a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase. Call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 for details. See Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Opening an Account and Placing Orders – Buying Shares – Class B Shares Closing for restrictions applicable to Class B shares.

Wire Purchases

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by wiring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may buy Class A or Class C shares of the Fund by electronically transferring money from your bank account to your Fund account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. An electronic funds transfer may take up to three business days to settle and be considered in “good form.” You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Other Purchase Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your buy order in “good form,” your purchase will be made at the next calculated public offering price per share, which is the net asset value per share plus any sales charge that applies.

 

n  

You generally buy Class A shares at the public offering price per share because purchases of Class A shares are generally subject to a front-end sales charge.

n  

You buy Class B and Class C shares at net asset value per share because no front-end sales charge applies to purchases of these share classes.

 

n  

The Fund reserves the right to cancel your order if it doesn’t receive payment within three business days of receiving your buy order. The Fund will return any payment received for orders that have been cancelled, but no interest will be paid on that money.

 

n  

Selling and/or servicing agents are responsible for sending your buy orders to the Transfer Agent and ensuring that we receive your money on time.

 

n  

Shares bought are recorded on the books of the Fund. The Fund doesn’t issue certificates.

Selling Shares

When you sell your shares, the Fund is effectively buying them back from you. This is called a redemption.

Wire Redemptions

You may request that your Class A, Class B or Class C shares sale proceeds be wired to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. You must set up this feature prior to your request. For shares sold by Fedwire, there is generally a fee of $7.50. The receiving bank may charge an additional fee. The Transfer Agent may waive the fee for certain accounts. The minimum amount that can be redeemed by wire is $500.

Electronic Funds Transfer

You may sell Class A, Class B or Class C shares of the Fund and request that the proceeds be electronically transferred to your bank account by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It may take up to three business days for the sale proceeds to be received by your bank. You must set up this feature by contacting the Transfer Agent prior to your request to obtain any necessary forms.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan

The Systematic Withdrawal Plan lets you withdraw funds from your Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares account any day of the month on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. Your account balance generally must be at least $5,000 to set up the plan, but certain fee-based and wrap


 

31


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

accounts are not subject to this requirement. All dividend and capital gain distributions must be reinvested to set up the plan. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan cannot be set up on an account that already has a Systematic Investment Plan established. If you set up the plan after you’ve opened your account, we may require your signature to be Medallion guaranteed.

You can choose to receive your withdrawals via check or direct deposit into your bank account. You won’t pay a CDSC on Class A, Class B or Class C shares if you withdraw 12% or less of the value of those shares in a year. Otherwise, Columbia Funds will deduct any applicable CDSC from the withdrawals before sending the balance to you. You can cancel the plan by giving Columbia Funds 30 days notice in writing or by calling the Transfer Agent at 800.422.3737. It’s important to remember that if you withdraw more than your investment in the Fund is earning, you’ll eventually use up your original investment.

In-Kind Distributions

The Fund reserves the right to honor sell orders with in-kind distributions of portfolio securities instead of cash. In the event the Fund makes such an in-kind distribution, you may incur the brokerage and transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities you receive into cash. Also, the portfolio securities you receive may increase or decrease in value before you convert them into cash.

Other Redemption Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Once the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your sell order in “good form,” your shares will be sold at the next calculated net asset value per share. Any applicable CDSC will be deducted from the amount you’re selling and the balance will be remitted to you.

 

n  

If you sell your shares directly through Columbia Funds, we will normally send the sale proceeds by mail or electronically transfer them to your bank account within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

 

n  

If you sell your shares through a selling agent, Columbia Funds will normally send the sale proceeds by Fedwire within three business days after the Transfer Agent or your selling and/or servicing agent receives your order in “good form.”

n  

If you paid for your shares by check or from your bank account as an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, Columbia Funds will hold the sale proceeds when you sell those shares for up to 10 days after the trade date of the purchase.

 

n  

No interest will be paid on uncashed redemption checks.

 

n  

Columbia Funds can delay payment of the sale proceeds for up to seven days and may suspend redemptions and/or postpone payment of redemption proceeds when the NYSE is closed or during emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC.

 

n  

Other restrictions may apply to retirement accounts. For information about these restrictions, contact your retirement plan administrator.

 

n  

Also keep in mind Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy, which is described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies.

Exchanging Shares

You can generally sell shares of the Fund to buy shares of another Columbia Fund, in what is called an exchange. You should read the prospectus of, and make sure you understand the investment objective and principal investment strategies of, the Columbia Fund into which you are exchanging.

Systematic Exchanges

You may buy Class A, Class B and/or Class C shares of the Fund by exchanging $100 or more each month from another Columbia Fund for shares of the same class of the Fund at no additional cost. Contact the Transfer Agent or your financial advisor to set up the plan. If you set up your plan to exchange more than $100,000 each month, you must have your signature Medallion guaranteed.

Exchanges will continue as long as your balance is sufficient to complete the systematic monthly transfers, subject to Columbia Funds’ Small Account Policy described above in Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares – Transaction Rules and Policies. You may terminate the program or change the amount you would like to exchange (subject to the $100 minimum) by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611. A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.


 

32


Table of Contents

Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares

 

The rules described below for making exchanges apply to systematic exchanges.

Other Exchange Rules You Should Know

 

n  

Exchanges are made at net asset value.

 

n  

You can generally make exchanges between like share classes of any Columbia Fund. Some exceptions apply.

 

n  

A sales charge may apply when you exchange shares of a Columbia Fund that were not assessed a sales charge at the time of your initial purchase.

 

n  

If your shares are subject to a CDSC, you will not be charged a CDSC upon the exchange of those shares. Any CDSC will be deducted when you sell the shares you received from the exchange. The CDSC imposed at that time will be based on the period that begins when you bought shares of the original Columbia Fund and ends when you sell the shares of the Columbia Fund you received from the exchange. The applicable CDSC will be the CDSC of the original Columbia Fund.

 

n  

The rules for buying shares of a Columbia Fund generally apply to exchanges into that Fund.

 

n  

You may make exchanges only into a Columbia Fund that is legally offered and sold in your state of residence.

 

n  

You generally may make an exchange only into a Columbia Fund that is accepting investments.

 

n  

The Fund may change or cancel your right to make an exchange by giving the amount of notice required by regulatory authorities (generally 60 days for a material change or cancellation).

 

n  

Unless your account is part of a tax-advantaged arrangement an exchange for shares of another fund is a taxable event, and you may recognize a gain or loss for tax purposes.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege for Class Z Shares

Certain shareholders invested in a class of shares other than Class Z may become eligible to invest in Class Z shares. Upon a determination of such eligibility, any such shareholders will be eligible to exchange their shares for Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered. No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange, except that when Class B shares are exchanged for Class Z shares, any CDSC charges applicable to Class B shares will be applied. Ordinarily,

shareholders will not recognize a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes upon such an exchange. Investors should contact their selling and/ or servicing agents to learn more about the details of the Class Z shares exchange privilege.


 

33


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Distributions to Shareholders

A mutual fund can make money two ways:

 

n  

It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.

 

n  

A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than it originally paid. Capital gains are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term gains) or more than one year (long-term gains).

 

FUNDamentals™

Distributions

 

Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund’s distributed income, including capital gains.

 

Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund – which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money. Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you’ll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.

 

The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:

 

Declaration and Distribution Schedule

Declarations    daily
Distributions    monthly

The Fund may, however, pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.

Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the end of the month in which the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you’ll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.

The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions in cash. You can do this by writing Columbia Funds at the address on the back cover, or by calling us at 800.345.6611. No sales charges apply to the purchase or sale of such shares. Distributions of $10 or less will automatically be reinvested in additional Fund shares only. If you elect to receive distributions by check and the check is returned as undeliverable, all subsequent distributions will be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution, other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent all or a portion of the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” check the Fund’s distribution schedule online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by calling us at 800.345.6611, before you invest.

If you buy shares of the Fund when it holds securities with unrealized capital gain, you may, in effect, receive part of your


 

34


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

purchase price back if and when the Fund sells those securities and distributes any net realized gain. Any such distribution is generally subject to tax. The Fund may have, or may build up over time, high levels of unrealized capital gain. If you buy shares of the Fund when it has capital loss carryforwards, the Fund may have the ability to offset capital gains realized by the Fund that otherwise would have been distributed to shareholders with such carryforwards, although capital loss carryforwards generally expire after eight taxable years and may be subject to substantial limitations.

 


 

35


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

Taxes and Your Investment

The Fund will send you a statement each year showing how much you’ve received in distributions in the prior year and the distributions’ character for federal income tax purposes. In addition, you should be aware of the following:

 

n  

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation on its taxable income, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you. In addition, any dividends of net tax-exempt income would no longer be exempt from federal income tax and, instead, in general, would be taxable to you as ordinary income.

 

n  

To the extent distributions are taxable, such distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

 

n  

Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities generally are not subject to federal income tax or federal alternative minimum tax, but may be subject to state and local income and other taxes, as well as state alternative minimum tax. Distributions of the Fund’s net interest income from tax-exempt securities of New York and its subdivisions generally also are not subject to New York State personal income tax.

 

n  

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal or state income tax. Distributions by the Fund of this income generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of gains realized by the Fund, including those generated from the sale or exchange of tax-exempt securities, generally also are taxable to you. Distributions of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund’s net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, if you are an individual and you meet certain holding

   

period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at lower net long-term capital gain rates. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund’s dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends. The Fund does not expect a significant portion of Fund distributions to be derived from qualified dividend income.

 

n  

For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2010, the maximum individual federal income tax rate on net long-term capital gain (and thus qualified dividend income) has been temporarily reduced to 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this rate reduction to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010.

 

n  

A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares (including those paid in securities) usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term or disallowed.

 

n  

The Fund is required by federal law to withhold tax on any taxable and possibly tax-exempt distributions and sale proceeds paid to you (including amounts paid to you in securities and amounts deemed to be paid to you upon an exchange of shares) if: you haven’t provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or haven’t certified to the Fund that withholding doesn’t apply; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has notified us that the TIN listed on your account is incorrect according to its records; or the IRS informs the Fund that you are otherwise subject to backup withholding.


 

36


Table of Contents

Distributions and Taxes

 

FUNDamentals™

Taxes

 

The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications.

 

It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA.

 

You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.

 


 

37


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights tables are designed to help you understand how the Fund has performed for the past five full fiscal years, or if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return line indicates how much an investment in the Fund would have earned each period assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested.

This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report. The independent registered public accounting firm’s report and the Fund’s financial statements are also incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund – Class A Shares

     

Year Ended
October 31,

2009

   

Year Ended
October 31,

2008

   

Year Ended
October 31,

2007

   

Year Ended
October 31,

2006

   

Year Ended
October 31,

2005

 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $6.55      $7.49      $7.70      $7.61      $7.84   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)    0.31      0.31      0.31      0.32      0.31   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.78      (0.87   (0.19   0.15      (0.22
Total from Investment Operations    1.09      (0.56   0.12      0.47      0.09   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.30   (0.30   (0.31   (0.31   (0.30
From Net Realized Gains    (0.09   (0.08   (0.02   (0.07   (0.02
Total Distributions to Shareholders    (0.39   (0.38   (0.33   (0.38   (0.32
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $7.25      $6.55      $7.49      $7.70      $7.61   
Total Return(b)(c)    17.24   (7.86 )%    1.59   6.31   1.19
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(d)    0.84   0.84   0.84   0.84   0.84
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.25   0.24   0.21   0.21   0.14
Net Investment Income(d)    4.47   4.29   4.15   4.16   4.00
Portfolio Turnover Rate    20   17   15   9   7
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $50,469      $42,819      $49,751      $56,050      $58,004   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

38


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund – Class B Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $6.55      $7.49      $7.70      $7.61      $7.84   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)    0.25      0.26      0.26      0.26      0.25   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.78      (0.88   (0.20   0.15      (0.21
Total from Investment Operations    1.03      (0.62   0.06      0.41      0.04   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.24   (0.24   (0.25   (0.25   (0.25
From Net Realized Gains    (0.09   (0.08   (0.02   (0.07   (0.02
Total Distributions to Shareholders    (0.33   (0.32   (0.27   (0.32   (0.27
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $7.25      $6.55      $7.49      $7.70      $7.61   
Total Return(b)(c)    16.38   (8.54 )%    0.83   5.52   0.44
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(d)    1.59   1.59   1.59   1.59   1.59
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.25   0.24   0.21   0.21   0.14
Net Investment Income(d)    3.73   3.54   3.40   3.41   3.25
Portfolio Turnover Rate    20   17   15   9   7
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $8,217      $10,084      $16,192      $22,782      $28,278   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

39


Table of Contents

Financial Highlights

 

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund – Class C Shares

      Year Ended
October 31,
2009
    Year Ended
October 31,
2008
    Year Ended
October 31,
2007
    Year Ended
October 31,
2006
    Year Ended
October 31,
2005
 
Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period    $6.55      $7.49      $7.70      $7.61      $7.84   
Income from Investment Operations:           
Net Investment Income(a)    0.28      0.28      0.28      0.28      0.28   
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments and Futures Contracts    0.78      (0.87   (0.19   0.15      (0.22
Total from Investment Operations    1.06      (0.59   0.09      0.43      0.06   
Less Distributions to Shareholders:           
From Net Investment Income    (0.27   (0.27   (0.28   (0.27   (0.27
From Net Realized Gains    (0.09   (0.08   (0.02   (0.07   (0.02
Total Distributions to Shareholders    (0.36   (0.35   (0.30   (0.34   (0.29
Net Asset Value, End of Period    $7.25      $6.55      $7.49      $7.70      $7.61   
Total Return(b)(c)    16.72   (8.27 )%    1.14   5.84   0.74
Ratios to Average Net Assets/Supplemental Data:           
Net Expenses(d)    1.29   1.29   1.29   1.29   1.29
Waiver/Reimbursement    0.55   0.54   0.51   0.51   0.44
Net Investment Income(d)    4.02   3.84   3.69   3.71   3.55
Portfolio Turnover Rate    20   17   15   9   7
Net Assets, End of Period (000s)    $9,031      $8,319      $9,729      $9,461      $9,974   

 

(a)

Per share data was calculated using the average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(b)

Total return at net asset value assuming all distributions reinvested and no contingent deferred sales charge.

 

(c)

Had the investment advisor and/or any of its affiliates not waived fees or reimbursed a portion of expenses, total return would have been reduced.

 

(d)

The benefits derived from expense reductions had an impact of less than 0.01%.

 

40


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

The following supplemental hypothetical investment information provides additional information about the effect of the fees and expenses of the Fund, including investment advisory fees and other Fund costs, on the Fund’s returns over a 10-year period. The charts show the estimated fees and expenses that would be charged on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 in each share class of the Fund, assuming a 5% return each year, the cumulative return after fees and expenses and the hypothetical year-end balance after fees and expenses. The charts also assume that all dividends and distributions are reinvested and that Class B shares convert to Class A shares after eight years. The annual expense ratio used for each share class, which is the same as that stated in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, is presented in the charts and is net of any contractual fee waivers or expense reimbursements for the period of contractual commitment. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. The charts shown below reflect the maximum initial sales charge. If contingent deferred sales charges were reflected, the “Hypothetical Year-End Balance After Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be lower and the “Annual Fees and Expenses” amounts shown would be higher.

 

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund – Class A Shares

Maximum Initial Sales
Charge 4.75%
 

Initial Hypothetical Investment

Amount $10,000.00

    Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
    Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   1.11%   -1.04% (b)    $9,895.52   $582.78
2   10.25%   1.11%   2.80%      $10,280.46   $111.98
3   15.76%   1.11%   6.80%      $10,680.37   $116.33
4   21.55%   1.11%   10.96%      $11,095.83   $120.86
5   27.63%   1.11%   15.27%      $11,527.46   $125.56
6   34.01%   1.11%   19.76%      $11,975.88   $130.44
7   40.71%   1.11%   24.42%      $12,441.74   $135.52
8   47.75%   1.11%   29.26%      $12,925.73   $140.79
9   55.13%   1.11%   34.29%      $13,428.54   $146.27
10   62.89%   1.11%   39.51%      $13,950.91   $151.96
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses      $3,950.91    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $1,762.49

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

(b)

Reflects deduction of the maximum initial sales charge.

 

41


Table of Contents

Hypothetical Fees and Expenses

 

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund – Class B Shares

Maximum Initial Sales
Charge 0.00%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
  Hypothetical
Year-End
Balance After
Fees and Expenses
  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   1.86%   3.14%   $10,314.00   $188.92
2   10.25%   1.86%   6.38%   $10,637.86   $194.85
3   15.76%   1.86%   9.72%   $10,971.89   $200.97
4   21.55%   1.86%   13.16%   $11,316.41   $207.28
5   27.63%   1.86%   16.72%   $11,671.74   $213.79
6   34.01%   1.86%   20.38%   $12,038.23   $220.50
7   40.71%   1.86%   24.16%   $12,416.23   $227.43
8   47.75%   1.86%   28.06%   $12,806.10   $234.57
9   55.13%   1.11%   33.04%   $13,304.26   $144.91
10   62.89%   1.11%   38.22%   $13,821.80   $150.55
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $3,821.80    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $1,983.77

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund – Class C Shares

Maximum Initial Sales
Charge 0.00%
  Initial Hypothetical Investment
Amount $10,000.00
  Assumed Rate of Return 5%
Year   Cumulative
Return Before
Fees and Expenses
  Annual
Expense Ratio
  Cumulative
Return After
Fees and Expenses
 

Hypothetical
Year-End

Balance After
Fees and Expenses

  Annual Fees
and Expenses
(a)
1   5.00%   1.86%   3.14%   $10,314.00   $188.92
2   10.25%   1.86%   6.38%   $10,637.86   $194.85
3   15.76%   1.86%   9.72%   $10,971.89   $200.97
4   21.55%   1.86%   13.16%   $11,316.41   $207.28
5   27.63%   1.86%   16.72%   $11,671.74   $213.79
6   34.01%   1.86%   20.38%   $12,038.23   $220.50
7   40.71%   1.86%   24.16%   $12,416.23   $227.43
8   47.75%   1.86%   28.06%   $12,806.10   $234.57
9   55.13%   1.86%   32.08%   $13,208.22   $241.93
10   62.89%   1.86%   36.23%   $13,622.95   $249.53
Total Gain After Fees and Expenses   $3,622.95    
Total Annual Fees and Expenses Paid   $2,179.77

 

(a)

Annual Fees and Expenses are calculated based on the average between the beginning and ending balance for each year. All information is calculated on an annual compounding basis.

 

42


Table of Contents

Notes

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

43

 


Table of Contents

 

LOGO

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund

Class A, Class B and Class C Shares

Prospectus, March 1, 2010

 

For More Information

You’ll find more information about the Fund and the other Columbia Funds in the documents described below. Contact Columbia Funds as follows to obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries:

 

By Mail:   Columbia Funds c/o Columbia Management Services, Inc. P.O. Box 8081 Boston, MA 02266-8081

By Telephone: 800.345.6611

Online: www.columbiafunds.com

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board

The Fund’s Board of Trustees has adopted procedures by which shareholders may communicate with the Board. Shareholders who wish to communicate with the Board should send their written communications to the Board by mail, c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111, Attention: Secretary. Shareholder communications must (i) be in writing,

(ii) identify the Columbia Fund to which the communication relates and (iii) state the particular class of shares and number of shares held by the communicating shareholder.

Statement of Additional Information

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). A copy has been filed with the SEC.

Information Provided by the SEC

You can review and copy information about the Fund (including this prospectus, the SAI and shareholder reports) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. To find out more about the operation of the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202.551.8090 or 800.SEC.0330. Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.

For purposes of any electronic version of this prospectus, all references to websites, or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any website into this prospectus.

FUNDamentals™ is a trademark of Bank of America.

The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Series Trust I, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-04367.


©2010 Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621

800.345.6611 www.columbiafunds.com

INT-36/34218-0310


Table of Contents

Columbia Management®

 

  COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST I
  STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
    March 1, 2010

 

Fixed Income Funds

   Class A
Shares
   Class B
Shares
   Class C
Shares
   Class T
Shares
   Class Z
Shares

Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   LITAX    LITBX    LITCX    GIMAX    SETMX

Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   LCTAX    LCTBX    LCTCX    GCBAX    SCTEX

Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   LMIAX    LMIBX    LMICX    GMBAX    SEMAX

Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   LNIAX    LNIBX    LNICX    GNJAX    GNJTX

Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   LNYAX    LNYBX    LNYCX    GANYX    GNYTX

Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   LRIAX    LRIBX    LRICX    GRBAX    GRITX

Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund

   CLMPX    CCABX    CCAOX    N/A    CCAZX

Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund

   COCTX    CCTBX    CCTCX    N/A    N/A

Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund

   COMAX    CMABX    COMCX    N/A    N/A

Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund

   COLNX    CNYBX    CNYCX    N/A    N/A

This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus, is not a substitute for reading any prospectus and is intended to be read in conjunction with the Funds’ prospectuses dated March 1, 2010. The most recent annual reports for the Funds, which include the Funds’ audited financial statements dated October 31, 2009, are incorporated by reference into this SAI.

Copies of the Funds’ current prospectuses and annual and semi-annual reports may be obtained without charge by writing Columbia Management Services, Inc., P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081, by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 or by visiting the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com.

INT-39/34130-0310


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page

SAI PRIMER

   1

ABOUT THE TRUST

   5

ABOUT THE FUNDS’ INVESTMENTS

   7

Certain Investment Activity Limits

   7

Fundamental and Non-Fundamental Investment Policies

   7

Permissible Investments and Related Risks

   10

Borrowings

   42

Short Sales

   42

Lending Securities

   44

Portfolio Turnover

   44

Disclosure of Portfolio Information

   44

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

   50

The Advisor and Investment Advisory Services

   50

The Administrator

   56

Pricing and Bookkeeping Services

   57

The Principal Underwriter/Distributor

   59

LOGO      Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest

   62

Other Services Provided

   66

Distribution and Servicing Plans

   67

Expense Limitations

   69

Codes of Ethics

   69

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

   70

FUND GOVERNANCE

   71

The Board

   71

The Officers

   82

BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES

   85

General Brokerage Policy, Brokerage Transactions and Broker Selection

   85

Brokerage Commissions

   88

Directed Brokerage

   88

Securities of Regular Broker/Dealers

   88

Additional Shareholder Servicing Payments

   89

Additional Financial Intermediary Payments

   91

CAPITAL STOCK AND OTHER SECURITIES

   94

Description of the Trust’s Shares

   94

PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES

   97

Purchase and Redemption

   97

Offering Price

   100

TAXATION

   102

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

   115

APPENDIX A — DESCRIPTIONS OF SECURITIES RATINGS

   A-1

APPENDIX B — PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

   B-1

APPENDIX C — DESCRIPTION OF STATE CONDITIONS

   C-1

 

i


Table of Contents

SAI PRIMER

The SAI is a part of the Funds’ registration statement that is filed with the SEC. The registration statement includes the Funds’ prospectuses, the SAI and certain exhibits. The SAI, and any supplements to it, can be found online at www.columbiafunds.com, or by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

The SAI generally provides additional information about the Funds that is not required to be in the Funds’ prospectuses. The SAI expands discussions of certain matters described in the Funds’ prospectuses and provides certain additional information about the Funds that may be of interest to some investors. Among other things, the SAI provides information about:

 

   

the organization of the Trust;

 

   

the Funds’ investments;

 

   

the Funds’ investment advisor, investment sub-advisor(s) (if any) and other service providers, including roles and relationships of Bank of America and its affiliates, and conflicts of interest;

 

   

the governance of the Funds;

 

   

the Funds’ brokerage practices;

 

   

the share classes offered by the Funds;

 

   

the purchase, redemption and pricing of Fund shares; and

 

   

the application of U.S. federal income tax laws.

Investors may find this information important and helpful. If you have any questions about the Funds, please call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor.

Before reading the SAI, you should consult the Glossary below, which defines certain of the terms used in the SAI.

Glossary

 

Term

  

Definition

1933 Act    Securities Act of 1933, as amended
1934 Act    Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
1940 Act    Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
Administration Agreement    The administration agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, and the Administrator
Administrator    Columbia Management Advisors, LLC
Advisor    Columbia Management Advisors, LLC
BANA    Bank of America, National Association
BAS    Banc of America Securities LLC
Bank of America    Bank of America Corporation
BFDS/DST    Boston Financial Data Services, Inc./DST Systems, Inc.
Board    The Trust’s Board of Trustees
Brandes    Brandes Investment Partners, L.P.

 

1


Table of Contents

Term

  

Definition

CA Tax-Exempt Fund    Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund
CMOs    Collateralized mortgage obligations
Code    Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
Codes of Ethics    The codes of ethics adopted by the Board pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act
Columbia Funds Complex    The mutual fund complex that is comprised of the open-end investment management companies advised by the Advisor or its affiliates and principally underwritten by Columbia Management Distributors, Inc., as that term is defined under Item 17 of Form N-1A
Columbia Funds or Columbia Funds Family    The fund complex that is comprised of the open-end investment management companies advised by the Advisor or its affiliates and principally underwritten by Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.
CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
CT Tax-Exempt Fund    Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund
Custodian or State Street    State Street Bank and Trust Company
Distributor    Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.
Distribution Agreement    The distribution agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, and the Distributor
Distribution Plan(s)    One or more of the plans adopted by the Board pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act for the distribution of the Funds’ shares
FDIC    Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
FHLMC    Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
Fitch    Fitch Investors Service, Inc.
FNMA    Federal National Mortgage Association
The Fund(s) or a Fund    One or more of the open-end management investment companies listed on the front cover of this SAI that are series of the Trust
GNMA    Government National Mortgage Association
Independent Trustee(s)    The Trustee(s) of the Board who are not “interested persons” of the Funds as defined in the 1940 Act
Interested Trustee    The Trustee of the Board who is an “interested person” of the Funds as defined in the 1940 Act
Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
Investment Advisory Agreement(s)    One or more of the investment advisory agreements between the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, and the Advisor

 

2


Table of Contents

Term

  

Definition

IRS    United States Internal Revenue Service
LIBOR    London Interbank Offered Rate
MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
Marsico    Marsico Capital Management, LLC
MA Tax-Exempt Fund    Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund
Merrill Lynch    Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
MLPF&S    Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
Money Market Fund(s)    One or more of the money market funds in the Columbia Funds Family
Moody’s    Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
NASDAQ    National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations system
NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
NY Tax-Exempt Fund    Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund
NRSRO    Nationally recognized statistical ratings organization (such as Moody’s, Fitch or S&P)
NSCC    National Securities Clearing Corporation
NYSE    New York Stock Exchange
Principal Underwriter    Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.
REIT    Real estate investment trust
REMIC    Real estate mortgage investment conduit
RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
RIC    A “regulated investment company,” as such term is used in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
S&P    Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“Standard & Poor’s” and “S&P” are trademarks of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and have been licensed for use by the Advisor. The Columbia Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Standard & Poor’s and Standard & Poor’s makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the Columbia Funds).
SAI    This Statement of Additional Information
SEC    United States Securities and Exchange Commission

 

3


Table of Contents

Term

  

Definition

Selling Agent(s)    One or more of the banks, broker/dealers or other financial institutions that have entered into a sales support agreement with the Distributor
Servicing Agent(s)    One or more of the banks, broker/dealers or other financial institutions that have entered into a shareholder servicing agreement with the Distributor
State Bond Fund(s)    CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund and RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund
Tax-Exempt Fund(s)    CA Tax-Exempt Fund, CT Tax-Exempt Fund, MA Tax- Exempt Fund and NY Tax-Exempt Fund
Transfer Agency Agreement    The transfer agency agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, and Columbia Management Services, Inc.
Transfer Agent    Columbia Management Services, Inc.
The Trust    Columbia Funds Series Trust I, the registered investment company in the Columbia Funds Family to which this SAI relates
Trustee(s)    One or more of the Board’s Trustees

 

4


Table of Contents

ABOUT THE TRUST

The Trust is a registered investment company under the 1940 Act within the Columbia Funds Family. Columbia Funds offers over 100 mutual funds in major asset classes, and the Advisor had approximate assets under management of $292.9 billion as of December 31, 2009.

The Trust was organized as a Massachusetts business trust in 1987. On September 23, 2005, the Trust changed its name from Columbia Funds Trust IX to its current name. On October 13, 2003, the Trust changed its name from Liberty-Stein Roe Funds Municipal Trust to Columbia Funds Trust IX.

Each of the Funds represents a separate series of the Trust and is an open-end management investment company. Each of the Funds is a “diversified” fund, except for the CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, the MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, the NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, the RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, the MA Tax-Exempt Fund and the NY Tax-Exempt Fund, each of which is a “non-diversified” fund. Each of the Funds has a fiscal year end of October 31st.

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

The Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund commenced investment operations as a series of the Trust on September 26, 2005. Prior to September 26, 2005 (the Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund Reorganization Date), the Fund was organized as a series of Columbia Funds Trust V, a Massachusetts business trust, under the name Columbia Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (the Intermediate Municipal Bond Predecessor Fund) that commenced business operations as a separate portfolio of the Boston 1784 Funds. The Intermediate Municipal Bond Predecessor Fund was the successor to a separate series of The Galaxy Fund, a Massachusetts business trust organized on March 31, 1986. The information provided for the Fund in this SAI for periods prior to the Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund Reorganization Date relates to the Intermediate Municipal Bond Predecessor Fund.

State Bond Funds

Each State Bond Fund was originally organized as a series of another Massachusetts business trust prior to its reorganization as a series of the Trust on March 27, 2006. Effective October 13, 2003, the Trust of which the State Bond Funds were previously series changed its name from Liberty Funds Trust V to Columbia Funds Trust V. Each State Bond Fund is the successor to a separate series of The Galaxy Fund, a Massachusetts business trust organized on March 31, 1986. On November 18, 2002, November 25, 2002, and December 9, 2002, the series of The Galaxy Fund to which the Funds succeeded (the State Bond Predecessor Funds) were reorganized as separate series of Liberty Funds Trust V. As part of this reorganization, Class T shares of the State Bond Funds were issued in exchange for Retail A Shares of the State Bond Predecessor Funds, Class G shares of the State Bond Funds were issued in exchange for Retail B Shares of the State Bond Predecessor Funds and Class Z shares of the State Bond Funds were issued in exchange for Trust Shares of the State Intermediate Predecessor Funds.

The NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund commenced operations on April 3, 1998; the NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund commenced operations on December 31, 1991; and the RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund commenced operations on December 20, 1994.

The CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund and the MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund commenced operations as separate portfolios (each a Predecessor Boston 1784 Fund, and collectively, the Predecessor Boston 1784 Funds) of the Boston 1784 Funds. On June 26, 2000, each Predecessor Boston 1784 Fund was reorganized as a new portfolio of The Galaxy Fund (the Boston 1784 Reorganization). Prior to the Boston 1784 Reorganization, the Predecessor Boston 1784 Funds offered and sold one class of shares. In connection with the Boston 1784 Reorganization, shareholders of the Predecessor Boston 1784 Funds exchanged their shares for Shares, Trust Shares and/or BKB Shares of the applicable State Bond Predecessor Funds. Shareholders of the

 

5


Table of Contents

Predecessor Boston 1784 Funds who purchased their shares through an investment management, trust, custody, or other agency relationship with BankBoston, N.A. received Shares or Trust Shares of the Funds. BKB Shares were issued to shareholders of the Predecessor Boston 1784 Funds who were not eligible to receive Trust Shares at the time of the Boston 1784 Reorganization. On June 26, 2001, BKB Shares of the Funds converted into Retail A Shares.

Tax-Exempt Funds

Each Tax-Exempt Fund was originally organized as a series of another Massachusetts business trust prior to its reorganization as a series of the Trust. The CA Tax-Exempt Fund commenced investment operations as a series of the Trust on September 19, 2005. Prior to September 19, 2005 (the CA Tax-Exempt Fund Reorganization Date), the CA Tax-Exempt Fund was organized as a series of Columbia Funds Trust V which commenced investment operations on June 16, 1986. The information provided for the CA Tax-Exempt Fund in this SAI for periods prior to the CA Tax-Exempt Fund Reorganization Date relates to the predecessor fund of the same name.

Each of the CT Tax-Exempt Fund, the MA Tax-Exempt Fund and the NY Tax-Exempt Fund were reorganized as series of the Trust on March 27, 2006 (the Tax-Exempt Fund Reorganization Date). Prior to March 27, 2006, the CT Tax-Exempt Fund, the MA Tax-Exempt Fund and the NY Tax-Exempt Fund were organized as a series of Columbia Funds Trust V. The CT Tax-Exempt Fund commenced investment operations on November 1, 1991, the MA Tax-Exempt Fund commenced investment operations on April 10, 1987, and the NY Tax-Exempt Fund commenced investment operations on September 26, 1986. The information provided for the CT Tax-Exempt Fund, the MA Tax-Exempt Fund and the NY Tax-Exempt Fund in this SAI for periods prior to the Tax-Exempt Fund Reorganization Date relates to the predecessor funds of the same names. The trust of which the Tax-Exempt Funds were previously series changed its name from Liberty Funds Trust V to Columbia Funds Trust V on October 13, 2003.

 

6


Table of Contents

ABOUT THE FUNDS’ INVESTMENTS

The investment objective, principal investment strategies (i.e., as used in this SAI and the corresponding prospectuses, a strategy which generally involves the ability to invest 10% or more of a Fund’s total assets) and related principal investment risks for each Fund are discussed in each Fund’s prospectuses.

Certain Investment Activity Limits

The overall investment and other activities of the Advisor and its affiliates may limit the investment opportunities for each Fund in certain markets where limitations are imposed by regulators upon the amount of investment by affiliated investors, in the aggregate or in individual issuers. From time to time, each Fund’s activities also may be restricted because of regulatory restrictions applicable to the Advisor and its affiliates and/ or because of their internal policies. See Investment Advisory and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest.

Fundamental and Non-Fundamental Investment Policies

The following discussion of “fundamental” and “non-fundamental” investment policies and limitations for each Fund supplements the discussion of investment policies in the Funds’ prospectuses. A fundamental policy may be changed only with Board and shareholder approval. A non-fundamental policy may be changed by the Board and does not require shareholder approval, but may require notice to shareholders in certain instances.

Unless otherwise noted, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of a Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with such percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of such security or asset. Borrowings and other instruments that may give rise to leverage and the restriction on investing in illiquid securities are monitored on an ongoing basis.

Fundamental Investment Policies

The 1940 Act provides that a “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of a Fund, or (2) 67% or more of the shares present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy. The following fundamental investment policies cannot be changed without such a vote.

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax). These securities are issued by states and their political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, by other qualified issuers and by mutual funds that invest in such securities. The Fund may comply with this 80% policy by investing in a partnership, trust, or regulated investment company which invests in such securities, in which case the Fund’s investment in such entity shall be deemed to be an investment in the underlying securities in the same proportion as such entity’s investment in such securities bears to its net assets.

The Fund may not, as a matter of fundamental policy, purchase securities (except securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities) of any one issuer if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets will be invested in the securities of such issuer or it would own more than 10% of the voting securities of such issuer, except that: (i) up to 25% of its total assets may be invested without regard to these limitations and (ii) the Fund’s assets may be invested in the securities of one or more management investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief.

 

7


Table of Contents

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and Connecticut individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of Connecticut and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, by other qualified issuers and by mutual funds that invest in such securities. Dividends derived from interest on municipal securities other than such securities will generally be exempt from regular federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) but subject to Connecticut personal income tax. The Fund may comply with this 80% policy by investing in a partnership, trust or regulated investment company which invests in such securities, in which case the Fund’s investment in such entity shall be deemed to be an investment in the underlying securities in the same proportion as such entity’s investment in such securities bears to its net assets.

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and Massachusetts individual income tax. These securities are issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities, by other qualified issuers and by mutual funds that invest in such securities. Dividends derived from interest on municipal securities other than such securities will generally be exempt from regular federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) but may be subject to Massachusetts personal income tax. The Fund may comply with this 80% policy by investing in a partnership, trust, or regulated investment company which invests in such securities, in which case the Fund’s investment in such entity shall be deemed to be an investment in the underlying securities in the same proportion as such entity’s investment in such securities bears to its net assets.

NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and New Jersey individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of New Jersey and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. Dividends derived from interest on municipal securities other than such securities will generally be exempt from regular federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) but may be subject to New Jersey personal income tax.

NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and New York state individual income tax. These securities are issued by the State of New York and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. Dividends derived from interest on municipal securities other than such securities will generally be exempt from regular federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) but may be subject to New York State and New York City personal income tax.

RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

As a matter of fundamental policy, under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of net assets in municipal securities that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) and Rhode Island individual income tax, including securities issued by the State of Rhode Island and its political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities and by other qualified issuers. Dividends derived from interest on municipal securities other than such securities will generally be exempt from regular federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax) but may be subject to Rhode Island personal income tax.

 

8


Table of Contents

Tax-Exempt Funds

Each Tax-Exempt Fund will, as a matter of fundamental policy, under normal circumstances, invest at least 80% of its total assets in state bonds, subject to applicable state requirements.

Additional Fundamental Investment Policies:

Each Fund may not, as a matter of fundamental policy:

1. Underwrite any issue of securities issued by other persons within the meaning of the 1933 Act except when it might be deemed to be an underwriter either: (i) in connection with the disposition of a portfolio security; or (ii) in connection with the purchase of securities directly from the issuer thereof in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective. This restriction shall not limit the Fund’s ability to invest in securities issued by other registered investment companies;

2. Purchase or sell real estate, except each Fund may: (i) purchase securities of issuers which deal or invest in real estate, (ii) purchase securities which are secured by real estate or interests in real estate and (iii) hold and dispose of real estate or interests in real estate acquired through the exercise of its rights as a holder of securities which are secured by real estate or interests therein;

3. Purchase or sell commodities, except that each Fund may to the extent consistent with its investment objective: (i) invest in securities of companies that purchase or sell commodities or which invest in such programs, (ii) purchase and sell options, forward contracts, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and (iii) enter into swap contracts and other financial transactions relating to commodities. This limitation does not apply to foreign currency transactions including without limitation forward currency contracts;

4. Purchase any securities which would cause 25% or more of the value of its total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that: (i) there is no limitation with respect to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, any state or territory of the United States or any of their agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions; and (ii) notwithstanding this limitation or any other fundamental investment limitation, assets may be invested in the securities of one or more management investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief;

5. Make loans, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief; and

6. Borrow money or issue senior securities except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief;

Non-Fundamental Investment Policies

Each Fund may not, as a matter of non-fundamental policy:

1. Invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.

2. Sell securities short, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.

3. Purchase securities of other investment companies except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief. If shares of the Fund are purchased by another fund in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act, for so long as shares of the Fund are held by such fund, the Fund will not purchase securities of a registered open-end investment company or registered unit investment trust in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act.

 

9


Table of Contents

“Illiquid Securities” is defined in accordance with the SEC staff’s current guidance and interpretations which provide that an illiquid security is a security which may not be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value at which a Fund has valued the security.

Permissible Investments and Related Risks

Each Fund’s prospectuses identify and summarize the individual types of securities in which the Fund invests as part of its principal investment strategies and the principal risks associated with such investments.

The table below identifies for each Fund certain types of securities in which each Fund is permitted to invest, including certain types of securities that are described in each Fund’s prospectuses. A Fund generally has the ability to invest 10% or more of its total assets in each type of security described in its prospectuses (and in each sub-category of such security type described in this SAI). To the extent that a type of security identified below is not described in a Fund’s prospectuses (or as a sub-category of such security type in this SAI), the Fund generally invests less than 10% of the Fund’s total assets in such security type.

Information about individual types of securities (including certain of their associated risks) in which some or all of the Funds may invest is set forth below. Each Fund’s investment in these types of securities is subject to its investment objective and fundamental and non-fundamental investment policies.

Temporary Defensive Positions. Each Fund may temporarily invest in money market instruments or hold cash. It may do so without limit, when the Advisor or the Fund’s sub-advisor, if applicable: (i) believes that the market conditions are not favorable for profitable investing; (ii) is unable to locate favorable investment opportunities or (iii) determines that a temporary defensive position is advisable or necessary in order to meet anticipated redemption requests, or for other reasons. While the Fund engages in such strategies, it may not achieve its investment objective.

See also About the Funds’ Investments — Permissible Investments and Related Risks — Money Market Instruments.

Permissible Fund Investments

 

Investment Type

 

Inter-

mediate
Municipal
Bond

Fund

 

CT Inter-

mediate
Municipal
Bond

Fund

 

MA
Inter-

mediate
Municipal
Bond

Fund

 

NJ Inter-

mediate
Municipal
Bond

Fund

 

NY Inter-

mediate
Municipal
Bond

Fund

 

RI Inter-

mediate
Municipal
Bond

Fund

 

CA
Tax
Exempt
Fund

 

CT Tax
Exempt
Fund

 

MA
Tax
Exempt
Fund

 

NY
Tax
Exempt
Fund

Asset-Backed Securities

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Bank Obligations (Domestic and Foreign)

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Common Stock

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Corporate Debt Securities

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Derivatives

                   

Index or Linked Securities (Structured Products)

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Stock Options and Stock Index Options

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Swap Agreements

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

 

10


Table of Contents

Investment Type

 

Inter-

mediate
Municipal
Bond

Fund

 

CT Inter-

mediate
Municipal
Bond

Fund

 

MA
Inter-

mediate
Municipal
Bond

Fund

 

NJ Inter-

mediate
Municipal
Bond

Fund

 

NY Inter-

mediate
Municipal
Bond

Fund

 

RI Inter-

mediate
Municipal
Bond

Fund

 

CA
Tax
Exempt
Fund

 

CT Tax
Exempt
Fund

 

MA
Tax
Exempt
Fund

 

NY
Tax
Exempt
Fund

Dollar Rolls

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Foreign Currency Transactions

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü        

Foreign Securities

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü        

Guaranteed Investment Contracts

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü        

Illiquid Securities

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Investments in Other Investment Companies

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Money Market Instruments

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Mortgage-Backed Securities

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Municipal Securities

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Repurchase Agreements

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü        

Standby Commitments

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Stripped Securities

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü        

U.S. Government and Related Obligations

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Variable- and Floating- Rate Obligations

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Warrants and Rights

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

When-Issued, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitment Transactions

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities

  ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü   ü

Asset-Backed Securities

Asset-backed securities represent interests in, or debt instruments that are backed by, pools of various types of assets that generate cash payments generally over fixed periods of time. Such securities entitle the security holders to receive distributions that are tied to the payments made on the underlying assets (less fees paid to the originator, servicer, or other parties, and fees paid for credit enhancement), so that the payments made on the underlying assets effectively pass through to such security holders. Asset-backed securities typically are created by an originator of loans or owner of accounts receivable that sells such underlying assets to a special purpose entity in a process called a securitization. The special purpose entity issues securities that are backed by the

 

11


Table of Contents

payments on the underlying assets, and have a minimum denomination and specific term. Asset-backed securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Permissible Fund Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, Permissible Fund Investments — Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and Permissible Fund Investments — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.

Investing in asset-backed securities is subject to certain risks. For example, the value of asset-backed securities may be affected by, among other factors, changes in: interest rates, the market’s assessment of the quality of underlying assets, the creditworthiness of the servicer for the underlying assets, information concerning the originator of the underlying assets, or the creditworthiness or rating of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds, derivative instruments, or other credit enhancement. The value of asset-backed securities also will be affected by the exhaustion, termination or expiration of any credit enhancement.

Declining or low interest rates may lead to a more rapid rate of repayment on the underlying assets, resulting in accelerated payments on asset-backed securities that then would be reinvested at a lesser rate of interest. Rising or high interest rates tend to lead to a slower rate of repayment on the underlying assets, resulting in slower than expected payments on asset-backed securities that can, in turn, lead to a decline in value. The impact of changing interest rates on the value of asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and result in greater volatility. Holders of asset-backed securities generally have no recourse against the originator of the underlying assets in the event of a default on the underlying assets. Credit risk reflects the risk that a holder of asset-backed securities, backed by pools of receivables such as mortgage loans, may not receive all or part of its principal because the issuer, any credit enhancer and/or an underlying obligor has defaulted on its obligations. Credit risk is increased for asset-backed securities that are subordinated to another security (i.e., if the holder of an asset-backed security is entitled to receive payments only after payment obligations to holders of the other security are satisfied). The more deeply subordinated the security, the greater the credit risk associated with the security will be.

Bank Obligations (Domestic and Foreign)

Bank obligations include certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, time deposits and promissory notes that earn a specified rate of return and may be issued by (i) a domestic branch of a domestic bank, (ii) a foreign branch of a domestic bank, (iii) a domestic branch of a foreign bank or (iv) a foreign branch of a foreign bank. Bank obligations may be structured as fixed -, variable - or floating rate obligations. See Permissible Fund Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations for more information.

Certificates of deposit, or so-called CDs, typically are interest-bearing debt instruments issued by banks and have maturities ranging from a few weeks to several years. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on and accepted by banks, are a customary means of effecting payment for merchandise sold in import-export transactions and a general source of financing. Yankee dollar certificates of deposit are negotiable CDs issued in the United States by branches and agencies of foreign banks. Eurodollar certificates of deposit are CDs issued by foreign (mainly European) banks with interest and principal paid in U.S. dollars. Such CDs typically have maturities of less than two years and have interest rates that typically are pegged to the London Interbank Offered Rate or LIBOR. A time deposit can be either a savings account or CD that is an obligation of a financial institution for a fixed term. Typically, there are penalties for early withdrawals of time deposits. Promissory notes are written commitments of the maker to pay the payee a specified sum of money either on demand or at a fixed or determinable future date, with or without interest.

Bank investment contracts are issued by banks. Pursuant to such contracts, a Fund may make cash contributions to a deposit fund of a bank. The bank then credits to the Fund payments at floating or fixed interest rates. A Fund also may hold funds on deposit with its custodian for temporary purposes.

 

12


Table of Contents

Investing in bank obligations is subject to certain risks. Certain bank obligations, such as some CDs, are insured by the FDIC up to certain specified limits. Many other bank obligations, however, are neither guaranteed nor insured by the FDIC or the U.S. Government. These bank obligations are “backed” only by the creditworthiness of the issuing bank or parent financial institution. Domestic and foreign banks are subject to different governmental regulation. Accordingly, certain obligations of foreign banks, including Eurodollar and Yankee dollar obligations, involve different investment risks than those affecting obligations of domestic banks, including, among others, the possibilities that: (i) their liquidity could be impaired because of political or economic developments; (ii) the obligations may be less marketable than comparable obligations of domestic banks; (iii) a foreign jurisdiction might impose withholding and other taxes at high levels on interest income; (iv) foreign deposits may be seized or nationalized; (v) foreign governmental restrictions such as exchange controls may be imposed, which could adversely affect the payment of principal or interest on those obligations; (vi) there may be less publicly available information concerning foreign banks issuing the obligations; and (vii) the reserve requirements and accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements applicable to foreign banks may differ from those applicable to domestic banks. Foreign banks generally are not subject to examination by any U.S. Government agency or instrumentality.

Common Stock

Common stock represents a unit of equity ownership of a corporation. Owners typically are entitled to vote on the selection of directors and other important corporate governance matters, and to receive dividend payments, if any, on their holdings. However, ownership of common stock does not entitle owners to participate in the day-to-day operations of the corporation. Common stocks of domestic and foreign public corporations can be listed, and their shares traded, on domestic stock exchanges, such as the NYSE or the NASDAQ Stock Market. Domestic and foreign corporations also may have their shares traded on foreign exchanges, such as the London Stock Exchange or Tokyo Stock Exchange. Common stock may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Permissible Fund Investments — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.

Investing in common stocks is subject to certain risks. Stock market risk, for example, is the risk that the value of such stocks, like the broader stock markets, may decline over short or even extended periods of time, perhaps substantially or unexpectedly. Domestic and foreign stock markets tend to be cyclical, with periods when stock prices generally rise and periods when stock prices generally decline. The value of individual stocks will rise and fall based on factors specific to each company, such as changes in earnings or management, as well as general economic and market factors.

If a corporation is liquidated, the claims of secured and unsecured creditors and owners of debt securities and “preferred” stock take priority over the claims of those who own common stock.

Investing in common stocks also poses risks applicable to the particular type of company issuing the common stock. For example, stocks of smaller companies tend to have greater price swings than stocks of larger companies because, among other things, they trade less frequently and in lower volumes, are more susceptible to changes in economic conditions, may be more reliant on singular products or services and are more vulnerable to larger competitors. Common stocks of these types of companies may have a higher potential for gains, but also may be subject to greater risk of loss.

Investing in common stocks also poses risks applicable to a particular industry, such as technology, financial services, consumer goods or natural resources (e.g., oil and gas). To some extent, the prices of common stocks tend to move by industry sector. When market conditions favorably affect, or are expected favorably to affect, an industry, the share prices of the common stocks of companies in that industry tend to rise. Conversely, negative news or a poor outlook for a particular industry can cause the share prices of the common stocks of companies in that industry to decline quickly.

 

13


Table of Contents

Convertible Securities

Convertible securities include bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio or predetermined price (the conversion price). As such, convertible securities combine the investment characteristics of debt securities and equity securities. A holder of convertible securities is entitled to receive the income of a bond, debenture or note or the dividend of a preferred stock until the conversion privilege is exercised. The market value of convertible securities generally is a function of, among other factors, interest rates, the rates of return of similar nonconvertible securities and the financial strength of the issuer. The market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates rise and, conversely, to rise as interest rates decline. However, a convertible security’s market value tends to reflect the market price of the common stock of the issuing company when that stock price approaches or is greater than its conversion price. As the market price of the underlying common stock declines, the price of the convertible security tends to be influenced more by the rate of return of the convertible security. Because both interest rate and market movements can influence their value, convertible securities generally are not as sensitive to changes in interest rates as similar debt securities nor generally are they as sensitive to changes in share price as their underlying common stock. Convertible securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Permissible Fund Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, Permissible Fund Investments — Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and Permissible Fund Investments — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.

Investing in convertible securities is subject to certain risks. Certain convertible securities, particularly securities that are convertible into securities of an issuer other than the issuer of the convertible security, may be illiquid and, therefore, may be more difficult to resell in a timely fashion or for a fair price, which could result in investment losses. Certain convertible securities may have a mandatory conversion feature, pursuant to which the securities convert automatically into common stock or other equity securities (of the same or a different issuer) at a specified date and a specified exchange ratio. Certain convertible securities may be convertible at the option of the issuer, which may require a holder to convert the security into the underlying common stock, even at times when the value of the underlying common stock or other equity security has declined substantially.

In addition, some convertible securities may be rated below investment grade or may not be rated and, therefore, may be considered speculative investments. Companies that issue convertible securities frequently are small- and mid-capitalization companies and, accordingly, carry the risks associated with such companies. In addition, the credit rating of a company’s convertible securities generally is lower than that of its conventional debt securities. Convertible securities are senior to equity securities and have a claim to the assets of an issuer prior to the holders of the issuer’s common stock in the event of liquidation but generally are subordinate to similar non-convertible debt securities of the same issuer. Some convertible securities are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates when their predetermined conversion price is much higher than the price for the issuing company’s common stock.

Corporate Debt Securities

Corporate debt securities are fixed income securities typically issued by businesses to finance their operations. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities, with the primary difference being their interest rates, maturity dates and secured or unsecured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and usually is unsecured. The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by domestic or foreign companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. The category also includes bank loans, as well as assignments, participations and other interests in bank loans. Corporate debt securities may be rated investment grade or below investment grade and may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Permissible Fund Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, Permissible Fund Investments — Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and Permissible Fund Investments — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.

 

14


Table of Contents

Extendible commercial notes (ECNs) are very similar to commercial paper except that with ECNs, the issuer has the option to extend the notes’ maturity. ECNs are issued at a discount rate, with an initial redemption of not more than 90 days from the date of issue. If ECNs are not redeemed by the issuer on the initial redemption date, the issuer will pay a premium (step-up) rate based on the ECN’s credit rating at the time.

Because of the wide range of types and maturities of corporate debt securities, as well as the range of creditworthiness of issuers, corporate debt securities can have widely varying risk/return profiles. For example, commercial paper issued by a large established domestic corporation that is rated by an NRSRO as investment grade may have a relatively modest return on principal but present relatively limited risk. On the other hand, a long-term corporate note issued, for example, by a small foreign corporation from an emerging market country that has not been rated by an NRSRO may have the potential for relatively large returns on principal but carries a relatively high degree of risk.

Investing in corporate debt securities is subject to certain risks including, among others, credit and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that a Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it becomes due. Some corporate debt securities that are rated below investment grade by an NRSRO generally are considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher quality debt securities. The credit risk of a particular issuer’s debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than and, therefore, may be paid in full before, lower ranking (subordinated) securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than do corporate debt securities with shorter terms.

Derivatives

General

Derivatives are financial instruments whose values are based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or a bond), assets (such as a commodity, like gold), reference rates (such as LIBOR) or market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index). Some forms of derivatives, such as exchange-traded futures and options on securities, commodities, or indices, are traded on regulated exchanges. These types of derivatives are standardized contracts that can easily be bought and sold, and whose market values are determined and published daily. Non-standardized derivatives, on the other hand, tend to be more specialized or complex, and may be harder to value. Derivatives afford leverage and, when used properly, can enhance returns and be useful in hedging portfolios. Some common types of derivatives include futures; options; options on futures; forward foreign currency exchange contracts; forward contracts on securities and securities indices; linked securities and structured products; CMOs; stripped securities; warrants; swap agreements and swaptions.

A Fund may use derivatives for a variety of reasons, including, for example: (i) to enhance its return; (ii) to attempt to protect against possible changes in the market value of securities held in or to be purchased for its portfolio resulting from securities markets or currency exchange rate fluctuations (i.e., to hedge); (iii) to protect its unrealized gains reflected in the value of its portfolio securities; (iv) to facilitate the sale of such securities for investment purposes; (v) to reduce transaction costs; and/or (vi) to manage the effective maturity or duration of its portfolio.

A Fund’s use of derivatives presents risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in traditional securities. The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying security, asset, index or reference rate, which may be magnified by certain features of the derivatives. These risks are heightened when a Fund uses derivatives to enhance its return or as a substitute for a position or security, rather than solely to hedge or offset the risk of a

 

15


Table of Contents

position or security held by a Fund. There is also a risk that the derivative will not correlate well with the security for which it is substituting. A Fund’s use of derivatives to leverage risk also may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing a Fund to lose more money than if it had invested in the underlying security, or limit a potential gain.

The success of management’s derivative strategies will depend on its ability to assess and predict the impact of market or economic developments on the underlying security, asset, index or reference rate and the derivative itself, without necessarily the benefit of observing the performance of the derivative under all possible market conditions. Other risks arise from a Fund’s potential inability to terminate or sell its derivative positions as a liquid secondary market for such positions may not exist at times when a Fund may wish to terminate or sell them. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid. Derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. Also, with some derivative strategies there is the risk that a Fund may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to invest in derivatives altogether. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount and accelerate the timing of taxes payable by shareholders.

A Fund may use any or all of the above investment techniques and may purchase different types of derivative instruments at any time and in any combination. There is no particular strategy that dictates the use of one technique over another, as the use of derivatives is a function of numerous variables, including market conditions.

Index or Linked Securities (Structured Products)

General. Indexed or linked securities, also often referred to as “structured products,” are instruments that may have varying combinations of equity and debt characteristics. These instruments are structured to recast the investment characteristics of the underlying security or reference asset. If the issuer is a unit investment trust or other special purpose vehicle, the structuring will typically involve the deposit with or purchase by such issuer of specified instruments (such as commercial bank loans or securities) and/or the execution of various derivative transactions, and the issuance by that entity of one or more classes of securities (structured securities) backed by, or representing interests in, the underlying instruments. The cash flow on the underlying instruments may be apportioned among the newly issued structured securities to create securities with different investment characteristics, such as varying maturities, payment priorities and interest rate provisions, and the extent of such payments made with respect to structured securities is dependent on the extent of the cash flow on the underlying instruments.

Indexed and Inverse Floating Rate Securities. A Fund may invest in securities that provide a potential return based on a particular index of value or interest rates. For example, a Fund may invest in securities that pay interest based on an index of interest rates. The principal amount payable upon maturity of certain securities also may be based on the value of the index. To the extent a Fund invests in these types of securities, a Fund’s return on such securities will rise and fall with the value of the particular index: that is, if the value of the index falls, the value of the indexed securities owned by a Fund will fall. Interest and principal payable on certain securities may also be based on relative changes among particular indices.

A Fund may also invest in so-called “inverse floaters” or “residual interest bonds” on which the interest rates vary inversely with a floating rate (which may be reset periodically by a dutch auction, a remarketing agent, or by reference to a short-term tax-exempt interest rate index). A Fund may purchase synthetically-created inverse floating rate bonds evidenced by custodial or trust receipts. Generally, income on inverse floating rate bonds will decrease when interest rates increase, and will increase when interest rates decrease. Such securities have the effect of providing a degree of investment leverage, since they may increase or decrease in value in response to changes, as an illustration, in market interest rates at a rate that is a multiple of the rate at which fixed-rate securities increase or decrease in response to such changes. As a result, the market values of such securities will generally be more volatile than the market values of fixed-rate securities. To seek to limit the volatility of these securities, a Fund may purchase inverse floating obligations that have shorter-term maturities

 

16


Table of Contents

or that contain limitations on the extent to which the interest rate may vary. Certain investments in such obligations may be illiquid. A Fund may invest in indexed and inverse securities for hedging purposes or to seek to increase returns. When used for hedging purposes, indexed and inverse securities involve correlation risk. Furthermore, where such a security includes a contingent liability, in the event of an adverse movement in the underlying index or interest rate, a Fund may be required to pay substantial additional margin to maintain the position.

Credit Linked Securities. Among the income producing securities in which a Fund may invest are credit linked securities. The issuers of these securities frequently are limited purpose trusts or other special purpose vehicles that, in turn, invest in a derivative instrument or basket of derivative instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and other securities, in order to provide exposure to certain fixed income markets. For instance, a Fund may invest in credit linked securities as a cash management tool in order to gain exposure to a certain market and/or to remain fully invested when more traditional income producing securities are not available.

Like an investment in a bond, investments in these credit linked securities represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the security. However, these payments are conditioned on or linked to the issuer’s receipt of payments from, and the issuer’s potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the issuer invests. For instance, the issuer may sell one or more credit default swaps, under which the issuer would receive a stream of payments over the term of the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default occurs, the stream of payments may stop and the issuer would be obligated to pay the counterparty the par (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced debt obligation. This, in turn, would reduce the amount of income and/or principal that a Fund would receive. A Fund’s investments in these instruments are indirectly subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments, including, among others, credit risk, default or similar event risk, counterparty risk, interest rate risk, leverage risk and management risk. These securities generally are exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the securities and they may constitute illiquid investments.

Index-, Commodity-, Currency- and Equity-Linked Securities. “Index-linked” or “commodity-linked” notes are debt securities of companies that call for interest payments and/or payment at maturity in different terms than the typical note where the borrower agrees to make fixed interest payments and to pay a fixed sum at maturity. Principal and/or interest payments on an index-linked or commodity-linked note depend on the performance of one or more market indices, such as the S&P 500® Index, a weighted index of commodity futures such as crude oil, gasoline and natural gas or the market prices of a particular commodity or basket of commodities. Equity- linked securities are short-term or intermediate term instruments having a value at maturity and/or interest rate determined by reference to the market prices of one or more equity securities. At maturity, the principal amount of an equity-linked debt security is often exchanged for common stock of the issuer or is payable in an amount based on the issuer’s common stock price at the time of maturity. Currency-linked debt securities are short-term or intermediate-term instruments having a value at maturity, and/or an interest rate, determined by reference to one or more foreign currencies. Payment of principal or periodic interest may be calculated as a multiple of the movement of one currency against another currency, or against an index.

Index, commodity, currency and equity-linked securities may entail substantial risks. Such instruments may be subject to significant price volatility. The company issuing the instrument may fail to pay the amount due on maturity. The underlying investment or security may not perform as expected by the Advisor. Markets, underlying securities and indexes may move in a direction that was not anticipated by the Advisor. Performance of the derivatives may be influenced by interest rate and other market changes in the United States and abroad, and certain derivative instruments may be illiquid.

 

17


Table of Contents

Linked securities are often issued by unit investment trusts. Examples of this include such index-linked securities as S&P Depositary Receipts (SPDRs), which is an interest in a unit investment trust holding a portfolio of securities linked to the S&P 500® Index, and a type of exchange-traded fund (ETF). Because a unit investment trust is an investment company under the 1940 Act, a Fund’s investments in SPDRs are subject to the limitations set forth in Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act. SPDRs closely track the underlying portfolio of securities, trade like a share of common stock and pay periodic dividends proportionate to those paid by the portfolio of stocks that comprise the S&P 500® Index. As a holder of interests in a unit investment trust, a Fund would indirectly bear its ratable share of that unit investment trust’s expenses. At the same time, a Fund would continue to pay its own management and advisory fees and other expenses, as a result of which a Fund and its shareholders in effect would be absorbing levels of fees with respect to investments in such unit investment trusts.

Equity-linked securities include issues such as Structured Yield Product Exchangeable for Stock (STRYPES), Trust Automatic Common Exchange Securities (TRACES), Trust Issued Mandatory Exchange Securities (TIMES), and Trust Enhanced Dividend Securities (TRENDS). The issuers of these equity-linked securities generally purchase and hold a portfolio of stripped U.S. Treasury securities maturing on a quarterly basis through the conversion date, and a forward purchase contract with an existing shareholder of the company relating to the common stock. Quarterly distributions on such equity-linked securities generally consist of the cash received from the U.S. Treasury securities and such equity-linked securities generally are not entitled to any dividends that may be declared on the common stock.

Investing in structured products and linked securities is subject to certain risks. Because structured products typically involve no credit enhancement, their credit risk generally will be equivalent to that of the underlying instruments. Investments in structured products may be structured as a class that is either subordinated or unsubordinated to the right of payment of another class. Subordinated structured products typically have higher rates of return and present greater risks than unsubordinated structured products. Structured products sometimes are sold in private placement transactions and often have a limited trading market.

Investments in “linked” securities have the potential to lead to significant losses because of unexpected movements in the underlying financial asset, index, currency or other investment. The ability of a Fund to utilize linked-securities successfully will depend on its ability correctly to predict pertinent market movements, which cannot be assured. Because currency-linked securities usually relate to foreign currencies, some of which may be currencies from emerging market countries, there are certain additional risks associated with such investments.

SPDRs are subject to the risks of an investment in a broadly based portfolio of common stocks, including the risk that the general level of stock prices may decline, thereby adversely affecting the value of such investment. In addition, because individual investments in SPDRs are not redeemable, except upon termination of the unit investment trust, the liquidity of small holdings of SPDRs will depend upon the existence of a secondary market. Large holdings of SPDRs are called “creation unit size” and are redeemable in-kind only and are not redeemable for cash from the unit investment trust. The price of a SPDR is derived from and based upon the securities held by the unit investment trust. Accordingly, the level of risk involved in the purchase or sale of a SPDR is similar to the risk involved in the purchase or sale of traditional common stock, with the exception that the pricing mechanism for SPDRs is based on a basket of stocks. Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying SPDRs purchased or sold by a Fund could result in losses on SPDRs.

Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts

Futures Contracts. A futures contract sale creates an obligation by the seller to deliver the type of security or other asset called for in the contract at a specified delivery time for a stated price. A futures contract purchase creates an obligation by the purchaser to take delivery of the type of security or other asset called for in the contract at a specified delivery time for a stated price. The specific security or other asset delivered or taken at the settlement date is not determined until on or near that date. The determination is made in accordance with the rules of the exchange on which the futures contract was made. A Fund may enter into futures contracts which

 

18


Table of Contents

are traded on national or foreign futures exchanges and are standardized as to maturity date and underlying security or other asset. Futures exchanges and trading in the United States are regulated under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a U.S. Government agency.

Traders in futures contracts may be broadly classified as either “hedgers” or “speculators.” Hedgers use the futures markets primarily to offset unfavorable changes (anticipated or potential) in the value of securities or other assets currently owned or expected to be acquired by them. Speculators less often own the securities or other assets underlying the futures contracts which they trade, and generally use futures contracts with the expectation of realizing profits from fluctuations in the value of the underlying securities or other assets. Pursuant to a notice of eligibility claiming exclusion from the definition of commodity pool operator filed with the CFTC and the National Futures Association on behalf of the Funds, neither the Trust nor any of the individual Funds is deemed to be a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA, and, accordingly, they are not subject to registration or regulation as such under the CEA.

Upon entering into futures contracts, in compliance with the SEC’s requirements, cash or liquid securities, equal in value to the amount of a Fund’s obligation under the contract (less any applicable margin deposits and any assets that constitute “cover” for such obligation), will be segregated with a Fund’s custodian.

Unlike when a Fund purchases or sells a security, no price is paid or received by a Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract, although a Fund is required to deposit with its custodian in a segregated account in the name of the futures broker an amount of cash and/or U.S. Government securities in order to initiate and maintain open positions in futures contracts. This amount is known as “initial margin.” The nature of initial margin in futures transactions is different from that of margin in security transactions, in that futures contract margin does not involve the borrowing of funds by a Fund to finance the transactions. Rather, initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit intended to assure completion of the contract (delivery or acceptance of the underlying security or other asset) that is returned to a Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Minimum initial margin requirements are established by the relevant futures exchange and may be changed. Brokers may establish deposit requirements which are higher than the exchange minimums. Futures contracts are customarily purchased and sold on margin which may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded. Subsequent payments, called “variation margin,” to and from the broker (or the custodian) are made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying security or other asset fluctuates, a process known as “marking to market.” If the futures contract price changes to the extent that the margin on deposit does not satisfy margin requirements, payment of additional variation margin will be required. Conversely, a change in the contract value may reduce the required margin, resulting in a repayment of excess margin to the contract holder. Variation margin payments are made for as long as the contract remains open. A Fund expects to earn interest income on its margin deposits.

Although futures contracts by their terms call for actual delivery or acceptance of securities or other assets (stock index futures contracts or futures contracts that reference other intangible assets do not permit delivery of the referenced assets), the contracts usually are closed out before the settlement date without the making or taking of delivery. A Fund may elect to close some or all of its futures positions at any time prior to their expiration. The purpose of taking such action would be to reduce or eliminate the position then currently held by a Fund. Closing out an open futures position is done by taking an opposite position (“buying” a contract which has previously been “sold,” “selling” a contract previously “purchased”) in an identical contract (i.e., the same aggregate amount of the specific type of security or other asset with the same delivery date) to terminate the position. Final determinations are made as to whether the price of the initial sale of the futures contract exceeds or is below the price of the offsetting purchase, or whether the purchase price exceeds or is below the offsetting sale price. Final determinations of variation margin are then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to a Fund, and a Fund realizes a loss or a gain. Brokerage commissions are incurred when a futures contract is bought or sold.

 

19


Table of Contents

Successful use of futures contracts by a Fund is subject to the Advisor’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of interest rates and other factors affecting securities and commodities markets. This requires different skills and techniques than those required to predict changes in the prices of individual securities. A Fund, therefore, bears the risk that future market trends will be incorrectly predicted.

The risk of loss in trading futures contracts in some strategies can be substantial, due both to the relatively low margin deposits required and the potential for an extremely high degree of leverage involved in futures contracts. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in an immediate and substantial loss to the investor. For example, if at the time of purchase, 10% of the value of the futures contract is deposited as margin, a subsequent 10% decrease in the value of the futures contract would result in a total loss of the margin deposit, before any deduction for the transaction costs, if the account were then closed out. A 15% decrease would result in a loss equal to 150% of the original margin deposit if the contract were closed out. Thus, a purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses in excess of the amount posted as initial margin for the contract.

In the event of adverse price movements, a Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments in order to maintain its required margin. In such a situation, if a Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities in order to meet daily margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. The inability to close the futures position also could have an adverse impact on the ability to hedge effectively.

To reduce or eliminate a hedge position held by a Fund, a Fund may seek to close out a position. The ability to establish and close out positions will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. It is not certain that this market will develop or continue to exist for a particular futures contract, which may limit a Fund’s ability to realize its profits or limit its losses. Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain contracts; (ii) restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions, closing transactions or both; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of contracts, or underlying securities; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances, such as volume in excess of trading or clearing capability, may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or a clearing corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of contracts (or a particular class or series of contracts), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in the class or series of contracts) would cease to exist, although outstanding contracts on the exchange that had been issued by a clearing corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

Interest Rate Futures Contracts. Bond prices are established in both the cash market and the futures market. In the cash market, bonds are purchased and sold with payment for the full purchase price of the bond being made in cash, generally within five business days after the trade. In the futures market, a contract is made to purchase or sell a bond in the future for a set price on a certain date. Historically, the prices for bonds established in the futures markets have tended to move generally in the aggregate in concert with the cash market prices and have maintained fairly predictable relationships. Accordingly, a Fund may use interest rate futures contracts as a defense, or hedge, against anticipated interest rate changes. A Fund presently could accomplish a similar result to that which it hopes to achieve through the use of interest rate futures contracts by selling bonds with long maturities and investing in bonds with short maturities when interest rates are expected to increase, or conversely, selling bonds with short maturities and investing in bonds with long maturities when interest rates are expected to decline. However, because of the liquidity that is often available in the futures market, the protection is more likely to be achieved, perhaps at a lower cost and without changing the rate of interest being earned by a Fund, through using futures contracts.

 

20


Table of Contents

Interest rate futures contracts are traded in an auction environment on the floors of several exchanges— principally, the Chicago Board of Trade, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the New York Futures Exchange. Each exchange guarantees performance under contract provisions through a clearing corporation, a nonprofit organization managed by the exchange membership. A public market exists in futures contracts covering various financial instruments including long-term U.S. Treasury Bonds and Notes; GNMA modified pass-through mortgage backed securities; three-month U.S. Treasury Bills; and ninety-day commercial paper. A Fund may also invest in exchange-traded Eurodollar contracts, which are interest rate futures on the forward level of LIBOR. These contracts are generally considered liquid securities and trade on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Such Eurodollar contracts are generally used to “lock-in” or hedge the future level of short-term rates. A Fund may trade in any interest rate futures contracts for which there exists a public market, including, without limitation, the foregoing instruments.

Index Futures Contracts. An index futures contract is a contract to buy or sell units of an index at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. Entering into a contract to buy units of an index is commonly referred to as buying or purchasing a contract or holding a long position in the index. Entering into a contract to sell units of an index is commonly referred to as selling a contract or holding a short position in the index. A unit is the current value of the index. A Fund may enter into stock index futures contracts, debt index futures contracts, or other index futures contracts appropriate to its objective(s).

There are several risks in connection with the use by a Fund of index futures as a hedging device. One risk arises because of the imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the index futures and movements in the prices of securities which are the subject of the hedges. The Advisor will attempt to reduce this risk by selling, to the extent possible, futures on indices the movements of which will, in its judgment, have a significant correlation with movements in the prices of a Fund’s portfolio securities sought to be hedged.

Municipal Bond Index Futures Contracts. Municipal bond index futures contracts may act as a hedge against changes in market conditions. A municipal bond index assigns values daily to the municipal bonds included in the index based on the independent assessment of dealer-to-dealer municipal bond brokers. A municipal bond index futures contract represents a firm commitment by which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount equal to a specified dollar amount multiplied by the difference between the municipal bond index value on the last trading date of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is originally struck. No physical delivery of the underlying securities in the index is made.

Options on Futures Contracts. A Fund may purchase and write call and put options on those futures contracts that it is permitted to buy or sell. A Fund may use such options on futures contracts in lieu of writing options directly on the underlying securities or other assets or purchasing and selling the underlying futures contracts. Such options generally operate in the same manner as options purchased or written directly on the underlying investments. A futures option gives the holder, in return for the premium paid, the right to buy from (call) or sell to (put) the writer of the option a futures contract at a specified price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise, the writer of the option is obligated to pay the difference between the cash value of the futures contract and the exercise price. Like the buyer or seller of a futures contract, the holder or writer of an option has the right to terminate its position prior to the scheduled expiration of the option by selling or purchasing an option of the same series, at which time the person entering into the closing purchase transaction will realize a gain or loss. There is no guarantee that such closing purchase transactions can be effected.

A Fund will enter into written options on futures contracts only when, in compliance with the SEC’s requirements, cash or liquid securities equal in value to the underlying security’s or other asset’s value (less any applicable margin deposits) have been deposited in a segregated account. A Fund will be required to deposit initial margin and maintenance margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it pursuant to brokers’ requirements similar to those described above.

 

21


Table of Contents

Investments in futures options involve some of the same risks that are involved in connection with investments in futures contracts (for example, the existence of a liquid secondary market). In addition, the purchase of an option also entails the risk that changes in the value of the underlying futures contract will not be fully reflected in the value of the option purchased. There may be circumstances when the purchase of a call or put option on a futures contract would result in a loss to a Fund when the purchase or sale of a futures contract would not, such as when there is no movement in the prices of the hedged investments. In general, the market prices of options can be expected to be more volatile than the market prices on the underlying futures contracts. Compared to the purchase or sale of futures contracts, however, the purchase of call or put options on futures contracts may frequently involve less potential risk to a Fund because the maximum amount at risk is the premium paid for the options (plus transaction costs).

Successful use of index futures by a Fund is also subject to the Advisor’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the market. It is possible that, for example, where a Fund has sold futures to hedge its portfolio against a decline in the market, the index on which the futures are written may advance and the value of securities held in a Fund’s portfolio may decline. If this occurred, a Fund would lose money on the futures and also experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, as a Fund’s ability to effectively hedge all or a portion of the securities in its portfolio, in anticipation of or during a market decline, through transactions in futures or put options on stock indices, depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying index correlate with the price movements of the securities held by a Fund. Inasmuch as a Fund’s securities will not duplicate the components of an index, the correlation will not be perfect. Consequently, a Fund bears the risk that the prices of its securities being hedged will not move to the same extent as do the prices of its put options on the stock indices. It is also possible that, if a Fund has hedged against the possibility of a decline in the market adversely affecting securities held in its portfolio and securities prices increase instead, a Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased values of those securities that it has hedged, because it will have offsetting losses in its futures positions. In addition, in such situations, if a Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities to meet daily variation margin requirements.

In addition to the possibility that there may be an imperfect correlation, or no correlation at all, between movements in the index futures and the securities of the portfolio being hedged, the prices of index futures may not correlate perfectly with movements in the underlying index due to certain market distortions. First, all participants in the futures markets are subject to margin deposit and maintenance requirements. Rather than meeting additional margin deposit requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions, which would distort the normal relationship between the index and futures markets. Second, margin requirements in the futures market are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities market, and as a result, the futures market may attract more speculators than the securities market. Increased participation by speculators in the futures market may also cause temporary price distortions. Due to the possibility of price distortions in the futures market, and also because of the imperfect correlation between movements in an index and movements in the prices of index futures, even a correct forecast of general market trends by the Advisor may still not result in a successful hedging transaction.

There is also the risk of loss by a Fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom a Fund has an open position in a futures contract or related option. Most futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in some contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and, therefore, does not limit potential losses, because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting some futures traders to substantial losses.

 

22


Table of Contents

Options on Index Futures Contracts. A Fund may also purchase and sell options on index futures contracts. Options on index futures give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in an index futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put), at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise of the option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer’s futures margin account, which represents the amount by which the market price of the index futures contract, at exercise, exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the index future. If an option is exercised on the last trading day prior to the expiration date of the option, the settlement will be made entirely in cash equal to the difference between the exercise price of the option and the closing level of the index on which the future is based on the expiration date. Purchasers of options who fail to exercise their options prior to the exercise date suffer a loss of the premium paid.

There are various risks in connection with the use by a Fund of index futures as a hedging device. For example, a risk arises because of the imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the index futures and movements in the prices of securities which are the subject of the hedges. The Advisor will attempt to reduce this risk by selling, to the extent possible, futures on indices the movements of which will, in its judgment, have a significant correlation with movements in the prices of a Fund’s portfolio securities sought to be hedged; there can be no assurance that the Advisor will be successful in doing so.

Use by Tax-Exempt Funds of Interest Rate and U.S. Treasury Security Futures Contracts and Options. If a Fund invests in tax-exempt securities, it may purchase and sell futures contracts and related options on interest rate and U.S. Treasury securities when, in the opinion of the Advisor, price movements in these security futures and related options will correlate closely with price movements in the tax-exempt securities which are the subject of the hedge. Interest rate and U.S. Treasury securities futures contracts require the seller to deliver, or the purchaser to take delivery of, the type of security called for in the contract at a specified date and price. Options on interest rate and U.S. Treasury security futures contracts give the purchaser the right in return for the premium paid to assume a position in a futures contract at the specified option exercise price at any time during the period of the option.

In addition to the risks generally involved in using futures contracts, there is also a risk that price movements in interest rate and U.S. Treasury security futures contracts and related options will not correlate closely with price movements in markets for tax-exempt securities.

Stock Options and Stock Index Options

A Fund may purchase and write (i.e., sell) put and call options. Such options may relate to particular stocks or stock indices, and may or may not be listed on a domestic or foreign securities exchange and may or may not be issued by the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC). Stock index options are put options and call options on various stock indices. In most respects, they are identical to listed options on common stocks.

There is a key difference between stock options and stock index options in connection with their exercise. In the case of stock options, the underlying security, common stock, is delivered. However, upon the exercise of an index option, settlement does not occur by delivery of the securities comprising the index. The option holder who exercises the index option receives an amount of cash if the closing level of the stock index upon which the option is based is greater than (in the case of a call) or less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the stock index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market value of the securities included in the index. For example, some stock index options are based on a broad market index, such as the S&P 500® Index or a narrower market index, such as the S&P 100 Index. Indices may also be based on an industry or market segment.

 

23


Table of Contents

The successful use of a Fund’s options strategies depends on the ability of the Advisor to forecast interest rate and market movements correctly. When it purchases an option, a Fund runs the risk that it will lose its entire investment in the option in a relatively short period of time, unless a Fund exercises the option or enters into a closing sale transaction for such option during the life of the option. If the price of the underlying security does not rise (in the case of a call) or fall (in the case of a put) to an extent sufficient to cover the option premium and transaction costs, a Fund will lose part or all of its investment in the option. This contrasts with an investment by a Fund in the underlying securities, since a Fund may continue to hold its investment in those securities notwithstanding the lack of a change in price of those securities.

The effective use of options also depends on a Fund’s ability to terminate option positions at times when the Advisor deems it desirable to do so. Although a Fund will take an option position only if the Advisor believes there is a liquid secondary market for the option, there is no assurance that a Fund will be able to effect closing transactions at any particular time or at an acceptable price.

If a secondary trading market in options were to become unavailable, a Fund could no longer engage in closing transactions. The writer in such circumstances would be subject to the risk of market decline or appreciation in the instrument during such period. If an option purchased by a Fund expires unexercised, a Fund will realize a loss equal to the premium paid. Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options, or underlying securities; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances, such as volume in excess of trading or clearing capability, may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or a clearing corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in the class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options on the exchange that had been issued by a clearing corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying options purchased or sold by a Fund could result in losses on the options. If trading is interrupted in an underlying security, the trading of options on that security is normally halted as well. As a result, a Fund as purchaser or writer of an option will be unable to close out its positions until options trading resumes, and it may be faced with losses if trading in the security reopens at a substantially different price. In addition, the OCC or other options markets may impose exercise restrictions. If a prohibition on exercise is imposed at a time when trading in the option has also been halted, a Fund as purchaser or writer of an option will be locked into its position until one of the two restrictions has been lifted. If a prohibition on exercise remains in effect until an option owned by a Fund has expired, a Fund could lose the entire value of its option.

Special risks are presented by internationally traded options. Because of time differences between the United States and various foreign countries, and because different holidays are observed in different countries, foreign options markets may be open for trading during hours or on days when U.S. markets are closed. As a result, option premiums may not reflect the current prices of the underlying interest in the United States.

Dealer (Over-the-Counter) Options. Dealer options are options negotiated individually through dealers rather than traded on an exchange. Certain risks are specific to dealer options. While a Fund might look to a clearing corporation to exercise exchange-traded options, if a Fund purchases a dealer option it must rely on the selling dealer to perform if a Fund exercises the option. Failure by the dealer to do so would result in the loss of the premium paid by a Fund as well as loss of the expected benefit of the transaction. Exchange-traded options generally have a continuous liquid market while dealer options more often may not. Consequently, a Fund can realize the value of a dealer option it has purchased only by exercising or reselling the option to the issuing

 

24


Table of Contents

dealer. Similarly, when a Fund writes a dealer option, a Fund can close out the option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the dealer. While each Fund seeks to enter into dealer options only with dealers who will agree to and can enter into closing transactions with a Fund, no assurance exists that a Fund will at any time be able to liquidate a dealer option at a favorable price at any time prior to expiration. Unless a Fund, as a covered dealer call option writer, can effect a closing purchase transaction, it will not be able to liquidate securities (or other assets) used as cover until the option expires or is exercised. In the event of insolvency of the other party, a Fund may be unable to liquidate a dealer option. With respect to options written by a Fund, the inability to enter into a closing transaction may result in material losses to a Fund. For example, because a Fund must maintain a secured position with respect to any call option on a security it writes, a Fund may not sell the assets that it has segregated to secure the position while it is obligated under the option. This requirement may impair a Fund’s ability to sell portfolio securities at a time when such sale might be advantageous.

A Fund generally will treat purchased dealer options as illiquid securities. A Fund may treat the cover used for written dealer options as liquid if the dealer agrees that a Fund may repurchase the dealer option it has written for a maximum price to be calculated by a predetermined formula. In such cases, the dealer option would be considered illiquid only to the extent the maximum purchase price under the formula exceeds the intrinsic value of the option.

Writing Covered Options. A Fund may write covered call options and covered put options on securities held in its portfolio when, in the opinion of the Advisor, such transactions are consistent with a Fund’s investment goal and policies. Call options written by a Fund give the purchaser the right to buy the underlying securities from a Fund at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the security’s market price; put options give the purchaser the right to sell the underlying securities to a Fund at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the security’s market price.

A Fund may write only covered options, which means that, so long as a Fund is obligated as the writer of a call option, it will own the underlying securities subject to the option (or comparable securities satisfying the cover requirements of securities exchanges). In the case of put options, a Fund will hold cash and/or high-grade short-term debt obligations equal to the price to be paid if the option is exercised. In addition, a Fund will be considered to have covered a put or call option if and to the extent that it holds an option that offsets some or all of the risk of the option it has written. A Fund may write combinations of covered puts and calls (straddles) on the same underlying security.

A Fund will receive a premium from writing a put or call option, which increases a Fund’s return on the underlying security if the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a profit. The amount of the premium reflects, among other things, the relationship between the exercise price and the current market value of the underlying security, the volatility of the underlying security, the amount of time remaining until expiration, current interest rates, and the effect of supply and demand in the options market and in the market for the underlying security. By writing a call option, a Fund limits its opportunity to profit from any increase in the market value of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option but continues to bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying security. By writing a put option, a Fund assumes the risk that it may be required to purchase the underlying security for an exercise price higher than the security’s then-current market value, resulting in a potential capital loss unless the security subsequently appreciates in value.

A Fund’s obligation to sell an instrument subject to a call option written by it, or to purchase an instrument subject to a put option written by it, may be terminated prior to the expiration date of the option by a Fund’s execution of a closing purchase transaction, which is effected by purchasing on an exchange an offsetting option of the same series (i.e., same underlying instrument, exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously written. A closing purchase transaction will ordinarily be effected in order to realize a profit on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying instrument from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying instrument or

 

25


Table of Contents

to permit the writing of a new option containing different terms on such underlying instrument. A Fund realizes a profit or loss from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the transaction (option premium plus transaction costs) is less or more than the premium received from writing the option. Because increases in the market price of a call option generally reflect increases in the market price of the security underlying the option, any loss resulting from a closing purchase transaction may be offset in whole or in part by unrealized appreciation of the underlying security.

If a Fund writes a call option but does not own the underlying security, and when it writes a put option, a Fund may be required to deposit cash or securities with its broker as “margin” or collateral for its obligation to buy or sell the underlying security. As the value of the underlying security varies, a Fund may also have to deposit additional margin with the broker. Margin requirements are complex and are fixed by individual brokers, subject to minimum requirements currently imposed by the Federal Reserve Board and by stock exchanges and other self-regulatory organizations.

Purchasing Put Options. A Fund may purchase put options to protect its portfolio holdings in an underlying security against a decline in market value. Such hedge protection is provided during the life of the put option since a Fund, as holder of the put option, is able to sell the underlying security at the put exercise price regardless of any decline in the underlying security’s market price. For a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. By using put options in this manner, a Fund will reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized from appreciation of the underlying security by the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs.

Purchasing Call Options. A Fund may purchase call options to hedge against an increase in the price of securities that a Fund wants ultimately to buy. Such hedge protection is provided during the life of the call option since a Fund, as holder of the call option, is able to buy the underlying security at the exercise price regardless of any increase in the underlying security’s market price. In order for a call option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must rise sufficiently above the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. These costs will reduce any profit a Fund might have realized had it bought the underlying security at the time it purchased the call option.

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Options. A Fund will enter into OTC options transactions only with primary dealers in U.S. Government securities and, in the case of OTC options written by a Fund, only pursuant to agreements that will assure that a Fund will at all times have the right to repurchase the option written by it from the dealer at a specified formula price. A Fund will treat the amount by which such formula price exceeds the amount, if any, by which the option may be “in-the-money” as an illiquid investment. It is the present policy of a Fund not to enter into any OTC option transaction if, as a result, more than 15% (10% in some cases, refer to a Fund’s prospectuses) of a Fund’s net assets would be invested in (i) illiquid investments (determined under the foregoing formula) relating to OTC options written by a Fund, (ii) OTC options purchased by a Fund, (iii) securities which are not readily marketable, and (iv) repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days.

Index Options. As an alternative to purchasing call and put options on index futures, a Fund may purchase call and put options on the underlying indices themselves. Such options could be used in a manner identical to the use of options on index futures. Options involving securities indices provide the holder with the right to make or receive a cash settlement upon exercise of the option based on movements in the relevant index. Such options must be listed on a national securities exchange and issued by the OCC. Such options may relate to various stock indices, except that a Fund may not write covered options on an index.

Foreign Stock Index Options. A Fund may, for the purpose of hedging its portfolio, subject to applicable securities regulations, purchase and write put and call options on foreign stock indices listed on foreign and domestic stock exchanges.

 

26


Table of Contents

Swap Agreements

Swap agreements are derivative instruments that can be individually negotiated and structured to include exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors. Depending on their structure, swap agreements may increase or decrease a Fund’s exposure to long- or short-term interest rates, foreign currency values, mortgage securities, corporate borrowing rates, or other factors such as security prices or inflation rates. A Fund may enter into a variety of swap agreements, including interest rate, index, commodity, equity, credit default and currency exchange rate swap agreements, and other types of swap agreements such as caps, collars and floors. A Fund also may enter into swaptions, which are options to enter into a swap agreement.

In a typical interest rate swap, one party agrees to make regular payments equal to a floating interest rate times a “notional principal amount,” in return for payments equal to a fixed rate times the same amount, for a specified period of time. If a swap agreement provides for payments in different currencies, the parties might agree to exchange notional principal amount as well. In a total return swap agreement, the non-floating rate side of the swap is based on the total return of an individual security, a basket of securities, an index or another reference asset. Swaps may also depend on other prices or rates, such as the value of an index or mortgage prepayment rates.

In a typical cap or floor agreement, one party agrees to make payments only under specified circumstances, usually in return for payment of a fee by the other party. For example, the buyer of an interest rate cap obtains the right to receive payments to the extent that a specified interest rate exceeds an agreed-upon level, while the seller of an interest rate floor is obligated to make payments to the extent that a specified interest rate falls below an agreed-upon level. Caps and floors have an effect similar to buying or writing options. A collar combines elements of buying a cap and selling a floor.

Swap agreements will tend to shift a Fund’s investment exposure from one type of investment to another. For example, if a Fund agreed to pay fixed rates in exchange for floating rates while holding fixed-rate bonds, the swap would tend to decrease a Fund’s exposure to long-term interest rates. Another example is if a Fund agreed to exchange payments in dollars for payments in foreign currency, the swap agreement would tend to decrease a Fund’s exposure to U.S. interest rates and increase its exposure to foreign currency and interest rates.

Swap agreements are sophisticated hedging instruments that typically involve a small investment of cash relative to the magnitude of risks assumed. As a result, swaps can be highly volatile and may have a considerable impact on a Fund’s performance. Depending on how they are used, swap agreements may increase or decrease the overall volatility of a Fund’s investments and its share price and yield. Additionally, whether a Fund’s use of swap agreements will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend on the Advisor’s ability correctly to predict whether certain types of investments likely are to produce greater returns than other investments. Because they are two party contracts and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid. Moreover, a Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. The most significant factor in the performance of swap agreements is the change in the specific interest rate, currency, or other factor that determines the amounts of payments due to and from a Fund. If a swap agreement calls for payments by a Fund, a Fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. In addition, if the counterparty’s creditworthiness declines, the value of a swap agreement likely would decline, potentially resulting in losses for a Fund. A Fund will closely monitor the credit of a swap agreement counterparty in order to attempt to minimize this risk. A Fund may also suffer losses if it is unable to terminate outstanding swap agreements (either by assignment or other disposition) or reduce its exposure through offsetting transactions (i.e., by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or a similarly creditworthy party).

Credit Default Swap Agreements. A Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements, which may have as reference obligations one or more securities or a basket of securities that are or are not currently held by a Fund. The protection “buyer” in a credit default contract is generally obligated to pay the protection “seller” an

 

27


Table of Contents

upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no credit event, such as a default, on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the “par value” (full notional value) of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. A Fund may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. If a Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, a Fund may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer generally may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity whose value may have significantly decreased. As a seller, a Fund generally receives an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. As the seller, a Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, a Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.

Credit default swap agreements may involve greater risks than if a Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly since, in addition to risks relating to the reference obligation, credit default swaps are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risk. A Fund will enter into credit default swap agreements generally with counterparties that meet certain standards of creditworthiness. A buyer generally will lose its investment and recover nothing if no credit event occurs and the swap is held to its termination date. If a credit event were to occur, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the seller, coupled with the upfront or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the seller.

Equity Swaps. A Fund may engage in equity swaps. Equity swaps allow the parties to the swap agreement to exchange components of return on one equity investment (e.g., a basket of equity securities or an index) for a component of return on another non-equity or equity investment, including an exchange of differential rates of return. Equity swaps may be used to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of securities in circumstances where direct investment may be restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise impractical. Equity swaps also may be used for other purposes, such as hedging or seeking to increase total return.

The values of equity swaps can be very volatile. To the extent that the Advisor does not accurately analyze and predict the potential relative fluctuation on the components swapped with the other party, a Fund may suffer a loss. The value of some components of an equity swap (such as the dividend on a common stock) may also be sensitive to changes in interest rates. Furthermore, during the period a swap is outstanding, a Fund may suffer a loss if the counterparty defaults.

Total Return Swap Agreements. Total return swap agreements are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in market value of the assets underlying the contract, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. Total return swap agreements may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or investing directly in such market. Total return swap agreements may effectively add leverage to a Fund’s portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, a Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.

Total return swap agreements are subject to the risk that a counterparty will default on its payment obligations to a Fund thereunder, and conversely, that a Fund will not be able to meet its obligation to the counterparty. Generally, a Fund will enter into total return swaps on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted against one another with a Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of a Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each total return swap will be accrued on a daily basis, and an amount of liquid assets having an aggregate net asset value at least equal to the accrued excess will be segregated by a Fund. If the total return swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of a Fund’s obligations will be accrued on a daily basis,

 

28


Table of Contents

and the full amount of a Fund’s obligations will be segregated by a Fund in an amount equal to or greater than the market value of the liabilities under the total return swap agreement or the amount it would have cost a Fund initially to make an equivalent direct investment, plus or minus any amount a Fund is obligated to pay or is to receive under the total return swap agreement.

Variance, Volatility and Correlation Swap Agreements. Variance and volatility swaps are contracts that provide exposure to increases or decreases in the volatility of certain referenced assets. Correlation swaps are contracts that provide exposure to increases or decreases in the correlation between the prices of different assets or different market rates.

Dollar Rolls

Dollar rolls involve selling securities (e.g., mortgage-backed securities or U.S. Treasury securities) and simultaneously entering into a commitment to purchase those or similar (same collateral type, coupon and maturity) securities on a specified future date and price. Mortgage dollar rolls and U.S. Treasury rolls are types of dollar rolls. A Fund foregoes principal and interest paid on the securities during the “roll” period. A Fund is compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the lower forward price for the future purchase of the securities as well as the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale.

Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities a Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price or that the transaction costs may exceed the return earned by a Fund from the transaction. Dollar rolls also involve risk to a Fund if the other party should default on its obligation and a Fund is delayed or prevented from completing the transaction. In the event that the buyer of securities under a dollar roll files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, a Fund’s use of proceeds of the dollar roll may be restricted pending a determination by the other party, or its trustee or receiver, whether to enforce a Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities. In addition, the security to be delivered in the future may turn out to be inferior to the security sold upon entering into the transaction.

Foreign Currency Transactions

Foreign currency transactions may be used to protect, to some extent, against uncertainty in the level of future currency exchange rates by establishing a fixed exchange rate. Foreign currency transactions may involve the purchase or sale of foreign currencies on a “spot” (cash) basis at the prevailing exchange rate or may involve “forward contracts” that allow a Fund to purchase or sell foreign currencies at a future date. Forward contracts may be used for “transaction hedging,” “position hedging” and “cross-hedging.” A Fund may use forward sale contracts to sell an amount of a foreign currency approximating the value of a Fund’s securities denominated in the foreign security when that foreign currency suffers a substantial decline against the U.S. dollar. A Fund may use forward purchase contracts to purchase a foreign currency when it is believed that the U.S. dollar may suffer a substantial decline against the foreign currency. Although these transactions tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, they also tend to limit any potential gain that might be realized if the value of the hedged currency increases.

Transaction hedging may allow a Fund to “lock in” the U.S. dollar price of a security it has agreed to purchase or sell, or the U.S. dollar equivalent of a dividend or interest rate payment in a foreign currency. A Fund may use transaction hedging to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the applicable foreign currency during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold, or on which the dividend or interest payment is declared, and the date on which such payments are made or received.

Position hedging may allow a Fund to protect against an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the applicable foreign currencies in which its portfolio securities are denominated. A Fund may use position hedging when it is believed that the U.S. dollar may suffer a decline against the foreign currency by entering into a forward purchase contract to purchase that foreign currency for a fixed dollar amount.

 

29


Table of Contents

Cross-hedging may allow a Fund to enter into a forward contract to sell a different foreign currency for a fixed U.S. dollar amount when it is believed that the U.S. dollar value of the currency to be sold pursuant to the forward contract will fall if there is a decline in the U.S. dollar value of the currency in which a Fund’s securities are denominated.

A Fund also may purchase exchange-listed and over-the-counter call and put options on foreign currencies and foreign currency contracts. Options on foreign currencies and foreign currency contracts give the holder a right to buy or sell the underlying foreign currencies or foreign currency contracts for a specified period of time and for a specified amount. The value of an option on foreign currencies or foreign currency contracts reflects the value of an exchange rate, which depends on the relative values of the U.S. dollar and the relevant foreign currency.

Engaging in foreign currency transactions is subject to certain risks. For example, if the value of a foreign currency were to decline against the U.S. dollar, such decline would reduce the dollar value of any securities held by a Fund denominated in that currency. It is impossible to forecast with precision the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration or maturity of a forward or futures contract, which may make it necessary for a Fund to purchase additional foreign currency on the spot market if the market value of the security being hedged is less than the amount of foreign currency a Fund is obligated to deliver at the time a Fund sells the security being hedged. The value of any currency, including the U.S. dollar, may be affected by political and economic factors applicable to the issuer’s country. The exchange rates of currencies also may be affected adversely by governmental actions. Transaction, position and cross-hedging do not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of securities that a Fund owns or intends to purchase or sell and may limit the amount of potential gain that might result from the increase in value of the currency being hedged. Settlement procedures relating to a Fund’s foreign currency transactions may be more complex than those relating to investments in securities of U.S. issuers.

Foreign Securities

Foreign securities include debt, equity and derivative securities that the Advisor determines are “foreign” based on the consideration of an issuer’s domicile, its principal place of business, its primary stock exchange listing, the source of its revenue or other factors. Foreign securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Permissible Fund Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, Permissible Fund Investments — Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and Permissible Fund Investments — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.

Foreign securities may include depositary receipts, such as American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs). ADRs are U.S. dollar- denominated receipts issued in registered form by a domestic bank or trust company that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign issuer. EDRs are foreign currency-denominated receipts issued in Europe, typically by foreign banks or trust companies and foreign branches of domestic banks, that evidence ownership of foreign or domestic securities. GDRs are receipts structured similarly to ADRs and EDRs and are marketed globally. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. In general, ADRs, in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs, in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world. A Fund may invest in depositary receipts through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the underlying security and a depositary, whereas a depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by the issuer of the deposited security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of such facilities and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute interest-holder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through voting rights to the holders of such receipts in respect of the deposited securities. The issuers of unsponsored

 

30


Table of Contents

depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States, and, therefore, there may be limited information available regarding such issuers and/or limited correlation between available information and the market value of the depositary receipts.

Investing in foreign securities is subject to certain risks. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Fluctuations in currency exchange rates also may impact the value of foreign securities denominated in foreign currencies or U.S. dollars, without a change in the intrinsic value of those securities. Additionally, the U.S. dollar value of a foreign security tends to decrease when the value of the U.S. dollar rises against the foreign currency in which the security is denominated and tends to increase when the value of the U.S. dollar falls against such currency. A Fund may attempt to minimize the risk from adverse changes in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies by purchasing and selling forward foreign currency exchange contracts and foreign currency futures contracts and related options. Foreign securities may be less liquid than domestic securities so that a Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial fees and other fees also are generally higher for foreign securities. A Fund may have limited legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain debt securities issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose potentially confiscatory withholding or other taxes, which would reduce a Fund’s return on these securities. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the notification of income; generally less publicly available information about companies; adverse impact of political, social or diplomatic events; possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets; possible imposition of currency exchange controls; and that foreign companies generally are not subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards comparable to those mandated for domestic companies.

Risks associated with investments in foreign securities are increased with respect to investments in emerging market countries. Political and economic structures in many emerging market countries, especially those in Eastern Europe, the Pacific Basin and the Far East, are undergoing significant evolutionary changes and rapid development, and may lack the social, political and economic stability of more developed countries. Investing in emerging market securities also involves risks beyond the risks applicable to foreign investments. For example, some emerging market countries may have fixed or managed currencies that are not free-floating against the U.S. dollar. Further, certain currencies may not be traded internationally, and some countries with emerging securities markets have sustained long periods of very high inflation or rapid fluctuation in inflation rates which can have negative effects on a country’s economy and securities markets.

Guaranteed Investment Contracts (Funding Agreements)

Guaranteed investment contracts, or funding agreements, are debt instruments issued by insurance companies. Pursuant to such contracts, a Fund may make cash contributions to a deposit fund of the insurance company’s general account. The insurance company then credits to a Fund payments at negotiated, floating or fixed interest rates. A Fund will purchase guaranteed investment contracts only from issuers that, at the time of purchase, meet certain credit and quality standards.

Investing in guaranteed investment contracts is subject to certain risks. In general, guaranteed investment contracts are not assignable or transferable without the permission of the issuing insurance companies, and an active secondary market does not exist for these investments. In addition, the issuer may not be able to pay the principal amount to a Fund on seven days notice or less, at which time the investment may be considered illiquid under applicable SEC regulatory guidance and subject to certain restrictions.

Illiquid Securities

Illiquid securities are defined by a Fund consistent with SEC staff’s current guidance and interpretations which provide that an illiquid security is an asset which may not be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value at which a Fund has valued the investment on its books.

 

31


Table of Contents

Some securities, such as those not registered under U.S. securities laws, cannot be sold in public transactions. Subject to its investment policies, a Fund may invest in illiquid investments and may invest in certain restricted securities that are deemed to be illiquid securities.

Investments in Other Investment Companies

Investing in other investment companies may be a means by which a Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective. A Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies within the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any exemptive orders currently or in the future obtained by a Fund from the SEC.

Except with respect to funds structured as funds-of-funds or so-called master/feeder funds, the 1940 Act generally requires that a fund limit its investments in another investment company or series thereof so that, as determined at the time a securities purchase is made: (i) no more than 5% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the securities of any one investment company; (ii) no more than 10% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the aggregate in securities of other investment companies; and (iii) no more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company or series thereof will be owned by a fund or by companies controlled by the fund. Such other investment companies may include exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which are shares of publicly traded unit investment trusts, open-end funds or depositary receipts that seek to track the performance of specific indexes or companies in related industries.

Investing in other investment companies is subject to certain risks. Although a Fund may derive certain advantages from being able to invest in shares of other investment companies, such as to be fully invested, there may be potential disadvantages. Investing in other investment companies may result in higher fees and expenses for a Fund and its shareholders. A shareholder may be charged fees not only on Fund shares held directly but also on the investment company shares that a Fund purchases.

In addition, investing in ETFs is subject to certain other risks. ETFs generally are subject to the same risks as the underlying securities the ETFs are designed to track as well as to the risks of the specific sector or industry to which the ETF relates. ETFs also are subject to the risk that their prices may not totally correlate to the prices of the underlying securities the ETFs are designed to track and the risk of possible trading halts due to market conditions or for other reasons.

Under the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder, a Fund may purchase shares of other affiliated Columbia Funds, including the Money Market Funds, subject to certain conditions. Investing in affiliated funds may present certain actual or potential conflicts of interest. For more information about such actual and potential conflicts of interest, see Investment Advisory and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest.

Low and Below Investment Grade Securities

Low and below investment grade securities (below investment grade securities are also known as “junk bonds”) are debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by S&P and Fitch or Baa by Moody’s), that are below investment grade (e.g., lower than BBB by S&P and Fitch or Baa by Moody’s) or that are unrated but determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality. These types of securities may be issued to fund corporate transactions or restructurings, such as leveraged buyouts, mergers, acquisitions, debt reclassifications or similar events, are more speculative in nature than securities with higher ratings and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy. These types of securities generally are issued by unseasoned companies without long track records of sales and earnings, or by companies or municipalities that have questionable credit strength. Low and below investment grade securities and comparable unrated securities: (i) likely will have some quality and protective characteristics that, in the judgment of one or more NRSROs, are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse

 

32


Table of Contents

conditions; (ii) are speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation; and (iii) may have a less liquid secondary market, potentially making it difficult to value or sell such securities. Low and below investment grade securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Permissible Fund Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, Permissible Fund Investments — Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and Permissible Fund Investments — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.

Investing in low and below investment grade securities and comparable unrated securities is subject to certain risks. The rates of return on these types of securities generally are higher than the rates of return available on more highly rated securities, but generally involve greater volatility of price and risk of loss of principal and income, including the possibility of default by or insolvency of the issuers of such securities. Accordingly, a Fund may be more dependent on the Advisor’s credit analysis with respect to these types of securities than is the case for more highly rated securities.

The market values of certain low and below investment grade securities and comparable unrated securities tend to be more sensitive to individual corporate developments and changes in economic conditions than are the market value of more highly rated securities. In addition, issuers of low and below investment grade and comparable unrated securities often are highly leveraged and may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them, so that their ability to service their debt obligations during an economic downturn or during sustained periods of rising interest rates may be impaired.

The risk of loss due to default is greater for low and below investment grade and comparable unrated securities than it is for higher rated securities because low and below investment grade securities and comparable unrated securities generally are unsecured and frequently are subordinated to more senior indebtedness. A Fund may incur additional expenses to the extent that it is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of principal or interest on its holdings of such securities. The existence of limited markets for lower-rated debt securities may diminish a Fund’s ability to: (i) obtain accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing such securities and calculating portfolio net asset value; and (ii) sell the securities at fair market value either to meet redemption requests or to respond to changes in the economy or in financial markets.

Many lower-rated securities are not registered for offer and sale to the public under the 1933 Act. Investments in these restricted securities may be determined to be liquid (able to be sold within seven days at approximately the price at which they are valued by a Fund) pursuant to policies approved by the Fund’s Trustees. Investments in illiquid securities, including restricted securities that have not been determined to be liquid, may not exceed 15% of a Fund’s net assets. A Fund is not otherwise subject to any limitation on its ability to invest in restricted securities. Restricted securities may be less liquid than other lower-rated securities, potentially making it difficult to value or sell such securities.

Money Market Instruments

Money market instruments are high-quality, short-term debt obligations, which include: (i) bank obligations, including certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers’ acceptances; (ii) funding agreements; (iii) repurchase agreements; (iv) obligations of the United States, foreign countries and supranational entities, and each of their subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities; (v) certain corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper, short-term corporate obligations and extendible commercial notes; (vi) participation interests; and (vii) municipal securities. Money market instruments may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Permissible Fund Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations and Permissible Fund Investments — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.

 

33


Table of Contents

Investing in money market instruments is subject to certain risks. Money market instruments (other than certain U.S. Government obligations) are not backed or insured by the U.S. Government, its agencies or its instrumentalities. Accordingly, only the creditworthiness of an issuer, or guarantees of that issuer, supports such instruments.

Mortgage-Backed Securities

Mortgage-backed securities are a type of asset-backed security and represent interests in, or debt instruments backed by, pools of underlying mortgages. In some cases, these underlying mortgages may be insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies. Mortgage-backed securities entitle the security holders to receive distributions that are tied to the payments made on the underlying mortgage collateral (less fees paid to the originator, servicer, or other parties, and fees paid for credit enhancement), so that the payments made on the underlying mortgage collateral effectively pass through to such security holders. Mortgage-backed securities are created when mortgage originators (or mortgage loan sellers who have purchased mortgage loans from mortgage loan originators) sell the underlying mortgages to a special purpose entity in a process called a securitization. The special purpose entity issues securities that are backed by the payments on the underlying mortgage loans, and have a minimum denomination and specific term. Mortgage-backed securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Permissible Fund Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, Permissible Fund Investments — Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and Permissible Fund Investments — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.

Mortgage-backed securities may be issued or guaranteed by GNMA (also known as Ginnie Mae), FNMA (also known as Fannie Mae), or FHLMC (also known as Freddie Mac), but also may be issued or guaranteed by other issuers, including private companies. GNMA is a government-owned corporation that is an agency of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It guarantees, with the full faith and credit of the United States, full and timely payment of all monthly principal and interest on its mortgage-backed securities. Until recently, FNMA and FHLMC were government-sponsored corporations owned entirely by private stockholders. Both issue mortgage-related securities that contain guarantees as to timely payment of interest and principal but that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The value of the companies’ securities fell sharply in 2008 due to concerns that the firms did not have sufficient capital to offset losses. In mid-2008, the U.S. Treasury was authorized to increase the size of home loans that FNMA and FHLMC could purchase in certain residential areas and, until 2009, to lend FNMA and FHLMC emergency funds and to purchase the companies’ stock. More recently, in September 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced that FNMA and FHLMC had been placed in conservatorship by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), a newly created independent regulator. In addition to placing the companies in conservatorship, the U.S. Treasury announced three additional steps that it intended to take with respect to FNMA and FHLMC. First, the U.S. Treasury has entered into “Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements” (PSPAs) under which, if the FHFA determines that FNMA’s or FHLMC’s liabilities have exceeded its assets under generally accepted accounting principles, the U.S. Treasury will contribute cash capital to the company in an amount equal to the difference between liabilities and assets. The PSPAs are designed to provide protection to the senior and subordinated debt and the mortgage-backed securities issued by FNMA and FHLMC. Second, the U.S. Treasury established a new secured lending credit facility that is available to FNMA and FHLMC until December 2009. Third, the U.S. Treasury initiated a temporary program to purchase FNMA and FHLMC mortgage-backed securities, which is expected to continue until December 2009. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Treasury initiatives discussed above with respect to the debt and mortgage-backed securities issued by FNMA and FHLMC will be successful.

CMOs are debt obligations issued by special-purpose trusts, collateralized by underlying mortgage assets. Principal prepayments on underlying mortgage assets may cause the CMOs to be retired substantially earlier than their stated maturities or final distribution dates, resulting in a loss of all or part of the premium if any has been paid. Interest is paid or accrues on all classes of the CMOs on a periodic basis. The principal and interest

 

34


Table of Contents

payments on the underlying mortgage assets may be allocated among the various classes of CMOs in several ways. Typically, payments of principal, including any prepayments, on the underlying mortgage assets are applied to the classes in the order of their respective stated maturities or final distribution dates, so that no payment of principal is made on CMOs of a class until all CMOs of other classes having earlier stated maturities or final distribution dates have been paid in full.

REMICs are entities that own mortgages and elect REMIC status under the Code and, like CMOs, issue debt obligations collateralized by underlying mortgage assets that have characteristics similar to those issued by CMOs.

Investing in mortgage-backed securities is subject to certain risks, including, among others, prepayment, market and credit risks. Prepayment risk reflects the risk that borrowers may prepay their mortgages more quickly than expected, which may affect the security’s average maturity and rate of return. Whether or not a mortgage loan is prepaid is almost entirely controlled by the borrower. Borrowers are most likely to exercise prepayment options at the time when it is least advantageous to investors, generally prepaying mortgages as interest rates fall, and slowing payments as interest rates rise. Besides the effect of prevailing interest rates, the rate of prepayment and refinancing of mortgages also may be affected by home value appreciation, ease of the refinancing process and local economic conditions, among other factors. Market risk reflects the risk that the price of a security may fluctuate over time. The price of mortgage-backed securities can be particularly sensitive to prevailing interest rates, the length of time the security is expected to be outstanding and the liquidity of the issue. In a period of unstable interest rates, there may be decreased demand for certain types of mortgage-backed securities, which in turn may decrease their value. Credit risk reflects the risk that a holder of mortgage-backed securities may not receive all or part of its principal because the issuer, any credit enhancer and/or the underlying mortgage borrower has defaulted on its obligations. Credit risk is increased for mortgage-backed securities that are backed by mortgages to so-called subprime borrowers (who may pose a greater risk of defaulting on their loans) or that are subordinated to another security (i.e., if the holder of a mortgage-backed security is entitled to receive payments only after payment obligations to holders of the other security are satisfied). The more deeply subordinated the security, the greater the credit risk associated with the security will be. Mortgage-backed securities issued by private issuers, whether or not such obligations are subject to guarantees by the private issuer, may entail greater risk than mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by the U.S. Government. The performance of mortgage-backed securities issued by private issuers generally depends on the financial health of those institutions.

Municipal Securities

Municipal securities include debt obligations issued by governmental entities to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities, the refunding of outstanding obligations, the payment of general operating expenses, and the extension of loans to public institutions and facilities. Municipal securities can be classified into two principal categories, including “general obligation” bonds and other securities and “revenue” bonds and other securities. General obligation bonds are secured by the issuer’s full faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. Revenue securities are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise tax or other specific revenue source, such as the user of the facility being financed. Municipal securities also may include “moral obligation” securities, which normally are issued by special purpose public authorities. If the issuer of moral obligation securities is unable to meet its debt service obligations from current revenues, it may draw on a reserve fund, the restoration of which is a moral commitment but not a legal obligation of the governmental entity that created the special purpose public authority. Municipal securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Permissible Fund Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, Permissible Fund Investments — Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-kind and Step-Coupon Securities and Permissible Fund Investments — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.

 

35


Table of Contents

Municipal securities may include municipal bonds, municipal notes and municipal leases. Municipal bonds are debt obligations of a governmental entity that obligate the municipality to pay the holder a specified sum of money at specified intervals and to repay the principal amount of the loan at maturity.

Municipal notes may be issued by governmental entities and other tax-exempt issuers in order to finance short-term cash needs or, occasionally, to finance construction. Most municipal notes are general obligations of the issuing entity payable from taxes or designated revenues expected to be received within the relevant fiscal period. Municipal notes generally have maturities of one year or less. Municipal notes can be subdivided into two sub-categories: (i) municipal commercial paper and (ii) municipal demand obligations.

Municipal commercial paper typically consists of very short-term unsecured negotiable promissory notes that are sold, for example, to meet seasonal working capital or interim construction financing needs of a governmental entity or agency. While these obligations are intended to be paid from general revenues or refinanced with long-term debt, they frequently are backed by letters of credit, lending agreements, note repurchase agreements or other credit facility agreements offered by banks or institutions.

Municipal demand obligations can be subdivided into two general types: variable rate demand notes and master demand obligations. Variable rate demand notes are tax-exempt municipal obligations or participation interests that provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the notes. They permit the holder to demand payment of the notes, or to demand purchase of the notes at a purchase price equal to the unpaid principal balance, plus accrued interest either directly by the issuer or by drawing on a bank letter of credit or guaranty issued with respect to such note. The issuer of the municipal obligation may have a corresponding right to prepay at its discretion the outstanding principal of the note plus accrued interest upon notice comparable to that required for the holder to demand payment. The variable rate demand notes in which a Fund may invest are payable, or are subject to purchase, on demand usually on notice of seven calendar days or less. The terms of the notes generally provide that interest rates are adjustable at intervals ranging from daily to six months.

Master demand obligations are tax-exempt municipal obligations that provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid and permit daily changes in the amount borrowed. The interest on such obligations is, in the opinion of counsel for the borrower, excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes (but not necessarily for alternative minimum tax purposes). Although there is no secondary market for master demand obligations, such obligations are considered by a Fund to be liquid because they are payable upon demand.

Municipal lease obligations are participations in privately arranged loans to state or local government borrowers. In general, such loans are unrated, in which case they will be determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase to rated instruments that may be acquired by a Fund. Frequently, privately arranged loans have variable interest rates and may be backed by a bank letter of credit. In other cases, they may be unsecured or may be secured by assets not easily liquidated. Moreover, such loans in most cases are not backed by the taxing authority of the issuers and may have limited marketability or may be marketable only by virtue of a provision requiring repayment following demand by the lender.

Although lease obligations do not constitute general obligations of the municipal issuer to which the government’s taxing power is pledged, a lease obligation ordinarily is backed by the government’s covenant to budget for, appropriate, and make the payments due under the lease obligation. However, certain lease obligations contain “non-appropriation” clauses that provide that the government has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a periodic basis. In the case of a “non-appropriation” lease, a Fund’s ability to recover under the lease in the event of non-appropriation or default likely will be limited to the repossession of the leased property in the event that foreclosure proves difficult.

Tender option bonds are municipal securities having relatively long maturities and bearing interest at a fixed interest rate substantially higher than prevailing short-term tax-exempt rates that is coupled with the agreement of

 

36


Table of Contents

a third party, such as a bank, broker/dealer or other financial institution, to grant the security holders the option, at periodic intervals, to tender their securities to the institution and receive the face value thereof. The financial institution receives periodic fees equal to the difference between the municipal security’s coupon rate and the rate that would cause the security to trade at face value on the date of determination.

Investing in municipal securities is subject to certain risks. There are variations in the quality of municipal securities, both within a particular classification and between classifications, and the rates of return on municipal securities can depend on a variety of factors, including general money market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the municipal bond market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation, and the rating of the issue. The ratings of NRSROs represent their opinions as to the quality of municipal securities. It should be emphasized, however, that these ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality, and municipal securities with the same maturity, interest rate, and rating may have different rates of return while municipal securities of the same maturity and interest rate with different ratings may have the same rate of return.

The payment of principal and interest on most municipal securities purchased by a Fund will depend upon the ability of the issuers to meet their obligations. An issuer’s obligations under its municipal securities are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency, and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the United States Bankruptcy Code. The power or ability of an issuer to meet its obligations for the payment of interest on and principal of its municipal securities may be materially adversely affected by litigation or other conditions.

There are particular considerations and risks relevant to investing in a portfolio of a single state’s municipal securities, such as the greater risk of the concentration of portfolio holdings.

Each Fund ordinarily purchases municipal securities whose interest, in the opinion of bond counsel, is excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes. The opinion of bond counsel may assert that such interest is not an item of tax preference for the purposes of the alternative minimum tax or is exempt from certain state or local taxes. There is no assurance that the applicable taxing authorities will agree with this opinion. In the event, for example, that the IRS determines that an issuer does not comply with the relevant tax requirements, interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the date the security was issued. As a shareholder of the Fund, you may be required to file an amended tax return as a result, reporting such income as taxable.

For more information about the economic conditions, legal matters and key risks associated with investments in certain states, see Appendix C.

Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities

Private placement securities are securities that have been privately placed and are not registered under the 1933 Act. They are eligible for sale only to certain eligible investors. Private placements often may offer attractive opportunities for investment not otherwise available on the open market. Private placement and other “restricted” securities often cannot be sold to the public without registration under the 1933 Act or the availability of an exemption from registration (such as Rules 144 or 144A), or they are “not readily marketable” because they are subject to other legal or contractual delays in or restrictions on resale. Asset-backed securities, common stock, convertible securities, corporate debt securities, foreign securities, low and below investment grade securities, money market instruments, mortgage-backed securities, municipal securities, participation interests, preferred stock and other types of equity and debt instruments may be privately placed or restricted securities.

Private placements typically may be sold only to qualified institutional buyers (or, in the case of the initial sale of certain securities, such as those issued in collateralized debt obligations or collateralized loan obligations,

 

37


Table of Contents

to accredited investors (as defined in Rule 501(a) under the 1933 Act), or in a privately negotiated transaction or to a limited number of purchasers, or in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met pursuant to an exemption from registration.

Investing in private placement and other restricted securities is subject to certain risks. Private placements may be considered illiquid securities. Private placements typically are subject to restrictions on resale as a matter of contract or under federal securities laws. Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for such securities, especially under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, a Fund could find it more difficult to sell such securities when it may be advisable to do so or it may be able to sell such securities only at prices lower than if such securities were more widely held. At times, it also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing a Fund’s net asset value due to the absence of a trading market.

Repurchase Agreements

Repurchase agreements are agreements under which a Fund acquires a security for a relatively short period of time subject to the obligation of a seller to repurchase and a Fund to resell such security at a fixed time and price (representing a Fund’s cost plus interest). Repurchase agreements also may be viewed as loans made by a Fund that are collateralized by the securities subject to repurchase. A Fund typically will enter into repurchase agreements only with commercial banks, registered broker/dealers and the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation. Such transactions are monitored to ensure that the value of the underlying securities will be at least equal at all times to the total amount of the repurchase obligation, including any accrued interest.

Repurchase agreements generally are subject to counterparty risk. If a counterparty defaults, a Fund could realize a loss on the sale of the underlying security to the extent that the proceeds of the sale are less than the resale price provided in the repurchase agreement including interest. In the event that a counterparty fails to perform because it is insolvent or otherwise subject to insolvency proceedings against it, a Fund’s right to take possession of the underlying securities would be subject to applicable insolvency law and procedure, including an automatic stay (which would preclude immediate enforcement of a Fund’s rights) and exemptions thereto (which would permit a Fund to take possession of the underlying securities or to void a repurchase agreement altogether). Since it is possible that an exemption from the automatic stay would not be available, a Fund might be prevented from immediately enforcing its rights against the counterparty. Accordingly, if a counterparty becomes insolvent or otherwise subject to insolvency proceedings against it, a Fund may incur delays in or be prevented from liquidating the underlying securities and could experience losses, including the possible decline in value of the underlying securities during the period in which a Fund seeks to enforce its rights thereto, possible subnormal levels of income or lack of access to income during such time, as well as the costs incurred in enforcing a Fund’s rights. For example, if a Fund enters into a repurchase agreement with a broker that becomes insolvent, it is possible for the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) to institute a liquidation proceeding in federal court against the broker counterparty which could lead to a foreclosure by SIPC of the underlying securities or SIPC may stay, or preclude, a Fund’s ability under contract to terminate the repurchase agreement.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

Reverse repurchase agreements are agreements under which a Fund sells a security subject to the obligation of a buyer to resell and a Fund to repurchase such security at a fixed time and price. Reverse repurchase agreements also may be viewed as borrowings made by a Fund.

Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities a Fund is obligated to repurchase under the agreement may decline below the repurchase price. In the event the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, a Fund’s use of proceeds of the agreement may be restricted pending a determination by the other party, or its trustee or receiver, whether to

 

38


Table of Contents

enforce a Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities. In addition, reverse repurchase agreements are techniques involving leverage, and are subject to asset coverage requirements. Under the requirements of the 1940 Act, a Fund is required to maintain an asset coverage (including the proceeds of the borrowings) of at least 300% of all borrowings.

Standby Commitments

Standby commitments are securities under which a purchaser, usually a bank or broker/dealer, agrees to purchase, for a fee, an amount of a Fund’s municipal obligations. The amount payable by a bank or broker/dealer to purchase securities subject to a standby commitment typically will be substantially the same as the value of the underlying municipal securities. A Fund may pay for standby commitments either separately in cash or by paying a higher price for portfolio securities that are acquired subject to such a commitment.

Using standby commitments is subject to certain risks. Standby commitments are subject to the risk that a counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to purchase securities subject to a standby commitment.

Stripped Securities

Stripped securities are securities that evidence ownership in either the future interest or principal payments on an instrument. There are many different types and variations of stripped securities. For example, Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal Securities (STRIPs) can be component parts of a U.S. Treasury security where the principal and interest components are traded independently through DTC, a clearing agency registered pursuant to Section 17A of the 1934 Act and created to hold securities for its participants, and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between participants through electronic computerized book-entries, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates. Treasury Investor Growth Receipts (TIGERs) are Treasury securities stripped by brokers. Stripped mortgage-backed securities, or SMBS, also can be issued by the U.S. Government or its agencies. Stripped securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations. See Permissible Fund Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations for more information.

SMBS usually are structured with two or more classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions from a pool of mortgage-backed assets. Common types of SMBS will be structured so that one class receives some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage-backed assets, while another class receives most of the interest and the remainder of the principal.

Investing in stripped securities is subject to certain risks. If the underlying obligations experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, a Fund may fail fully to recoup its initial investment in such securities. The market value of the class consisting primarily or entirely of principal payments can be especially volatile in response to changes in interest rates. The rates of return on a class of SMBS that receives all or most of the interest are generally higher than prevailing market rates of return on other mortgage-backed obligations because their cash flow patterns also are volatile and there is a greater risk that the initial investment will not be recouped fully.

U.S. Government and Related Obligations

U.S. Government obligations include U.S. Treasury obligations and securities issued or guaranteed by various agencies of the U.S. Government or by various instrumentalities which have been established or sponsored by the U.S. Government. U.S. Treasury obligations and securities issued or guaranteed by various agencies of the U.S. Government differ in their interest rates, maturities and time of issuance, as well as with respect to whether they are guaranteed by the U.S. Government. U.S. Government and related obligations may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations. See Permissible Fund Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations for more information.

 

39


Table of Contents

U.S. Government obligations also include senior unsecured debt securities issued between October 14, 2008 and June 30, 2009 by eligible issuers (including U.S. depository institutions insured by the FDIC and certain affiliates), U.S. bank holding companies and certain U.S. savings and loan holding companies) that are guaranteed by the FDIC under its Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program (the TLGP). The FDIC’s guarantee under the TLGP will expire upon the earlier of (i) maturity of such security or (ii) June 30, 2012. It is the view of the FDIC and the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission that any debt security that is guaranteed by the FDIC under the TLGP and that has a maturity that ends on or before June 30, 2012 would be a security exempt from registration under Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 because such security would be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the FDIC.

Investing in securities guaranteed under the TLGP is subject to certain risks. Given that there is no track record for securities guaranteed under the TLGP, it is uncertain how such securities will trade in relation to treasury and government agency securities in terms of yield spread and the volatility of such spread and it is uncertain how such securities will trade in the secondary market and whether that market will be liquid or illiquid. The TLGP is a new program that is subject to change. In order to collect from the FDIC under the TLGP, a claims process must be followed. Failure to follow the claims process could result in a loss to the right to payment under the guarantee. In addition, guarantee payments by the FDIC under the TLGP may be delayed.

Investing in U.S. Government and related obligations is subject to certain risks. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality and, as a result, may be subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. Obligations of U.S. Government agencies, authorities, instrumentalities and sponsored enterprises historically have involved limited risk of loss of principal if held to maturity. However, no assurance can be given that the U.S. Government would provide financial support to any of these entities if it is not obligated to do so by law.

Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations

Variable- and floating-rate obligations provide for periodic adjustments in the interest rate and, under certain circumstances, varying principal amounts. Unlike a fixed interest rate, a variable, or floating, rate is one that rises and declines based on the movement of an underlying index of interest rates and may pay interest at rates that are adjusted periodically according to a specified formula. Asset-backed securities, bank obligations, convertible securities, corporate debt securities, foreign securities, low and below investment grade securities, mortgage- backed securities, money market instruments, municipal securities, participation interests, stripped securities, U.S. Government and related obligations and other types of debt instruments may be structured as variable- and floating-rate obligations.

Investing in variable- and floating-rate obligations is subject to certain risks. Variable- and floating-rate obligations may involve direct lending arrangements between the purchaser and the issuer and there may be no active secondary market, making it difficult to resell such obligations to a third party. Variable- and floating-rate obligations also may be subject to interest rate and credit risks. Changes in interest rates can affect the rate of return on such obligations. If an issuer of a variable- or floating-rate obligation defaults, a Fund could sustain a loss to the extent of such default.

Warrants and Rights

Warrants and rights are types of securities that give a holder a right to purchase shares of common stock. Warrants usually are issued together with a bond or preferred stock and entitle a holder to purchase a specified amount of common stock at a specified price typically for a period of years. Rights usually have a specified purchase price that is lower than the current market price and entitle a holder to purchase a specified amount of common stock typically for a period of only weeks. Warrants may be used to enhance the marketability of a bond or preferred stock.

 

40


Table of Contents

Warrants and rights may be subject to the risk that the securities could lose value. There also is the risk that the potential exercise price may exceed the market price of the warrants or rights, such as when there is no movement in the market price or the market price of such securities declines.

When-Issued, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitment Transactions

When-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions involve the purchase or sale of securities by a Fund, with payment and delivery taking place in the future. When engaging in when-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions, a Fund typically will hold cash or liquid securities in a segregated account in an amount equal to or greater than the purchase price. The payment obligation and, if applicable, the interest rate that will be received on the securities, are fixed at the time that a Fund agrees to purchase the securities. A Fund generally will enter into when-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions only with the intention of completing such transactions. However, the Advisor may determine not to complete a transaction if it deems it appropriate. In such cases, a Fund may realize short-term gains or losses.

When-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions involve the risks that the securities purchased may fall in value by the time they actually are issued or that the other party may fail to honor the contract terms. A Fund that invests in delayed delivery securities may rely on a third party to complete the transaction. Failure by a third party to deliver a security purchased on a delayed delivery basis may result in a financial loss to a Fund or the loss of an opportunity to make an alternative investment.

Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities

Zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities are types of debt instruments that do not necessarily make payments of interest in fixed amounts or at fixed intervals. Asset-backed securities, convertible securities, corporate debt securities, foreign securities, low and below investment grade securities, mortgage-backed securities, municipal securities, participation interests, stripped securities, U.S. Government and related obligations and other types of debt instruments may be structured as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities.

Zero-coupon securities do not pay interest on a current basis but instead accrue interest over the life of the security. These securities include, among others, zero-coupon bonds, which either may be issued at a discount by a corporation or government entity or may be created by a brokerage firm when it strips the coupons from a bond or note and then sells the bond or note and the coupon separately. This technique is used frequently with U.S. Treasury bonds, and zero-coupon securities are marketed under such names as CATS (Certificate of Accrual on Treasury Securities), TIGERs or STRIPS. Zero-coupon bonds also are issued by municipalities. Buying a municipal zero-coupon bond frees its purchaser of the obligation to pay regular federal income tax on imputed interest, since the interest is exempt for regular federal income tax purposes. Zero-coupon certificates of deposit and zero-coupon mortgages are generally structured in the same fashion as zero-coupon bonds; the certificate of deposit holder or mortgage holder receives face value at maturity and no payments until then.

Pay-in-kind securities normally give the issuer an option to pay cash at a coupon payment date or to give the holder of the security a similar security with the same coupon rate and a face value equal to the amount of the coupon payment that would have been made.

Step-coupon securities trade at a discount from their face value and pay coupon interest. The coupon rate is paid according to a schedule for a series of periods, typically lower for an initial period and then increasing to a higher coupon rate thereafter. The discount from the face amount or par value depends on the time remaining until cash payments begin, prevailing interest rates, liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issue.

 

41


Table of Contents

Zero-coupon, step-coupon and pay-in-kind securities holders generally have substantially all the rights and privileges of holders of the underlying coupon obligations or principal obligations. Holders of these securities have the right upon default on the underlying coupon obligations or principal obligations to proceed directly and individually against the issuer and are not required to act in concert with other holders of such securities.

Investing in zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities is subject to certain risks, including that market prices of zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities generally are more volatile than the prices of securities that pay interest periodically and in cash, and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than other types of debt securities.

Because zero-coupon securities bear no interest, they are volatile. Since zero-coupon bondholders do not receive interest payments, zero-coupon securities fall more dramatically than bonds paying interest on a current basis when interest rates rise. However, when interest rates fall, zero-coupon securities rise more rapidly in value than interest paying bonds.

Borrowings

Each Fund has a fundamental policy with respect to borrowing that can be found under the heading About the Funds’ Investments — Fundamental and Non-Fundamental Investment Policies. Specifically, each Fund may not borrow money or issue senior securities except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any exemptive relief obtained by the Funds. In general, pursuant to the 1940 Act, a Fund may borrow money only from banks in an amount not exceeding 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). Any borrowings that come to exceed this amount must be reduced within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to the extent necessary to comply with the 33 1/3% limitation.

The Funds participate in a committed line of credit (Line of Credit). Any advance under the Line of Credit is contemplated primarily for temporary or emergency purposes, including the meeting of redemption requests that otherwise might require the untimely sale of portfolio securities.

Pursuant to an exemptive order from the SEC, the Funds may, subject to certain conditions, borrow money from other funds in the Columbia Funds Family for temporary emergency purposes in order to facilitate redemption requests, or for other purposes consistent with Fund investment policies and restrictions. All loans are set at an interest rate between the rates charged on overnight repurchase agreements and short-term bank loans.

Short Sales

A Fund may sometimes sell securities short when it owns an equal amount of such securities as those securities sold short. This is a technique known as selling short “against the box.” If a Fund makes a short sale “against the box,” it would not immediately deliver the securities sold and would not receive the proceeds from the sale. The seller is said to have a short position in the securities sold until it delivers the securities sold, at which time it receives the proceeds of the sale. To secure its obligation to deliver securities sold short, a Fund will deposit in escrow in a separate account with the custodian an equal amount of the securities sold short or securities convertible into or exchangeable for such securities. A Fund can close out its short position by purchasing and delivering an equal amount of the securities sold short, rather than by delivering securities already held by a Fund, because a Fund might want to continue to receive interest and dividend payments on securities in its portfolio that are convertible into the securities sold short.

Short sales “against the box” entail many of the same risks and considerations described above regarding short sales not “against the box.” However, when a Fund sells short “against the box” it typically limits the amount of securities that it has leveraged. A Fund’s decision to make a short sale “against the box” may be a

 

42


Table of Contents

technique to hedge against market risks when the Advisor believes that the price of a security may decline, causing a decline in the value of a security owned by a Fund or a security convertible into or exchangeable for such security. In such case, any future losses in a Fund’s long position would be reduced by a gain in the short position. The extent to which such gains or losses in the long position are reduced will depend upon the amount of securities sold short relative to the amount of the securities a Fund owns, either directly or indirectly, and, in the case where a Fund owns convertible securities, changes in the investment values or conversion premiums of such securities. Short sales may have adverse tax consequences to a Fund and its shareholders.

Subject to its fundamental and non-fundamental investment policies, a Fund may engage in short sales that are not “against the box,” which are sales by a Fund of securities or commodity futures contracts that it does not own in hopes of purchasing the same security at a later date at a lower price. The technique is also used to protect a profit in a long-term position in a security or commodity futures contract. To make delivery to the buyer, a Fund must borrow or purchase the security. If borrowed, a Fund is then obligated to replace the security borrowed from the third party, so a Fund must purchase the security at the market price at a later time. If the price of the security has increased during this time, then a Fund will incur a loss equal to the increase in price of the security from the time of the short sale plus any premiums and interest paid to the third party. (Until the security is replaced, a Fund is required to pay to the lender amounts equal to any dividends or interest which accrue during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, a Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet the margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.)

Short sales by a Fund that are not made “against the box” create opportunities to increase a Fund’s return but, at the same time, involve specific risk considerations and may be considered a speculative technique. Because a Fund in effect profits from a decline in the price of the securities sold short without the need to invest the full purchase price of the securities on the date of the short sale, a Fund’s NAV per share tends to increase more when the securities it has sold short decrease in value, and to decrease more when the securities it has sold short increase in value, than if it had not engaged in such short sales. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of any premium, dividends or interest a Fund may be required to pay in connection with the short sale. Short sales could potentially involve unlimited loss, as the market price of securities sold short may continually increase, although a Fund can mitigate any such losses by replacing the securities sold short. Under adverse market conditions, a Fund might have difficulty purchasing securities to meet its short sale delivery obligations, and might have to sell portfolio securities to raise the capital necessary to meet its short sale obligations at a time when fundamental investment considerations would not favor such sales. There is also the risk that the third party to the short sale may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to a Fund.

A Fund’s successful use of short sales also will be subject to the ability of the Advisor to predict movements in the directions of the relevant market. A Fund therefore bears the risk that the Advisor will incorrectly predict future price directions. In addition, if a Fund sells a security short, and that security’s price goes up, a Fund will have to make up the margin on its open position (i.e., purchase more securities on the market to cover the position). It may be unable to do so and thus its position may not be closed out. There can be no assurance that a Fund will not incur significant losses in such a case.

In the view of the SEC, a short sale involves the creation of a “senior security” as such term is defined in the 1940 Act, unless the sale is “against the box” and the securities sold short are placed in a segregated account (not with the broker), or unless a Fund’s obligation to deliver the securities sold short is “covered” by placing in a segregated account (not with the broker) cash, U.S. Government securities or other liquid debt or equity securities in an amount equal to the difference between the market value of the securities sold short at the time of the short sale and any such collateral required to be deposited with a broker in connection with the sale (not including the proceeds from the short sale), which difference is adjusted daily for changes in the value of the securities sold short. The total value of the cash, U.S. Government securities or other liquid debt or equity securities deposited with the broker and otherwise segregated may not at any time be less than the market value of the securities sold short at the time of the short sale.

 

43


Table of Contents

Lending Securities

Securities lending refers to the lending of a Fund’s portfolio securities. Subject to its investment policies described above and in the prospectuses, a Fund may make secured loans of its portfolio securities to broker/ dealers and other institutional investors. Securities loans by a Fund are made pursuant to agreements that require that loans be secured continuously by collateral in cash. A Fund retains all or a portion of the income received on investment of cash collateral. A borrower will pay to a Fund an amount equal to any dividends or interest received on securities loaned, but the borrower typically will receive a portion of the income earned on investments of cash collateral. Although voting rights, or rights to consent, with respect to loaned securities pass to a borrower, a Fund retains the right to call the loans at any time on reasonable notice, and may do so in order to vote upon matters affecting, or to sell, the loaned securities.

A Fund typically invests the cash collateral it receives in connection with its securities lending program directly or indirectly in high quality, short-term investments. A Fund may invest some or all of the cash collateral in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by a Fund’s securities lending agent or its affiliates. The securities lending agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of cash collateral, and an affiliate of the securities lending agent receives asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the securities lending agent (or its affiliate) and a Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral.

Engaging in securities lending is subject to certain risks, including counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default. There also is a risk of possible delay in the recovery of loaned securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral if a borrower fails financially.

Portfolio Turnover

A change in the securities held by a Fund is known as “portfolio turnover.” High portfolio turnover (e.g., over 100%) involves correspondingly greater expenses to a Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestments in other securities. Such sales may also result in adverse tax consequences to a Fund’s shareholders. The trading costs and tax effects associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect a Fund’s performance.

For each Fund’s portfolio turnover rate, see the Financial Highlights section in the prospectuses for that Fund.

Disclosure of Portfolio Information

The Board has adopted policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Columbia Funds’ portfolio holdings. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that disclosure of information regarding the Columbia Funds’ portfolio securities is in the best interests of Columbia Fund shareholders and to address conflicts between the interests of Columbia Fund shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Advisor, the Distributor or any affiliated person of a Columbia Fund, on the other. These policies and procedures provide that Columbia Funds portfolio holdings information generally may not be disclosed to any party prior to the earlier of: (i) the business day next following the posting of such information on the Columbia Funds’ website, if applicable, or (ii) the time a Columbia Fund discloses the information in a publicly available SEC filing required to include such information. Certain limited exceptions that have been approved consistent with the policies and procedures are described below. The Board is updated as needed regarding compliance with these policies and procedures. The policies and procedures prohibit the Advisor and the Columbia Funds’ other service providers from entering into any agreement to disclose Columbia Fund portfolio holdings information in exchange for any form of consideration. These policies and procedures apply to all categories of Columbia Funds and include some variations tailored to the different categories of Columbia Funds. Accordingly, some of the provisions described below do not apply to the Columbia Fund(s) covered by this SAI. The Advisor also has adopted policies and procedures to monitor for compliance with these portfolio holdings disclosure policies and procedures.

 

44


Table of Contents

Public Disclosures

The Columbia Funds’ portfolio holdings are currently disclosed to the public through required filings with the SEC and on the Columbia Funds’ website. This information is available on the Columbia Funds’ website as described below.

 

   

For equity, convertible, balanced and asset allocation funds, other than small-cap and specialty Columbia Funds, a complete list of portfolio holdings as of a month-end is posted approximately 15 calendar days after such month-end.

 

   

For small-cap and specialty Columbia Funds and those Columbia Funds that are sub-advised by Marsico and Brandes, sub-advisors for certain Columbia Funds, a complete list of portfolio holdings as of a month- end is posted approximately 30 calendar days after such month-end.

 

   

For fixed income funds, a complete list of portfolio holdings as of a fiscal quarter-end is posted approximately 60 calendar days after such quarter-end.

 

   

For Columbia Money Market Funds, a complete list of portfolio holdings as of a month-end is posted approximately 5 business days after such month-end.

Certain Columbia Funds also disclose their largest holdings, as a percent of the market values of the Columbia Funds’ portfolios, as of a month-end on their website, generally within 15 calendar days after such month-end. In general, the equity Columbia Funds post their largest 10-15 holdings, the balanced Columbia Funds post their largest 5 equity holdings, and certain fixed income Columbia Funds post their largest 5-15 holdings (by security or issuer).

The Advisor may also disclose more current portfolio holdings information as of specified dates on the Columbia Funds’ website.

The scope of the information that is made available on the Columbia Funds’ website pursuant to the Columbia Funds, policies relating to a Columbia Fund’s portfolio may change from time to time without prior notice.

The Columbia Funds file their portfolio holdings with the SEC for each fiscal quarter on Form N-CSR (with respect to each annual period and semi-annual period) and Form N-Q (with respect to the first and third quarters of each Columbia Fund’s fiscal year). Shareholders may obtain each Columbia Fund’s Form N-CSR and N-Q filings on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, a link to which is provided on the Columbia Funds’ website. In addition, each Columbia Fund’s Form N-CSR and N-Q filings may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s public reference room in Washington, D.C. You may call the SEC at 800.SEC.0330 for information about the SEC’s website or the operation of the public reference room.

The Columbia Funds, the Advisor and their affiliates may include portfolio holdings information that already has been made public through a website posting or SEC filing in marketing literature and other communications to shareholders, advisors or other parties, provided that the information is disclosed no earlier than the business day after the date the information is disclosed publicly on the Columbia Funds’ website or no earlier than the time a Columbia Fund files such information in a publicly available SEC filing required to include such information.

Other Disclosures

The Columbia Funds’ policies and procedures provide that no disclosures of the Columbia Funds’ portfolio holdings may be made prior to the portfolio holdings information being made public unless (i) the Columbia Funds have a legitimate business purpose for making such disclosure, (ii) the Columbia Funds’ President authorizes such non-public disclosure of information, and (iii) the party receiving the non-public information enters into an appropriate confidentiality agreement or is otherwise subject to a confidentiality obligation.

 

45


Table of Contents

In determining the existence of a legitimate business purpose for making portfolio disclosures, the following factors, among others, are considered: (i) any prior disclosure must be consistent with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the fiduciary duties of the Advisor; (ii) any conflicts of interest between the interests of Columbia Fund shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Advisor, the Distributor or any affiliated person of a Columbia Fund, on the other; and (iii) any prior disclosure to a third party, although subject to a confidentiality agreement, would not make conduct lawful that otherwise is unlawful.

In addition, the Columbia Funds periodically disclose their portfolio information on a confidential basis to various service providers that require such information to assist the Columbia Funds with their day-to-day business affairs. In addition to the Advisor and its affiliates, these service providers include each Columbia Fund’s sub-advisor(s) (if any), the Columbia Funds’ custodian, sub-custodians, independent registered public accounting firm, legal counsel, financial printers, proxy solicitor and proxy voting service provider, as well as ratings agencies that maintain ratings on certain Columbia Funds. These service providers are required to keep such information confidential, and are prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to the Columbia Funds. The Columbia Funds also may disclose portfolio holdings information to broker/dealers and certain other entities in connection with potential transactions and management of the Columbia Funds, provided that reasonable precautions, including limitations on the scope of the portfolio holdings information disclosed, are taken to avoid any potential misuse of the disclosed information.

The Columbia Funds currently have ongoing arrangements with certain approved recipients with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings information prior to such information being made public. Portfolio holdings information disclosed to such recipients is current as of the time of its disclosure, is disclosed to each recipient solely for purposes consistent with the services described below and has been authorized by the Columbia Funds’ President. These special arrangements are described in the table below.

Ongoing Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Arrangements

 

IDENTITY OF RECIPIENT

  

COMPENSATION/
CONSIDERATION
RECEIVED

  

CONDITIONS/RESTRICTIONS ON USE

OF INFORMATION

  

FREQUENCY OF
DISCLOSURE

Standard & Poor’s    None    Use to maintain ratings for certain Money Market Funds.    Weekly
InvestorTools, Inc.    None    Access granted solely for the purpose of testing back office conversion of trading systems.    Real time
ING Insurance Company    None    Access granted for specific Columbia Funds for ING’s creation of client/shareholder materials. ING may not distribute materials until the holdings information is made public.    Quarterly
Glass-Lewis & Co.    None    Access in connection with testing the firm’s proxy services.    Daily

 

46


Table of Contents

IDENTITY OF RECIPIENT

  

COMPENSATION/
CONSIDERATION
RECEIVED

  

CONDITIONS/RESTRICTIONS ON USE

OF INFORMATION

  

FREQUENCY OF
DISCLOSURE

CMS Bondedge    None    Access when assisting in resolving technical difficulties with application used by the Advisor’s Fixed Income Portfolio Management team as an analytical and trading tool.    Ad hoc
Linedata Services, Inc.    None    Access when assisting in resolving technical difficulties with the software for the LongView Trade Order Management System.    Ad hoc
JP Morgan    None    Access to provide the Advisor’s High Yield portfolio management team with peer group analysis reports for purposes of analyzing the portfolio.    Monthly
Malaspina Communications    None    Use to facilitate writing, publishing and mailing Columbia Fund shareholder reports and communications including shareholder letters and management’s discussion of Columbia Fund performance.    Quarterly
Evare LLP    None    Use for standardizing and reformatting data according to the Advisor’s specifications for use in the reconciliation process.    Daily
Factset Research Data Systems, Inc.    None    Use for provision of quantitative analytics, charting and fundamental data to the Advisor, and Marsico, sub-advisor to certain Columbia Funds.    Daily
RR Donnelley/WE Andrews    None    Access as printers for the Columbia Funds’ prospectuses, supplements, SAIs, fact sheets and brochures.    Monthly
Merrill Corporation    None    Use to provide fulfillment of the Columbia Funds’ prospectuses, supplements, SAIs and sales materials.    Monthly

 

47


Table of Contents

IDENTITY OF RECIPIENT

  

COMPENSATION/
CONSIDERATION
RECEIVED

  

CONDITIONS/RESTRICTIONS ON USE

OF INFORMATION

  

FREQUENCY OF
DISCLOSURE

Citigroup    None    Access when assisting in resolving technical difficulties with Yield Book, an analytic software program that the Advisor uses to perform ongoing risk analysis and management of certain fixed income Columbia Funds and fixed income separately managed accounts.    Daily
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS)    None    Proxy voting administration and research on proxy matters utilized by MacKay Shields LLC, sub-advisor to certain Columbia Funds.    Daily
Cogent Consulting LLC    None    Utilized by Marsico, sub-advisor for certain Columbia Funds, to facilitate the evaluation of commission rates and to provide flexible commission reporting.    Daily
Moody’s    None    Ongoing portfolio surveillance for ratings it maintains on the Money Market Funds.    Monthly
Kynex    None    Use to provide portfolio attribution reports.    Daily
Bowne & Co.    None    Use for printing of the following materials: prospectuses, supplements and SAIs.    Monthly/
quarterly
Bloomberg    None    Use for portfolio analytics.    Daily
Barclays Point    None    Use for analytics including risk and attribution assessment.    Daily
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.    None    Proxy voting and research utilized by Marsico, sub-advisor to certain Columbia Funds.    Daily
Investment Technology Group, Inc. (ITG, formerly known as Macgregor)    None    Order management system utilized by Marsico, sub-advisor for certain Columbia Funds that stores trading data and is used for trading and compliance purposes.    Ad hoc
Advent/AXP    None    Portfolio accounting system utilized by Marsico, sub-advisor to certain Columbia Funds, for both portfolio accounting and internal recordkeeping purposes.    Ad hoc

 

48


Table of Contents

IDENTITY OF RECIPIENT

  

COMPENSATION/
CONSIDERATION
RECEIVED

  

CONDITIONS/RESTRICTIONS ON USE

OF INFORMATION

  

FREQUENCY OF
DISCLOSURE

Investment Technology Group, Inc. (ITG, formerly known as Plexus Group)    None    Evaluation and assessment of trading activity, execution and practices by the Advisor.    Five days after
quarter-end
BANA and State Street    None    Credit analysis performed by lenders.    Ad hoc
State Street    None    Use to provide custodian services.    Real time
Lipper    None    Use to create metrics for board and executive management reporting, product and marketing analysis, and fund performance.    Daily
Morningstar, Inc.    None    Use for independent research and ranking of Columbia Funds.    Daily

 

49


Table of Contents

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

The Advisor and Investment Advisory Services

The Advisor (which is also the Administrator) has been a registered investment advisor since 1995. The Advisor is a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Management Group, LLC, which is the primary investment division of Bank of America. The Advisor and Columbia Management Group, LLC are located at 100 Federal Street, Boston MA 02110.

Services Provided

Pursuant to the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreements, the Advisor is responsible for the overall management and supervision of the investment management of each Fund. The Advisor performs its duties subject at all times to the control of the Board and in conformity with the stated policies of each Fund. In rendering investment advisory services, the Advisor may use the portfolio management and research resources of Columbia Management Pte. Ltd., an affiliate of the Advisor. Columbia Management Pte. Ltd. is not registered with the SEC as an investment advisor under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Columbia Management Pte. Ltd. has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Advisor pursuant to which Columbia Management Pte. Ltd. is considered a “participating affiliate” of the Advisor as that term is used in relief granted by the staff of the SEC allowing U.S. registered investment advisors to use portfolio management or research resources of advisory affiliates subject to the supervision of a registered investment advisor. Investment professionals from Columbia Management Pte. Ltd. may render portfolio management or research services to clients of the Advisor, including the Funds, under the MOU, and are subject to supervision by the Advisor.

The Investment Advisory Agreements generally provide that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the Advisor’s obligations or duties thereunder, the Advisor or any of its respective officers, directors, employees or agents, shall not be subject to liability to any shareholder of the Trust or to the Funds for any act or omission in the course of rendering services thereunder.

Each Fund’s Investment Advisory Agreement became effective with respect to such Fund after approval by the Board, and after an initial two year period, continues from year to year, provided that such continuation of each Fund’s Investment Advisory Agreement is specifically approved at least annually by the Board, including its Independent Trustees. Each Investment Advisory Agreement terminates automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable with respect to a Fund at any time without penalty by the Trust (by vote of the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund) on at least 60 days’ notice or by the Advisor on at least 60 days’ written notice.

The Advisor pays all salaries of officers of the Trust, except for the Chief Compliance Officer, a portion of whose salary is paid by the Columbia Funds. The Trust pays all expenses not assumed by the Advisor including, but not limited to, auditing, legal, custodial, shareholder servicing and shareholder reporting expenses. The Trust pays the cost of printing and mailing Fund prospectuses to shareholders. The Distributor pays the cost of printing and distributing all other prospectuses.

Advisory Fee Rates and Fees Paid

The Funds pay the Advisor an annual fee for its investment advisory services, as set forth in each Fund’s Investment Advisory Agreement, and as shown in the section entitled Fees and Expenses of the Fund — Annual Fund Operating Expenses in each Fund’s prospectuses. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the average daily net assets of each Fund and is paid monthly. The Advisor also may pay amounts from its own assets to the Distributor and/or to selling and/or servicing agents for services they provide.

The Advisor received fees from the Funds for its services as reflected in the following chart, which shows the advisory fees paid to the Advisor and the fees waived/reimbursed by the Advisor, where applicable, for the three most recently completed fiscal years.

 

50


Table of Contents

Advisory Fees Paid by the Funds

 

Fund

  

Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31,
2009

  

Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31,
2008

  

Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31,
2007

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Advisory Fee Paid

   $ 10,049,028    $ 10,098,828    $ 9,871,650

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Advisor

   $ 201,056    $ 438,887    $ 393,123

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Advisory Fee Paid

   $ 1,091,965    $ 906,107    $ 830,218

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Advisor

   $ 353,794    $ 391,465    $ 0

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Advisory Fee Paid

   $ 1,610,500    $ 1,570,491    $ 1,479,139

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Advisor

   $ 407,124    $ 550,364    $ 0

NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Advisory Fee Paid

   $ 350,495    $ 321,252    $ 305,100

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Advisor

   $ 239,649    $ 287,592    $ 0

NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Advisory Fee Paid

   $ 1,447,859    $ 1,098,000    $ 699,457

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Advisor

   $ 389,875    $ 409,913    $ 0

RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Advisory Fee Paid

   $ 525,720    $ 563,862    $ 562,225

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Advisor

   $ 254,908    $ 318,052    $ 0

CA Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Advisory Fee Paid

   $ 2,020,284    $ 2,181,403    $ 2,224,876

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Advisor

   $ 73,450    $ 29,313    $ 128,219

CT Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Advisory Fee Paid

   $ 462,542    $ 524,477    $ 588,869

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Advisor

   $ 157,165    $ 160,592    $ 158,586

MA Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Advisory Fee Paid

   $ 658,411    $ 722,531    $ 814,125

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Advisor

   $ 120,205    $ 0    $ 0

NY Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Advisory Fee Paid

   $ 334,848    $ 359,613    $ 415,966

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Advisor

   $ 169,148    $ 169,561    $ 178,262

 

51


Table of Contents

Portfolio Manager(s)

The following provides additional information about the portfolio manager(s) of the Advisor who are responsible for making the day-to-day investment decisions for the Funds. As described in the Management of the Fund — Primary Service Providers section of each Fund’s prospectuses, the portfolio manager(s) of the Advisor who are responsible for the Funds are:

Portfolio Manager(s) of the Advisor

 

Portfolio Manager

  

Fund

Brian McGreevy   

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

Kimberly Campbell   

CA Tax-Exempt Fund

CT Tax-Exempt Fund

MA Tax-Exempt Fund

NY Tax-Exempt Fund

Compensation

As of the Funds’ most recent fiscal year end, the Advisor’s portfolio managers received all of their compensation from the Advisor and its parent company, Columbia Management Group, LLC, in the form of salary, bonus, stock options, restricted stock, and notional investments through an incentive plan, the value of which is measured by reference to the performance of the Columbia Funds in which the account is invested. A portfolio manager’s bonus is variable and generally is based on (1) an evaluation of the portfolio manager’s investment performance and (2) the results of a peer and/or management review of the portfolio manager, which takes into account skills and attributes such as team participation, investment process, communication and professionalism. In evaluating investment performance, the Advisor generally considers the one, three and five year performance of mutual funds and other accounts managed by the portfolio manager relative to the benchmarks and peer groups noted below, emphasizing the portfolio manager’s three and five year performance. The Advisor also may consider a portfolio manager’s performance in managing client assets in sectors and industries assigned to the portfolio manager as part of his/her investment team responsibilities, where applicable. For portfolio managers who also have group management responsibilities, another factor in their evaluation is an assessment of the group’s overall investment performance.

Performance Benchmarks

 

Portfolio Manager

  

Benchmark(s)

  

Peer Group(s)

Brian McGreevy   

Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index

(CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund)

  

Lipper Other States Intermediate Municipal Debt Funds Classification

(CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund and RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund)

 

52


Table of Contents

Portfolio Manager

  

Benchmark(s)

  

Peer Group(s)

      Lipper Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Debt Funds Classification
      (MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund)
Brian McGreevy    Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index and Barclays Capital New York 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund)   

Lipper New York Intermediate Municipal Debt Funds Classification

(NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund)

Brian McGreevy    Barclays Capital 3-15 Year Blend Municipal Bond Index (Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund)   

Lipper Intermediate Municipal Debt Funds Classification

(Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund)

Kimberly Campbell   

Barclays Capital Municipal Bond Index

(CA Tax-Exempt Fund, CT Tax-Exempt Fund, MA Tax-Exempt Fund and NY Tax-Exempt Fund)

  

Lipper California Municipal Debt Funds Classification

(CA Tax-Exempt Fund)

Lipper Connecticut Municipal Debt Funds Classification

  

and

   (CT Tax-Exempt Fund)
  

Barclays Capital California Municipal Bond Index

(CA Tax-Exempt Fund)

  

Lipper Massachusetts Municipal Debt Funds Classification

(MA Tax-Exempt Fund)

  

 

Barclays Capital New York Municipal Bond Index

(NY Tax-Exempt Fund)

  

Lipper New York Municipal Debt Funds Classification

(NY Tax-Exempt Fund)

     

The size of the overall bonus pool each year is determined by Columbia Management Group, LLC and depends on, among other factors, the levels of compensation generally in the investment management industry (based on market compensation data) and the Advisor’s profitability for the year, which is largely determined by assets under management.

Other Accounts

The following table shows the number and assets of other investment accounts (or portions of investment accounts) that the portfolio manager(s) of the Advisor managed, as of October 31, 2009.

Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Manager(s)

 

Portfolio Manager

   Other SEC-registered open-
end and closed-end funds
   Other pooled
investment vehicles
   Other accounts
     Number of
accounts
   Assets    Number of
accounts
   Assets    Number of
accounts
   Assets

Brian McGreevy(a)

   6    $ 1.55 billion    0    $ 0    8    $ 1.06 billion

Brian McGreevy(b)

   6    $ 3.82 billion    0    $ 0    8    $ 1.06 billion

Brian McGreevy(c)

   6    $ 3.72 billion    0    $ 0    8    $ 1.06 billion

Brian McGreevy(d)

   6    $ 3.99 billion    0    $ 0    8    $ 1.06 billion

Brian McGreevy(e)

   6    $ 3.74 billion    0    $ 0    8    $ 1.06 billion

Brian McGreevy(f)

   6    $ 3.96 billion    0    $ 0    8    $ 1.06 billion

 

53


Table of Contents

Portfolio Manager

   Other SEC-registered open-
end and closed-end funds
   Other pooled
investment vehicles
   Other accounts
     Number of
accounts
   Assets    Number of
accounts
   Assets    Number of
accounts
   Assets

Kimberly Campbell(g)

   6    $ 2.99 billion    0    $ 0    18    $ 870,000

Kimberly Campbell(h)

   6    $ 3.30 billion    0    $ 0    18    $ 870,000

Kimberly Campbell(i)

   6    $ 3.27 billion    0    $ 0    18    $ 870,000

Kimberly Campbell(j)

   6    $ 3.33 billion    0    $ 0    18    $ 870,000

 

(a) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.
(b) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.
(c) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.
(d) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.
(e) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.
(f) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.
(g) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than CA Tax-Exempt Fund.
(h) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than CT Tax-Exempt Fund.
(i) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than MA Tax-Exempt Fund.
(j) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than NY Tax-Exempt Fund.

The following table shows the number and assets of the above accounts (or portions of such accounts) for which the advisory fee is based on performance, as of October 31, 2009.

Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Manager(s) for which the Advisory Fee is Based on Performance

 

Portfolio Manager

   Other SEC-registered open-
end and closed-end funds
   Other pooled
investment vehicles
   Other accounts
     Number of
accounts
   Assets    Number of
accounts
   Assets    Number of
accounts
   Assets

Brian McGreevy(a)

   0    $ 0    0    $ 0    0    $ 0

Brian McGreevy(b)

   0    $ 0    0    $ 0    0    $ 0

Brian McGreevy(c)

   0    $ 0    0    $ 0    0    $ 0

Brian McGreevy(d)

   0    $ 0    0    $ 0    0    $ 0

Brian McGreevy(e)

   0    $ 0    0    $ 0    0    $ 0

Brian McGreevy(f)

   0    $ 0    0    $ 0    0    $ 0

Kimberly Campbell(g)

   0    $ 0    0    $ 0    0    $ 0

Kimberly Campbell(h)

   0    $ 0    0    $ 0    0    $ 0

Kimberly Campbell(i)

   0    $ 0    0    $ 0    0    $ 0

Kimberly Campbell(j)

   0    $ 0    0    $ 0    0    $ 0

 

(a) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.
(b) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.
(c) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.
(d) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.

 

54


Table of Contents
(e) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.
(f) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund.
(g) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than CA Tax-Exempt Fund.
(h) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than CT Tax-Exempt Fund.
(i) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than MA Tax-Exempt Fund.
(j) “Other SEC-registered open-end and closed-end funds” represents funds other than NY Tax-Exempt Fund.

Ownership of Securities

The table below shows the dollar ranges of shares of each Fund beneficially owned (as determined pursuant to Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act) by each Fund’s portfolio manager(s), as of October 31, 2009.

Portfolio Manager Ownership of the Funds as of October 31, 2009

 

Portfolio Manager

  

Fund

  

Dollar Range of Equity Securities

in the Fund Beneficially Owned

Brian McGreevy    CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    None
Brian McGreevy    NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund   

None

Brian McGreevy    NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    None
Brian McGreevy    RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    None
Brian McGreevy    Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    None
Brian McGreevy    MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund    $100,001-$500,000(a)
Kimberly Campbell    CA Tax-Exempt Fund    None
Kimberly Campbell    CT Tax-Exempt Fund    None
Kimberly Campbell    MA Tax-Exempt Fund    None
Kimberly Campbell    NY Tax-Exempt Fund    None

 

(a) Excludes any notional investments.

The Advisor’s Portfolio Managers and Potential Conflicts of Interests

Like other investment professionals with multiple clients, a Fund’s portfolio manager(s) may face certain potential conflicts of interest in connection with managing both the Fund and other accounts at the same time. The Advisor and the Funds have adopted compliance policies and procedures that attempt to address certain of the potential conflicts that portfolio managers face in this regard. Certain of these conflicts of interest are summarized below.

The management of accounts with different advisory fee rates and/or fee structures, including accounts that pay advisory fees based on account performance (performance fee accounts), may raise potential conflicts of interest for a portfolio manager by creating an incentive to favor higher fee accounts.

Potential conflicts of interest also may arise when a portfolio manager has personal investments in other accounts that may create an incentive to favor those accounts. As a general matter and subject to the Advisor’s Code of Ethics and certain limited exceptions, the Advisor’s investment professionals do not have the opportunity to invest in client accounts, other than the Funds.

A portfolio manager who is responsible for managing multiple funds and/or accounts may devote unequal time and attention to the management of those funds and/or accounts. The effects of this potential conflict may be more pronounced where funds and/or accounts managed by a particular portfolio manager have different investment strategies.

A portfolio manager may be able to select or influence the selection of the broker/dealers that are used to execute securities transactions for the Funds. A portfolio manager’s decision as to the selection of broker/dealers could produce disproportionate costs and benefits among the Funds and the other accounts the portfolio manager manages.

 

55


Table of Contents

A potential conflict of interest may arise when a portfolio manager buys or sells the same securities for a Fund and other accounts. On occasions when a portfolio manager considers the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interests of a Fund as well as other accounts, the Advisor’s trading desk may, to the extent consistent with applicable laws and regulations, aggregate the securities to be sold or bought in order to obtain the best execution and lower brokerage commissions, if any. Aggregation of trades may create the potential for unfairness to a Fund or another account if a portfolio manager favors one account over another in allocating the securities bought or sold.

“Cross trades,” in which a portfolio manager sells a particular security held by a Fund to another account (potentially saving transaction costs for both accounts), could involve a potential conflict of interest if, for example, a portfolio manager is permitted to sell a security from one account to another account at a higher price than an independent third party would pay. The Advisor and the Funds have adopted compliance procedures that provide that any transactions between a Fund and another account managed by the Advisor are to be made at a current market price, consistent with applicable laws and regulations.

Another potential conflict of interest may arise based on the different investment objectives and strategies of a Fund and other accounts managed by its portfolio manager(s). Depending on another account’s objectives and other factors, a portfolio manager may give advice to and make decisions for a Fund that may differ from advice given, or the timing or nature of decisions made, with respect to another account. A portfolio manager’s investment decisions are the product of many factors in addition to basic suitability for the particular account involved. Thus, a portfolio manager may buy or sell a particular security for certain accounts, and not for a Fund, even though it could have been bought or sold for the Fund at the same time. A portfolio manager also may buy a particular security for one or more accounts when one or more other accounts are selling the security (including short sales). There may be circumstances when a portfolio manager’s purchases or sales of portfolio securities for one or more accounts may have an adverse effect on other accounts, including the Funds.

A Fund’s portfolio manager(s) also may have other potential conflicts of interest in managing the Fund, and the description above is not a complete description of every conflict that could exist in managing the Fund and other accounts. Many of the potential conflicts of interest to which the Advisor’s portfolio managers are subject are essentially the same or similar to the potential conflicts of interest related to the investment management activities of the Advisor and its affiliates. See Investment Advisory and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information about conflicts of interest, including those that relate to the Advisor and its affiliates.

The Administrator

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (which is also the Advisor) serves as Administrator of the Funds.

Services Provided

Pursuant to the terms of the Administration Agreement, the Administrator has agreed to, among other things, (i) provide office space, equipment and clerical personnel; (ii) arrange, if desired by the Trust, for its directors, officers and employees to serve as Trustees, officers or agents of each Fund; (iii) prepare and, if applicable, file all documents required for compliance by each Fund with applicable laws and regulations; (iv) prepare agendas and supporting documents for and minutes of meetings of Trustees, committees of Trustees and shareholders; (v) coordinate and oversee the activities of each Fund’s other third party service providers; and (vi) maintain certain books and records of each Fund.

Administration Fee Rates and Fees Paid

The Administrator receives fees as compensation for its services, which are computed daily and paid monthly, as set forth in the Administration Agreement, and as shown in the section entitled Fees and Expenses of the Fund — Annual Fund Operating Expenses in each Fund’s prospectuses.

 

56


Table of Contents

The following chart shows the administration fees paid to the Administrator for the three most recently completed fiscal years.

Administration Fees Paid by the Funds

 

Fund

   Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31,
2009
   Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31,
2008
   Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31,
2007

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Administrative Fee Paid

   $ 1,638,608    $ 1,647,626    $ 1,606,488

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Administrator

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 0

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Administrative Fee Paid

   $ 152,420    $ 126,477    $ 115,885

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Administrator

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 0

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Administrative Fee Paid

   $ 224,799    $ 219,214    $ 206,463

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Administrator

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 0

NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Administrative Fee Paid

   $ 48,923    $ 44,841    $ 42,587

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Administrator

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 0

NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Administrative Fee Paid

   $ 202,097    $ 153,263    $ 97,632

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Administrator

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 0

RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Administrative Fee Paid

   $ 73,382    $ 78,706    $ 78,477

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Administrator

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 0

CA Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Administrative Fee Paid

     N/A      N/A      N/A

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Administrator

     N/A      N/A      N/A

CT Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Administrative Fee Paid

     N/A      N/A      N/A

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Administrator

     N/A      N/A      N/A

MA Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Administrative Fee Paid

     N/A      N/A      N/A

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Administrator

     N/A      N/A      N/A

NY Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Administrative Fee Paid

     N/A      N/A      N/A

Amount Waived/Reimbursed by the Administrator

     N/A      N/A      N/A

Pricing and Bookkeeping Services

State Street Bank and Trust Company is responsible for providing certain pricing and bookkeeping services to the Funds. Columbia Management Advisors, LLC is responsible for overseeing the performance of these services and for certain other services.

Services Provided

Effective December 15, 2006, the Trust entered into a Financial Reporting Services Agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (the Financial Reporting Services Agreement) pursuant to which State Street Bank and Trust Company provides financial reporting services to the Funds. Also effective December 15, 2006, the Trust entered into an Accounting Services Agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (collectively with the Financial Reporting Services Agreement, the State Street Agreements) pursuant to which State Street Bank and Trust

 

57


Table of Contents

Company provides accounting services to the Funds. Under the State Street Agreements, each Fund pays State Street Bank and Trust Company an annual fee of $38,000 paid monthly plus a monthly fee based on an annualized percentage rate of average daily net assets of the Fund for the month. The aggregate fee for a Fund during any year shall not exceed $140,000 annually (exclusive of out-of-pocket expenses and charges). The Funds also reimburse State Street Bank and Trust Company for certain out-of-pocket expenses and charges.

Effective December 15, 2006, the Trust entered into a Pricing and Bookkeeping Oversight and Services Agreement (the Services Agreement) with Columbia Management Advisors, LLC. Under the Services Agreement, Columbia Management Advisors, LLC provides services related to Fund expenses and the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and provides oversight of the accounting and financial reporting services provided by State Street Bank and Trust Company. Under the Services Agreement, each Fund reimburses Columbia Management Advisors, LLC for out-of-pocket expenses and charges, including fees payable to third parties, such as for pricing the Fund’s portfolio securities, incurred by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC in the performance of services under the Services Agreement. Prior to January 1, 2008, the Funds also reimbursed Columbia Management Advisors, LLC for accounting oversight services, services related to Fund expenses and the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Prior to December 15, 2006, Columbia Management Advisors, LLC was responsible for providing pricing and bookkeeping services to the Funds under a pricing and bookkeeping agreement and was entitled to receive an annual fee at the same rate described above under the State Street Agreements. Under separate agreements between Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and State Street Bank and Trust Company, Columbia Management Advisors, LLC delegated certain functions to State Street Bank and Trust Company. As a result of the delegation, the total fees payable under the pricing and bookkeeping agreement (other than certain reimbursements paid to Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and discussed below) were paid to State Street Bank and Trust Company. The Funds also reimbursed Columbia Management Advisors, LLC for out-of-pocket expenses and charges, including fees payable to third parties for pricing the Funds’ portfolio securities and direct internal costs incurred by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC in connection with providing fund accounting oversight and monitoring and certain other services.

Pricing and Bookkeeping Fees Paid

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and State Street Bank and Trust Company received fees from the Funds for their services as reflected in the following chart, which shows the net pricing and bookkeeping fees paid to State Street Bank and Trust Company and to Columbia Management Advisors, LLC for the three most recently completed fiscal years.

Pricing and Bookkeeping Fees Paid by the Funds

 

Fund

  

Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31,
2009

  

Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31,
2008

  

Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31,
2007

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Amount Paid to Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

   $ 0    $ 1,952    $ 38,658

Amount Paid to State Street Bank and Trust Company

   $ 225,008    $ 234,745    $ 203,834

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Amount Paid to Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

   $ 0    $ 1,952    $ 26,132

Amount Paid to State Street Bank and Trust Company

   $ 92,354    $ 82,987    $ 63,275

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Amount Paid to Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

   $ 0    $ 1,952    $ 29,441

Amount Paid to State Street Bank and Trust Company

   $ 110,446    $ 110,480    $ 86,008

 

58


Table of Contents

Fund

  

Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31,
2009

  

Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31,
2008

  

Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31,
2007

NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Amount Paid to Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

   $ 0    $ 1,952    $ 23,258

Amount Paid to State Street Bank and Trust Company

   $ 65,150    $ 66,677    $ 42,364

NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Amount Paid to Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

   $ 0    $ 1,952    $ 25,228

Amount Paid to State Street Bank and Trust Company

   $ 105,046    $ 95,950    $ 56,426

RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Amount Paid to Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

   $ 0    $ 1,952    $ 24,621

Amount Paid to State Street Bank and Trust Company

   $ 68,705    $ 69,076    $ 53,279

CA Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Amount Paid to Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

   $ 0    $ 1,952    $ 33,085

Amount Paid to State Street Bank and Trust Company

   $ 124,648    $ 129,096    $ 111,573

CT Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Amount Paid to Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

   $ 0    $ 1,952    $ 24,798

Amount Paid to State Street Bank and Trust Company

   $ 61,643    $ 62,893    $ 56,215

MA Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Amount Paid to Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

   $ 0    $ 1,952    $ 25,956

Amount Paid to State Street Bank and Trust Company

   $ 67,579    $ 67,981    $ 61,503

NY Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Amount Paid to Columbia Management Advisors, LLC

   $ 0    $ 1,952    $ 23,873

Amount Paid to State Street Bank and Trust Company

   $ 56,413    $ 55,062    $ 49,744

The Principal Underwriter/Distributor

Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. serves as the principal underwriter and distributor for the continuous offering of shares of the Funds pursuant to a Distribution Agreement. The Distribution Agreement obligates the Distributor to use appropriate efforts to find purchasers for the shares of the Funds. The Distributor’s address is: One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111.

Distribution Obligations

Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent, sells shares of the Funds on a continuous basis and transmits purchase and redemption orders that it receives to the Trust or the Transfer Agent or their designated agents. Additionally, the Distributor has agreed to use appropriate efforts to solicit orders for the sale of shares and to undertake advertising and promotion as it believes appropriate in connection with such solicitation. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, at its own expense, finances those activities which are primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the Funds, including, but not limited to, advertising, compensation of underwriters, dealers and sales personnel, the printing and mailing of prospectuses to other than existing shareholders, and the printing and mailing of sales literature. The Distributor, however, may be compensated or reimbursed for all or a portion of such expenses to the extent permitted by a Distribution Plan adopted by the Trust pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Distribution Agreement became effective with respect to each Fund after approval by its Board, and after an initial two-year period, continues from year to year, provided that continuation of the Distribution Agreement is specifically approved at least annually by the Board, including its Independent Trustees. The Distribution Agreement terminates automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable with respect to each Fund at any time without penalty by the Trust (by vote of the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund) or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice.

 

59


Table of Contents

Underwriting Commissions

The following table shows all commissions and other compensation received by the Distributor, as well as amounts the Distributor retained for the Funds’ three most recent fiscal years.

Underwriting Commissions Paid by the Funds and Retained by the Distributor

 

Fund

   Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31, 2009
   Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31, 2008
   Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31, 2007

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Class A Paid

   $ 73,980    $ 23,668    $ 20,256

Class T Paid

   $ 159    $ 114    $ 71.26

Class A Retained

   $ 7,431    $ 2,714    $ 2,554

Class T Retained

   $ 19    $ 22    $ 8
          (underwriting
discount)
  

(underwriting
discounts)

(CDSC)

Class B Retained

   $ 3,507    $ 11,713    $ 12,049

Class C Retained

   $ 3,169    $ 1,149    $ 269

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Class A Paid

   $ 20,003    $ 14,473    $ 5,712

Class T Paid

   $ 166    $ 170    $ 445.47

Class A Retained

   $ 18,809    $ 1,521    $ 566

Class T Retained

   $ 22    $ 24    $ 51
          (underwriting
discount)
   (underwriting
discounts)
(CDSC)

Class B Retained

   $ 4,348    $ 2,628    $ 16,632

Class C Retained

   $ 24    $ 757    $ 1

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Class A Paid

   $ 31,161    $ 15,140    $ 19,092

Class T Paid

   $ 1,290    $ 2,605    $ 1,501.62

Class A Retained

   $ 27,552    $ 1,532    $ 2,855

Class T Retained

   $ 192    $ 418    $ 232
          (underwriting
discount)
   (underwriting
discounts)
(CDSC)

Class B Retained

   $ 1,002    $ 2,432    $ 12,457

Class C Retained

   $ 1,024    $ 291    $ 718

NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Class A Paid

   $ 18,596    $ 7,344    $ 6,136

Class T Paid

   $ 519    $ 390    $ 728.69

Class A Retained

   $ 1,672    $ 613    $ 547

Class T Retained

   $ 67    $ 59    $ 114
          (underwriting
discount)
   (underwriting
discounts)
(CDSC)

Class B Retained

   $ 1,232    $ 4,129    $ 4,461

Class C Retained

   $ 118    $ 100    $ 123

 

60


Table of Contents

Fund

   Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31, 2009
   Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31, 2008
   Fiscal Year
Ended
October 31, 2007

NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Class A Paid

   $ 36,174    $ 9,534    $ 1,454

Class T Paid

   $ 131    $ 86    $ 1,390.32

Class A Retained

   $ 3,369    $ 860    $ 109

Class T Retained

   $ 17    $ 9    $ 267
          (underwriting
discount)
   (underwriting
discounts)
(CDSC)

Class B Retained

   $ 1,620    $ 995    $ 11,644

Class C Retained

   $ 1,018    $ 417    $ 1,677

RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

        

Class A Paid

   $ 2,902    $ 706    $ 6,355

Class T Paid

   $ 1,004    $ 9    $ 655.70

Class A Retained

   $ 7,304    $ 81    $ 844

Class T Retained

   $ 204    $ 2    $ 137
          (underwriting
discount)
   (underwriting
discounts)
(CDSC)

Class B Retained

   $ 300    $ 1,653    $ 8,568

Class C Retained

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 1

CA Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Class A Paid

   $ 228,370    $ 226,908    $ 185,016

Class A Retained

   $ 101,612    $ 27,845    $ 22,365
          (underwriting
discount)
   (underwriting
discounts)
(CDSC)

Class B Retained

   $ 6,819    $ 21,054    $ 26,430

Class C Retained

   $ 11,765    $ 7,517    $ 235

CT Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Class A Paid

   $ 81,306    $ 60,652    $ 36,337

Class A Retained

   $ 10,073    $ 7,301    $ 3,961
          (underwriting
discount)
   (underwriting
discounts)
(CDSC)

Class B Retained

   $ 5,835    $ 13,389    $ 29,439

Class C Retained

   $ 168    $ 467    $ 40

MA Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Class A Paid

   $ 81,633    $ 94,886    $ 59,297

Class A Retained

   $ 10,514    $ 10,095    $ 7,054
          (underwriting
discount)
   (underwriting
discounts)
(CDSC)

Class B Retained

   $ 6,014    $ 14,829    $ 41,390

Class C Retained

   $ 742    $ 1,922    $ 1,534

NY Tax-Exempt Fund

        

Class A Paid

   $ 68,365    $ 38,175    $ 42,781

Class A Retained

   $ 8,410    $ 4,631    $ 4,771
          (underwriting
discount)
   (underwriting
discounts)
(CDSC)

Class B Retained

   $ 2,394    $ 18,972    $ 35,280

Class C Retained

   $ 453    $ 321    $ 33

 

61


Table of Contents

LOGO     Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest

As described above in the Investment Advisory and Other Services section of this SAI, and in the Management of the Fund — Primary Service Providers section of each Fund’s prospectus, the Advisor, Administrator, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Bank of America, receive compensation from the Funds for the various services they provide to the Funds. Additional information as to the specific terms regarding such compensation is set forth in these affiliated service providers’ contracts with the Funds, each of which typically is included as an exhibit to Part C of each Fund’s registration statement.

In many instances, the compensation paid to the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates for the services they provide to the Funds is based, in some manner, on the size of the Funds’ assets under management. As the size of the Funds’ assets under management grows, so does the amount of compensation paid to the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates for providing services to the Funds This relationship between Fund assets and affiliated service provider compensation may create economic and other conflicts of interests of which Fund investors should be aware. These potential conflicts of interest, as well as additional ones, are discussed in detail below and also are addressed in other disclosure materials, including the Funds’ prospectuses. These conflicts of interest also are highlighted in account documentation and other disclosure materials of Bank of America affiliates that make available or offer the Columbia Funds as investments in connection with their respective products and services. In addition, Part 1A of the Advisor’s Form ADV, which it must file with the SEC as an investment advisor registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, provides information about the Advisor’s business, assets under management, affiliates and potential conflicts of interest. Part 1A of the Advisor’s Form ADV is available online through the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

Additional actual or potential conflicts of interest and certain investment activity limitations that could affect the Funds may arise from the financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates, including, for example, the investment advisory/management services provided for clients and customers other than the Funds. In this regard, Bank of America is a major financial services company. Bank of America and its affiliates, including, for example, BANA (including its U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management division), BAS, Merrill Lynch, MLPF&S and the First Republic division of Merrill Lynch Bank & Trust Co., are engaged in a wide range of financial activities beyond the mutual fund-related activities of the Advisor, including, among others, commercial banking, investment banking, broker/dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. The broad range of financial services activities of Bank of America and its affiliates may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies, that may be bought, sold or held by the Funds. The following describes certain actual and potential conflicts of interest that may be presented.

Actual and Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to the Investment Advisory/Management Activities of Bank of America and its Affiliates in Connection With Other Advised/Managed Funds and Accounts

The Advisor and other affiliates of Bank of America may advise or manage funds and accounts other than the Funds. In this regard, Bank of America and its affiliates may provide investment advisory/management and other services to other advised/managed funds and accounts that are similar to those provided to the Funds. The Advisor and Bank of America’s other investment advisor affiliates (including, for example, Columbia Wanger Asset Management, L.P.) will give advice to and make decisions for all advised/managed funds and accounts, including the Funds, as they believe to be in that fund’s and/or account’s best interests, consistent with their fiduciary duties. The Funds and the other advised/managed funds and accounts of Bank of America and its affiliates are separately and potentially divergently managed, and there is no assurance that any investment advice Bank of America and its affiliates give to other advised/managed funds and accounts will also be given simultaneously or otherwise to the Funds.

A variety of other actual and potential conflicts of interest may arise from the advisory relationships of the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates with other clients and customers. Advice given to the Funds and/or

 

62


Table of Contents

investment decisions made for the Funds by the Advisor or other Bank of America affiliates may differ from, or may conflict with, advice given to and/or investment decisions made for other advised/managed funds and accounts. As a result, the performance of the Funds may differ from the performance of other funds or accounts advised/managed by the Advisor or other Bank of America affiliates. Similarly, a position taken by Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, on behalf of other funds or accounts may be contrary to a position taken on behalf of the Funds. Moreover, Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, may take a position on behalf of other advised/managed funds and accounts, or for their own proprietary accounts, that is adverse to companies or other issuers in which the Funds are invested. For example, the Funds may hold equity securities of a company while another advised/managed fund or account may hold debt securities of the same company. If the portfolio company were to experience financial difficulties, it might be in the best interest of the Funds for the company to reorganize while the interests of the other advised/managed fund or account might be better served by the liquidation of the company. This type of conflict of interest could arise as the result of circumstances that cannot be generally foreseen within the broad range of investment advisory/management activities in which Bank of America and its affiliates engage.

Investment transactions made on behalf of other funds or accounts advised/managed by the Advisor or other Bank of America affiliates also may have a negative effect on the value, price or investment strategies of the Funds. For example, this could occur if another advised/managed fund or account implements an investment decision ahead of, or at the same time as, the Funds and causes the Funds to experience less favorable trading results than they otherwise would have experienced based on market liquidity factors. In addition, the other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates, including the other Columbia Funds, may have the same or very similar investment objective and strategies as the Funds. In this situation, the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Funds and other funds and/ or accounts advised/managed by the Advisor or other Bank of America affiliates may create conflicts of interest especially where, for example, limited investment availability is involved. The Advisor has adopted policies and procedures addressing the allocation of investment opportunities among the Funds and other funds and accounts advised by the Advisor and other affiliates of Bank of America. For more information, see Investment Advisory and Other Services — The Advisor and Investment Advisory Services — Portfolio Manager(s) — The Advisor’s Portfolio Managers and Potential Conflicts of Interests.

Sharing of Information among Advised/Managed Accounts

Bank of America and its affiliates also may possess information that could be material to the management of a Fund and may not be able to, or may determine not to, share that information with the Fund, even though the information might be beneficial to the Fund. This information may include actual knowledge regarding the particular investments and transactions of other advised/managed funds and accounts, as well as proprietary investment, trading and other market research, analytical and technical models, and new investment techniques, strategies and opportunities. Depending on the context, Bank of America and its affiliates generally will have no obligation to share any such information with the Funds. In general, employees of Bank of America and its affiliates, including the portfolio managers of the Advisor, will make investment decisions without regard to information otherwise known by other employees of Bank of America and its affiliates, and generally will have no obligation to access any such information and may, in some instances, not be able to access such information because of legal and regulatory constraints or the internal policies and procedures of Bank of America and its affiliates. For example, if the Advisor or another Bank of America affiliate, or their respective employees, come into possession of non-public information regarding another advised/managed fund or account, they may be prohibited by legal and regulatory constraints, or internal policies and procedures, from using that information in connection with transactions made on behalf of the Funds. For more information, see Investment Advisory and Other Services — The Advisor and Investment Advisory Services — Portfolio Manager(s) — The Advisor’s Portfolio Managers and Potential Conflicts of Interests.

 

63


Table of Contents

Soft Dollar Benefits

Certain products and services, commonly referred to as “soft dollar services” (including, to the extent permitted by law, research reports, economic and financial data, financial publications, proxy analysis, computer databases and other research-oriented materials), that the Advisor may receive in connection with brokerage services provided to a Fund may have the inadvertent effect of disproportionately benefiting other advised/ managed funds or accounts. This could happen because of the relative amount of brokerage services provided to a Fund as compared to other advised/managed funds or accounts, as well as the relative compensation paid by a Fund.

Services Provided to Other Advised/Managed Accounts

Bank of America and its affiliates also may act as an investment advisor, investment manager, administrator, transfer agent, custodian, trustee, broker/dealer, agent, or in another capacity, for advised/managed funds and accounts other than the Funds, and may receive compensation for acting in such capacity. This compensation that the Advisor, Distributor and Transfer Agent and other Bank of America affiliates receive could be greater than the compensation Bank of America and its affiliates receive for acting in the same or similar capacity for the Funds. In addition, the Advisor, Distributor and Transfer Agent and other Bank of America affiliates may receive other benefits, including enhancement of new or existing business relationships. This compensation and/or the benefits that Bank of America and its affiliates may receive from other advised/ managed funds and accounts and other relationships could potentially create incentives to favor other advised/ managed funds and accounts over the Funds. Trades made by Bank of America and its affiliates for the Funds may be, but are not required to be, aggregated with trades made for other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Advisor and other Bank of America affiliates. If trades are aggregated among the Funds and those other funds and accounts, the various prices of the securities being traded may be averaged, which could have the potential effect of disadvantaging the Funds as compared to the other funds and accounts with which trades were aggregated.

Proxy Voting

Although the Advisor endeavors to make all proxy voting decisions with respect to the interests of the Funds for which it is responsible in accordance with its proxy voting policies and procedures, the Advisor’s proxy voting decisions with respect to a Fund’s portfolio securities may nonetheless benefit other advised/managed funds and accounts, and/or clients, of Bank of America and its affiliates. The Advisor has adopted proxy voting policies and procedures that are designed to provide that all proxy voting is done in the best interests of its clients, including the Funds, without any resulting benefit or detriment to the Advisor and/or its affiliates, including Bank of America and its affiliates. For more information about the Advisor’s proxy voting policies and procedures, see Investment Advisory and Other Services — Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures.

Certain Trading Activities

The directors/trustees, officers and employees of Bank of America and its affiliates may buy and sell securities or other investments for their own accounts, and in doing so may take a position that is adverse to the Funds. In order to reduce the possibility that such personal investment activities of the directors/trustees, officers and employees of Bank of America and its affiliates will materially adversely affect the Funds, Bank of America and its affiliates have adopted policies and procedures, and the Funds, the Board, the Advisor and the Distributor have each adopted a Code of Ethics that addresses such personal investment activities. For more information, see Investment Advisory and Other Services — Codes of Ethics.

Affiliate Transactions

Subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements, the Funds may enter into transactions in which Bank of America and/or its affiliates may have an interest that potentially conflicts with the interests of the

 

64


Table of Contents

Funds. For example, BAS or MLPF&S may sell securities to the Funds from an offering in which it is an underwriter or from securities that it owns as a dealer, subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

Investment Limitations Arising from Bank of America Activities

Regulatory restrictions applicable to Bank of America and its affiliates may limit the Funds’ investment activities in various ways. For example, regulations regarding certain industries and markets, such as those in emerging or international markets, and certain transactions, such as those involving certain futures and derivatives, may impose a cap on the aggregate amount of investments that may be made by affiliated investors, including accounts managed by the same affiliated manager, in the aggregate or in individual issuers. At certain times, Bank of America and its affiliates also may be restricted in the securities that can be bought or sold for the Funds and other advised/managed funds and accounts because of the investment banking, lending or other relationships Bank of America and its affiliates have with the issuers of securities. This could happen, for example, if the Funds and/or other advised/managed funds and accounts desired to buy a security issued by a company for which Bank of America or its affiliates served as underwriter. The internal policies and procedures of Bank of America and its affiliates covering these types of regulatory restrictions and addressing similar issues also may at times restrict the Funds’ investment activities. A client not advised by Bank of America and its affiliates would not be subject to many of these restrictions. See also About the Funds’ Investments — Certain Investment Activity Limits.

Actual and Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to Bank of America and its Affiliates’ Non-Advisory Relationships with Clients and Customers other than the Funds

The lending, investment banking and other relationships that Bank of America and its affiliates may have with companies and other entities in which a Fund may invest can give rise to actual and potential conflicts of interest. Subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements, a Fund may invest (a) in the securities of Bank of America and/or its affiliates and/or in companies in which Bank of America and its affiliates (including, for example, BANA, BAS, and affiliates of Merrill Lynch) have a lending, investment banking, equity, debt or other interest, and/or (b) in the securities of companies held by other Columbia Funds. The purchase, holding and sale of such securities by a Fund may enhance the profitability and the business interests of Bank of America and/or its affiliates and/or other Columbia Funds. There also may be limitations as to the sharing with the Advisor of information derived from the non-investment advisory/management activities of Bank of America and its affiliates because of legal and regulatory constraints and internal policies and procedures (such as information barriers and ethical walls). Because of these limitations, Bank of America and its affiliates generally will not share information derived from its non-investment advisory/management activities with the Advisor.

Actual and Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to Bank of America Affiliates’ Marketing and Use of the Columbia Funds as Investment Options

Bank of America and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may utilize the Columbia Funds as investment options. For example, the Columbia Funds may be offered as investments in connection with brokerage and other securities products offered by MLPF&S, and may be utilized as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management or the First Republic division of Merrill Lynch Bank & Trust Co., as well as for other Columbia Funds structured as “funds of funds.” In addition, the Columbia Money Market Funds are offered as an investment option for a variety of cash management and “sweep” account programs offered by Bank of America and its affiliates. The Columbia Funds also may use the Columbia Money Market Funds for cash investment purposes. The use of the Columbia Funds in connection with other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest. These conflicts of interest are highlighted in account documentation and other disclosure materials for the other products and services offered by Bank of America and its affiliates.

 

65


Table of Contents

Bank of America and its affiliates, including the Advisor, may make payments to their affiliates in connection with the promotion and sale of the Funds’ shares, in addition to the sales-related and other compensation that these parties may receive from the Funds. As a general matter, personnel of Bank of America and its affiliates, including MLPF&S, do not receive compensation in connection with their sales or use of the Funds that is greater than that paid in connection with their sales of other comparable products and services. Nonetheless, because the compensation that the Advisor and other affiliates of Bank of America may receive for providing services to the Funds is generally based on the Funds’ assets under management and those assets will grow as shares of the Funds are sold, potential conflicts of interest may exist. See Brokerage Allocation and Other Practices — Additional Financial Intermediary Payments for more information.

Other Services Provided

The Transfer Agent

Columbia Management Services, Inc. acts as Transfer Agent for each Fund’s shares and can be contacted at P.O. Box 8081, Boston, MA 02266-8081. Under the Transfer Agency Agreement, the Transfer Agent provides transfer agency, dividend disbursing agency and shareholder servicing agency services to the Funds. Effective November 1, 2009, the Funds pay the Transfer Agent an annual transfer agency fee of $22.36 per account, payable monthly. In addition, effective November 1, 2009, the Funds may reimburse the Transfer Agent for the fees and expenses the Transfer Agent pays to financial intermediaries that maintain omnibus accounts with the Funds, subject to a cap up to $22.36 per account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent on a per account basis and a cap equal to 0.15% of a Fund’s net assets represented by the account for financial intermediaries that seek payment by the Transfer Agent based on a percentage of net assets. The Funds also pay certain reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses to the Transfer Agent. The Transfer Agent also may retain as additional compensation for its services revenues for fees for wire, telephone and redemption orders, IRA trustee agent fees and account transcripts due the Transfer Agent from Fund shareholders and credits (net of bank charges) earned with respect to balances in accounts the Transfer Agent maintains in connection with its services to the Funds. For the period November 1, 2007 through October 31, 2009, the Funds paid the Transfer Agent an annual transfer agency fee of $17.34 per account, payable monthly. In addition, the Funds paid the Transfer Agent for the fees and expenses the Transfer Agent paid to third party dealer firms that maintain omnibus accounts with the Funds, subject to a cap equal to 0.15% of a Fund’s net assets represented by the account. For the period April 1, 2006 through October 31, 2007, the Funds paid the Transfer Agent an annual fee of $17.00 per account, payable monthly.

The Transfer Agent retains BFDS/DST, 2 Heritage Drive, North Quincy, MA 02171 as the Funds’ sub-transfer agent. BFDS/DST assists the Transfer Agent in carrying out its duties.

The Custodian

State Street Bank and Trust Company, which is located at State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111 acts as the Funds’ Custodian. As Custodian, State Street Bank and Trust Company is responsible for safeguarding the Funds’ cash and securities, receiving and delivering securities and collecting the Funds’ interest and dividends.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, which is located at 125 High Street, Boston, MA 02110, is the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm. The Funds issue unaudited financial statements semi-annually and audited financial statements annually. The annual financial statements for the Funds’ fiscal year ended October 31, 2009 have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. The Board has selected PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Funds’ financial statements and assist in the preparation of their tax returns for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2010.

 

66


Table of Contents

The Reports of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and the audited financial statements included in the Funds’ Annual Reports to Shareholders of the Funds dated October 31, 2009 are incorporated herein by reference. No other parts of the annual report or semi-annual report to shareholders are incorporated by reference herein. The financial statements incorporated by reference into the Funds’ prospectuses and this SAI have been so incorporated in reliance upon the report of the independent registered public accounting firm, given on its authority as an expert in auditing and accounting.

Counsel

Ropes & Gray LLP serves as legal counsel to the Trust. Its address is One International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. K&L Gates LLP serves as co-counsel. Its address is Three First National Plaza, 70 West Madison Street, Suite 3300, Chicago, Illinois, 60602-4207.

Distribution and Servicing Plans

The Trust has adopted distribution and shareholder servicing plans for the Class A shares, Class B shares, Class C shares and Class T shares of the Funds. See Capital Stock and Other Securities for information about which Funds offer which classes of shares. The Funds no longer accept investments from new or existing investors in Class B shares, except for certain limited transactions from existing investors in Class B shares. See the prospectuses for Class B shares of the Funds for details.

Under the Shareholder Servicing Plan, each State Bond Fund pays the Distributor a monthly service fee at an annual rate of 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributed to its Class A, Class B and Class C shares. The Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund pays the Distributor a monthly service fee at an annual rate of 0.20% of its average daily net assets attributed to its Class A, Class B and Class C shares. Each Tax-Exempt Fund pays the Distributor a monthly service fee at an annual rate of 0.10% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to the Fund’s Class A, Class B and Class C shares issued prior to December 1, 1994 and a monthly service fee at an annual rate of 0.25% attributable to the Fund’s Class A, Class B and Class C shares issued thereafter. This arrangement results in a rate of service fee for all shares that is a blend between the 0.10% and 0.25% rates.

Under the Distribution Plan, each State Bond Fund pays the Distributor a monthly distribution fee at an annual rate of 0.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributed to its Class B and Class C shares. The Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund pays the Distributor a monthly distribution fee at an annual rate of 0.65% of its average daily net assets attributed to its Class B and Class C shares. Each Tax-Exempt Fund pays the Distributor a monthly distribution fee at an annual rate of 0.75% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributed to its Class B and Class C shares. The Distributor has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of the Class C share distribution fee for each State Bond Fund so that the combined distribution and service fees for each State Bond Fund will not exceed 0.65% annually. The Distributor has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of the Class C share distribution fee for Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund so that the combined distribution and service fees for Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund do not exceed 0.40% annually. The Distributor has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of the Class C shares distribution fee for the Tax-Exempt Funds so that it does not exceed 0.45% annually.

Under the Shareholder Services Plan for Class T shares, the Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund and each State Bond Fund pays for certain services provided to Class T shareholders by their selling and/or servicing agents. The Funds may pay shareholder service fees up to an aggregate annual rate of 0.40% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T shares (comprised of an annual rate of up to 0.20% for shareholder liaison services and up to 0.20% for administrative support services), but such fees will not exceed the Fund’s net investment income attributable to Class T shares. The Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund and NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund limit such fees to an aggregate annual rate of not more than 0.15% of each Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T Shares for shareholder liaison services and administrative

 

67


Table of Contents

support services. The RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund limits such fees to an aggregate annual rate of not more than 0.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class T shares for shareholder liaison services and administrative support services.

Under the shareholder servicing plan, the Board must review, at least quarterly, a written report of the amounts paid under the servicing agreements and the purposes for which those expenditures were made. The initial term of the shareholder servicing plan is one year and it will continue in effect from year to year after its initial one-year term provided that its continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the shareholder servicing plan or in any agreement related to it. Any material amendment to the shareholder servicing plan must be approved in the same manner. The shareholder servicing plan is terminable at any time with respect to the Funds by a vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees. While the shareholder servicing plan is in effect, only the Independent Trustees may select and nominate any future Independent Trustees.

During the most recently completed fiscal year, the Distributor received distribution and service fees from the Funds for its services as reflected in the following chart. The Trust is not aware as to what amount, if any, of the distribution and service fees paid to the Distributor were, on a Fund-by-Fund basis, used for advertising, printing and mailing of prospectuses to other than current shareholders, compensation to broker-dealers, compensation to sales personnel or interest, carrying or other financing charges.

Distribution and Service Fees Paid by the Funds for the Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2009

 

Fund

   Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares    Class T Shares

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

           

Distribution Fee

     —      $ 37,679    $ 99,971      —  

Service Fee

   $ 160,061    $ 11,594    $ 30,748    $ 15,947

Fees Waived by the Distributor

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 69,183    $ 0

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

           

Distribution Fee

     —      $ 18,197    $ 52,195      —  

Service Fee

   $ 33,616    $ 6,066    $ 17,398    $ 26,408

Fees Waived by the Distributor

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 24,357      N/A

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

           

Distribution Fee

     —      $ 10,423    $ 47,375      —  

Service Fee

   $ 39,310    $ 3,474    $ 15,788    $ 58,747

Fees Waived by the Distributor

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 22,104    $ 0

NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

           

Distribution Fee

     —      $ 9,739    $ 26,601      —  

Service Fee

   $ 10,489    $ 3,245    $ 8,865    $ 5,583

Fees Waived by the Distributor

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 12,410    $ 0

NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

           

Distribution Fee

     —      $ 11,757    $ 27,844      —  

Service Fee

   $ 14,234    $ 3,919    $ 9,281    $ 17,583

Fees Waived by the Distributor

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 12,994    $ 0

RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

           

Distribution Fee

     —      $ 2,382    $ 9,149      —  

Service Fee

   $ 7,394    $ 794    $ 3,051      —  

Fees Waived by the Distributor

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 4,268    $ 0

CA Tax-Exempt Fund

           

Distribution Fee

     —      $ 60,505    $ 190,050      N/A

Service Fee

   $ 634,301    $ 19,306    $ 60,763      N/A

Fees Waived by the Distributor

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 76,149      N/A

 

68


Table of Contents

Fund

   Class A Shares    Class B Shares    Class C Shares    Class T Shares

CT Tax-Exempt Fund

           

Distribution Fee

     —      $ 68,025    $ 89,850    N/A

Service Fee

   $ 171,733    $ 21,786    $ 28,797    N/A

Fees Waived by the Distributor

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 35,944    N/A

MA Tax-Exempt Fund

           

Distribution Fee

     —      $ 67,068    $ 71,441    N/A

Service Fee

   $ 260,190    $ 20,536    $ 21,895    N/A

Fees Waived by the Distributor

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 28,604    N/A

NY Tax-Exempt Fund

           

Distribution Fee

     —      $ 68,789    $ 63,116    N/A

Service Fee

   $ 119,106    $ 22,123    $ 20,306    N/A

Fees Waived by the Distributor

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 25,251    N/A

The Distributor may use the entire amount of its fees to defray the costs of commissions and service fees paid to selling and/or servicing agents and for certain other purposes. Since the distribution and service fees are payable regardless of the Distributor’s expenses, the Distributor may realize a profit from the fees. The Distribution Plan authorizes any other payments by the Funds to the Distributor and its affiliates (including the Advisor) to the extent that such payments might be construed to be indirectly financing the distribution of a Fund’s shares.

The Trustees believe the Distribution Plan could be a significant factor in the growth and retention of a Fund’s assets resulting in more advantageous expense ratios and increased investment flexibility which could benefit each class of Fund shareholders. The Distribution Plan will continue in effect from year to year so long as continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a vote of the Trustees, including the Independent Trustees. The Distribution Plan may not be amended to increase the fee materially without approval by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the relevant class of shares, and all material amendments of the Distribution Plan must be approved by the Trustees in the manner provided in the foregoing sentence. The Distribution Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the relevant class of shares.

Expense Limitations

For the State Bond Funds and Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, the Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of each Fund’s expenses so that each Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes, and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from each Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.55% of each Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis.

For the Tax-Exempt Funds, the Advisor has voluntarily agreed to reimburse a portion of each Fund’s expenses so that each Fund’s ordinary operating expenses (excluding any distribution and service fees, brokerage commissions, interest, taxes and extraordinary expenses, but including custodian charges relating to overdrafts, if any), after giving effect to any balance credits from each Fund’s custodian, do not exceed 0.60% of each Fund’s average daily net assets on an annualized basis.

These arrangements may be modified or terminated by the Advisor at any time.

Codes of Ethics

The Funds, the Advisor and the Distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics pursuant to the requirements of the 1940 Act, including Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. These Codes of Ethics permit personnel subject to the Codes of Ethics to invest in securities, including securities that may be bought or held by the Funds. These Codes

 

69


Table of Contents

of Ethics are included as exhibits to Part C of the Funds’ registration statement. These Codes of Ethics can be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room and may be obtained by calling the SEC at 202.551.8090; they also are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, and may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

The Funds have delegated to the Advisor or, as applicable, a sub-advisor, the responsibility to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Funds. In deciding to delegate this responsibility to the Advisor, the Board reviewed and approved the policies and procedures adopted by the Advisor and, as applicable, a sub- advisor. These included the procedures that the Advisor follows when a vote presents a conflict between the interests of the Funds and its shareholders and the Advisor, its affiliates, its other clients or other persons.

The Advisor’s policy is to vote all proxies for Fund securities in a manner considered by the Advisor to be in the best interest of the Funds and their shareholders without regard to any benefit to the Advisor, its affiliates, its other clients or other persons. The Advisor examines each proposal and votes against the proposal, if, in its judgment, approval or adoption of the proposal would be expected to have an adverse impact on the current or potential market value of the issuer’s securities. The Advisor also examines each proposal and votes the proxies against the proposal, if, in its judgment, the proposal would be expected to affect adversely the best interest of the Funds The Advisor determines the best interest of the Funds in light of the potential economic return on the Funds’ investment.

The Advisor seeks to address potential material conflicts of interest by having predetermined voting guidelines. For those proposals that require special consideration or in instances where special circumstances may require varying from the predetermined guideline, the Advisor’s Proxy Voting Committee determines the vote in the best interest of the Funds, without consideration of any benefit to the Advisor, its affiliates, its other clients or other persons. The Advisor’s Proxy Voting Committee is composed of representatives of the Advisor’s equity investments, equity research, compliance, legal and operations functions. In addition to the responsibilities described above, the Proxy Voting Committee has the responsibility to review, at least annually, the Advisor’s proxy voting policies to ensure consistency with internal policies and regulatory requirements and to develop additional predetermined voting guidelines to assist in the review of proxy proposals.

The Proxy Voting Committee may vary from a predetermined guideline if it determines that voting on the proposal according to the predetermined guideline would be expected to have an adverse impact on the current or potential market value of the issuer’s securities or to affect adversely the best interest of the Funds. References to the best interests of the Funds refer to the interest of the Funds in terms of the potential economic return on the client’s investment. In determining the vote on any proposal, the Proxy Voting Committee does not consider any benefit other than benefits to the Funds. A member of the Proxy Voting Committee is prohibited from voting on any proposal for which he or she has a conflict of interest by reason of a direct relationship with the issuer or other party affected by a given proposal. Persons making recommendations to the Proxy Voting Committee or its members are required to disclose to the Committee any relationship with a party making a proposal or other matter known to the person that would create a potential conflict of interest.

The Advisor has retained Glass-Lewis & Co., a third-party vendor, to implement its proxy voting process. Glass-Lewis & Co. provides proxy analysis, record keeping services and vote disclosure services.

Information regarding how the Columbia Funds (except certain Columbia Funds that do not invest in voting securities) voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve month period ended June 30 will be available by August 31 of this year free of charge: (i) through the Columbia Funds’ website at www.columbiafunds.com; and (ii) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. For a copy of the Advisor’s policies and procedures that are used to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Columbia Funds, see Appendix B to this SAI.

 

70


Table of Contents

FUND GOVERNANCE

The Board

Responsibilities

The Board oversees the Trust and the Funds. The Trustees have a fiduciary duty to protect shareholders’ interests when supervising and overseeing the management and operations of the Trust and have the responsibility to assure that the Funds are managed in the best interests of shareholders. The following table provides basic information about the Trustees as of the date of this SAI, including their principal occupations during the past five years, although their specific titles may have varied over the period. The mailing address of each Trustee is: c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02111.

Independent Trustee Biographical Information

 

Name, Year of Birth and

Position Held with the

Trust

 

Year First Appointed
or Elected to a Board
in the Columbia
Funds Complex

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During the Past Five

Years

 

Number of Funds in the
Columbia Funds
Complex Overseen

 

Other Directorships

Held by Trustee

Rodman L. Drake

(Born 1943)

Trustee and Chairman of the Board*

  2007   Co-Founder of Baringo Capital LLC (private equity) since 2002; President, Continuation Investments Group, Inc. from 1997 to 2001   66   Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. (tax preparation services); Crystal River Capital, Inc. (real estate investment trust); Student Loan Corporation (student loan provider); Celgene Corporation (global biotechnology company); and The Helios Funds (exchange-traded funds)

John D. Collins

(Born 1938)

Trustee

  2007   Retired. Consultant, KPMG, LLP (accounting and tax firm) from July 1999 to June 2000; Partner, KPMG, LLP (accounting and tax firm) from March 1962 to June 1999   66   Mrs. Fields Famous Brands LLC (consumer products); Suburban Propane Partners, L.P.; and Montpelier Re (insurance underwriting firm)

Douglas A. Hacker

(Born 1955)

Trustee

  1996   Independent business executive since May 2006; Executive Vice President — Strategy of United Airlines (airline) from December 2002 to   66   Nash Finch Company (food distributor) and Aircastle Limited (aircraft leasing)

 

71


Table of Contents

Name, Year of Birth and

Position Held with the

Trust

 

Year First Appointed
or Elected to a Board
in the Columbia
Funds Complex

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During the Past Five

Years

 

Number of Funds in the
Columbia Funds
Complex Overseen

 

Other Directorships

Held by Trustee

    May 2006; President, UAL Loyalty Services (airline marketing company) from September 2001 to December 2002; Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, United Airlines from July 1999 to September 2001    

Janet Langford Kelly

(Born 1957)

Trustee

  1996   Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, ConocoPhillips (integrated energy company) since September 2007; Deputy General Counsel — Corporate Legal Services, ConocoPhillips from August 2006 to August 2007; Partner, Zelle, Hofmann, Voelbel, Mason & Gette LLP (law firm) from March 2005 to July 2006; Adjunct Professor of Law, Northwestern University from September 2004 to June 2006; Director, UAL Corporation (airline) from February 2006 to July 2006; Chief Administrative Officer and Senior Vice President, Kmart Holding Corporation (consumer goods) from September 2003 to March 2004   66   None

 

72


Table of Contents

Name, Year of Birth and

Position Held with the

Trust

 

Year First Appointed
or Elected to a Board
in the Columbia
Funds Complex

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During the Past Five

Years

 

Number of Funds in the
Columbia Funds
Complex Overseen

 

Other Directorships

Held by Trustee

Charles R. Nelson

(Born 1942)

Trustee

  1981   Professor of Economics, University of Washington since January 1976; Ford and Louisa University of Washington Van Voorhis Professor of Political Economy, University of Washington since September 1993; Adjunct Professor of Statistics, University of Washington since September 1980; Associate Editor, Journal of Money Credit and Banking from September 1993 to 2008; consultant on econometric and statistical matters   66   None

John J. Neuhauser

(Born 1943)

Trustee

  1985   President, Saint Michael’s College, since August 2007; University Professor, Boston College from November 2005 to August 2007; Academic Vice President and Dean of Faculties, Boston College from August 1999 to October 2005   66   Liberty All-Star Equity Fund and Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. (closed-end funds)

Jonathan Piel

(Born 1938)

Trustee

  2007   Cable television producer and web site designer; The Editor, Scientific American, Inc. from 1984 to 1994; Vice President, Scientific American, Inc. from 1984 to 1994; Member, Advisory Board, Stone Age Institute, Bloomington, Indiana (research institute that explores the effect of   66   None

 

73


Table of Contents

Name, Year of Birth and

Position Held with the

Trust

 

Year First Appointed
or Elected to a Board
in the Columbia
Funds Complex

 

Principal Occupation(s)

During the Past Five

Years

 

Number of Funds in the
Columbia Funds
Complex Overseen

 

Other Directorships

Held by Trustee

    technology on human evolution); Member, Board of Directors of the National Institute of Social Sciences, New York City; Member, Board of Trustees of the William Alanson White Institute, New York City (institution for training psychoanalysts); Member, Advisory Board, Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center, New York    

Patrick J. Simpson

(Born 1944)

Trustee

  2000   Partner, Perkins Coie L.L.P. (law firm)   66   None

Anne-Lee Verville

(Born 1945)

Trustee

  1998   Retired since 1997 (formerly, General Manager, General Education Industry from 1994 to 1997, President — Application Systems Division from 1991 to 1994, Chief Financial Officer — US Marketing & Services from 1988 to 1991, and Chief Information Officer from 1987 to 1988, IBM Corporation (computer and technology))   66   None

 

74


Table of Contents

Interested Trustee Biographical Information

 

Name, Year of Birth and

Position Held with the

Trust

  

Year First Appointed
or Elected to a Board
in the Columbia
Funds Complex

  

Principal Occupation(s)

During the Past Five

Years

  

Number of Funds in the
Columbia Funds
Complex Overseen

  

Other Directorships

Held by Trustee

William E. Mayer **

(Born 1940)

Trustee

   1994    Partner, Park Avenue Equity Partners (private equity) since February 1999; Dean and Professor, College of Business, University of Maryland from 1992 to 1997    66    Lee Enterprises (print media), WR Hambrecht + Co. (financial service provider) and BlackRock Kelso Capital Corporation (investment company)

 

* Effective June 12, 2009, the Board elected Mr. Drake as Chairman of the Board.
** Each Fund currently treats Mr. Mayer as an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Columbia Funds by reason of his affiliation with WR Hambrecht + Co., a registered broker/dealer that may execute portfolio transactions for or engage in principal transactions with a Fund or other funds or accounts advised/managed by the Advisor or other Bank of America affiliates.

Standing Committees

The Trust has several standing committees, including the Audit Committee, the Governance Committee, the Advisory Fees & Expenses Committee, the Compliance Committee and the Investment Oversight Committees.

Ms. Verville and Messrs. Collins, Hacker and Nelson are members of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee’s functions include making recommendations to the Board regarding the selection and performance of the independent registered public accounting firm, and reviewing matters relative to accounting and auditing practices and procedures, accounting records and the internal accounting controls of the Funds and certain service providers. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, the Audit Committee met six times.

Messrs. Drake, Hacker, Mayer and Simpson are members of the Governance Committee. The Governance Committee’s functions include recommending to the Board nominees for independent Trustee positions and for appointments to various committees, performing periodic evaluations of the effectiveness of the Board, reviewing and recommending to the Board policies and practices to be followed in carrying out the Trustees’ duties and responsibilities and reviewing and making recommendations to the Board regarding the compensation of the Trustees who are not affiliated with the Advisor. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, the Governance Committee met six times.

The Governance Committee will consider nominees for Trustee recommended by shareholders provided that such recommendations are submitted by the date disclosed in a Fund’s proxy statement and otherwise comply with applicable securities laws, including Rule 14a-8 under the 1934 Act. Such shareholder recommendations must be in writing and should be sent to the attention of the Governance Committee in care of the Fund at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621. Shareholder recommendations should include the proposed nominee’s biographical information (including business experience for the past ten years) and a description of the qualifications of the proposed nominee, along with a statement from the proposed nominee that he or she is willing to serve and meets the requirements to be a disinterested Trustee, if applicable.

Ms. Kelly and Messrs. Hacker, Mayer, Nelson, Neuhauser and Piel are members of the Advisory Fees & Expenses Committee. The Advisory Fees & Expenses Committee’s functions include reviewing and making

 

75


Table of Contents

recommendations to the Board as to contracts requiring approval of a majority of the Independent Trustees and as to any other contracts that may be referred to the Advisory Fees & Expenses Committee by the Board. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, the Advisory Fees & Expenses Committee met eight times.

Mses. Kelly and Verville and Messrs. Nelson and Simpson are members of the Compliance Committee. The Compliance Committee’s functions include providing oversight of the compliance monitoring processes and controls regarding the Funds. The Committee uses legal, regulatory and internal rules, policies, procedures and standards other than those relating to accounting matters and oversight of compliance by the Advisor, Distributor and Transfer Agent. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, the Compliance Committee met seven times.

Each Trustee also serves on an Investment Oversight Committee (IOC). Each IOC is responsible for monitoring, on an ongoing basis, a select group of funds in the Columbia Funds Complex and gives particular consideration to such matters as a Fund’s adherence to their investment mandates, historical performance, changes in investment processes and personnel, and proposed changes to investment objectives. Investment personnel who manage the Fund attend IOC meetings from time to time to assist the applicable IOC in its review of the Fund. Each IOC meets four times a year, as the applicable IOC did for the Funds’ most recently completed fiscal year. The below are members of the respective IOCs and the general categories of funds in the Columbia Funds Complex which they review. These asset categories may be reallocated among the IOCs from time to time.

IOC #1: Mr. Neuhauser and Ms. Verville are responsible for reviewing funds in the following asset categories: Global Stock, International Stock, Large Growth, Mid Value, Fixed Income — Core and Municipal.

IOC #2: Messrs. Collins, Hacker and Mayer are responsible for reviewing funds in the following asset categories: Large Value, Small Growth, Specialty, Fixed Income — High Yield, Multi-Sector and Municipal.

IOC #3: Mr. Piel and Ms. Kelly are responsible for reviewing funds in the following asset categories: Asset Allocation, Index, Large Value, Mid Value, Small Core, Small Value, Money Market, Fixed Income — Municipal and Short Duration.

IOC #4: Messrs. Drake, Nelson and Simpson are responsible for reviewing funds in the following asset categories: Asset Allocation, Large Blend, Mid Growth, Multi Blend, Small Growth, Specialty, Fixed Income — Core, Municipal and Short Duration.

Compensation

Trustees are compensated for their services to the Columbia Funds Family on a complex-wide basis, as shown in the table below.

 

76


Table of Contents

Independent Trustee Compensation for the Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2009

 

Name of Trustee

   Aggregate
Compensation
from
Intermediate
Municipal
Bond Fund
for the Fiscal
Year ended
October 31,
2009(a)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from CT
Intermediate
Municipal
Bond Fund
for the Fiscal
Year ended
October 31,
2009(a)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from MA
Intermediate
Municipal

Bond Fund
for the Fiscal

Year ended
October 31,
2009(a)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from NJ
Intermediate
Municipal
Bond Fund
for the Fiscal
Year ended
October 31,
2009(a)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from NY
Intermediate
Municipal
Bond Fund
for the Fiscal
Year ended
October 31,
2009(a)

Rodman L. Drake(b)

   $ 13,560    $ 2,292    $ 1,597    $ 1,549    $ 2,671

John D. Collins(c)

   $ 10,761    $ 1,819    $ 1,280    $ 1,235    $ 2,120

Douglas A. Hacker

   $ 11,707    $ 1,981    $ 1,394    $ 1,348    $ 2,311

Janet Langford Kelly

   $ 11,272    $ 1,907    $ 1,362    $ 1,299    $ 2,220

Charles R. Nelson

   $ 12,196    $ 2,024    $ 1,451    $ 1,383    $ 2,355

John J. Neuhauser

   $ 11,379    $ 1,890    $ 1,342    $ 1,288    $ 2,207

Jonathan Piel

   $ 10,611    $ 1,762    $ 1,256    $ 1,201    $ 2,056

Patrick J. Simpson(d)

   $ 11,461    $ 1,901    $ 1,353    $ 1,297    $ 2,215

Thomas C. Theobald(e)(g)

   $ 12,668    $ 2,097    $ 1,481    $ 1,433    $ 2,462

Anne-Lee Verville(f)

   $ 11,862    $ 1,970    $ 1,343    $ 1,343    $ 2,295

 

(a) All Trustees receive reimbursements for reasonable expenses related to their attendance at meetings of the Board or standing committees, which are not included in the amounts shown.
(b) During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, Mr. Drake deferred $5,249 of his compensation from Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, $895 of his compensation from CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, $1,256 of his compensation from MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, $615 of his compensation from NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, and $1,035 of his compensation from NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund. During the calendar year ended December 31, 2009, Mr. Drake deferred $116,500 of his total compensation from the Columbia Fund Complex pursuant to the deferred compensation plan. At December 31, 2009, the value of Mr. Drake’s account under that plan was $223,507.
(c) During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, Mr. Collins deferred $5,048 of his compensation from Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, $861 of his compensation from CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, $663 of his compensation from MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, $592 of his compensation from NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, and $995 of his compensation from NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund. During the calendar year ended December 31, 2009, Mr. Collins deferred $116,000 of his total compensation from the Columbia Fund Complex pursuant to the deferred compensation plan. At December 31, 2009, the value of Mr. Collins’ account under that plan was $205,097.
(d) During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, Mr. Simpson deferred $11,461 of his compensation from Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, $1,901 of his compensation from CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, $1,353 of his compensation from MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, $1,297 of his compensation from NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, and $2,215 of his compensation from NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund. During the calendar year ended December 31, 2009, Mr. Simpson deferred $236,000 of his total compensation from the Columbia Fund Complex pursuant to the deferred compensation plan. At December 31, 2009, the value of Mr. Simpson’s account under that plan was $1,051,968.
(e) At December 31, 2009, the value of Mr. Theobald’s account under the deferred compensation plan was $600,183.
(f) At December 31, 2009, the value of Ms. Verville’s account under the deferred compensation plan was $679,903.
(g) Mr. Theobald served as a Trustee of the Trust until February 2010.

 

77


Table of Contents

Independent Trustee Compensation for the Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2009 and the Calendar Year Ended December 31, 2009

 

Name of Trustee

  Aggregate
Compensation
from RI
Intermediate
Municipal
Bond Fund
for the Fiscal
Year ended
October 31,
2009(a)
  Aggregate
Compensation
from CA
Tax-Exempt
Fund for the
Fiscal Year
ended
October 31,
2009(a)
  Aggregate
Compensation
from CT
Tax-Exempt
Fund for the
Fiscal Year
ended
October 31,
2009(a)
  Aggregate
Compensation
from MA
Tax-Exempt
Fund for the
Fiscal Year

Ended
October 31,
2009(a)
  Aggregate
Compensation
from NY
Tax-Exempt
Fund for the
Fiscal Year
ended
October 31,
2009(a)
  Total
Compensation
from the
Columbia
Funds
Complex
Paid to
Independent
Trustees for
the Calendar
Year ended
December 31,
2009(a)

Rodman L. Drake(b)

  $ 1,762   $ 3,260   $ 1,666   $ 1,860   $ 1,535   $ 275,955

John D. Collins(c)

  $ 1,407   $ 2,596   $ 1,331   $ 1,484   $ 1,226   $ 226,990

Douglas A. Hacker

  $ 1,534   $ 2,827   $ 1,452   $ 1,619   $ 1,338   $ 251,005

Janet Langford Kelly

  $ 1,480   $ 2,726   $ 1,401   $ 1,562   $ 1,290   $ 234,000

Charles R. Nelson

  $ 1,572   $ 2,889   $ 1,491   $ 1,661   $ 1,373   $ 249,500

John J. Neuhauser

  $ 1,465   $ 2,697   $ 1,388   $ 1,547   $ 1,278   $ 233,500

Jonathan Piel

  $ 1,366   $ 2,514   $ 1,294   $ 1,443   $ 1,192   $ 218,500

Patrick J. Simpson(d)

  $ 1,474   $ 2,713   $ 1,397   $ 1,557   $ 1,286   $ 236,000

Thomas C. Theobald(e)(g)

  $ 1,633   $ 3,006   $ 1,546   $ 1,723   $ 1,422   $ 248,550

Anne-Lee Verville(f)

  $ 1,527   $ 2,810   $ 1,447   $ 1,613   $ 1,332   $ 244,000

 

(a) All Trustees receive reimbursements for reasonable expenses related to their attendance at meetings of the Board or standing committees, which are not included in the amounts shown.
(b) During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, Mr. Drake deferred $700 of his compensation from RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, $1,281 of his compensation from CA Tax-Exempt Fund, $663 of his compensation from CT Tax-Exempt Fund, $738 of his compensation from MA Tax-Exempt Fund, and $611 of his compensation from NY Tax-Exempt Fund. During the calendar year ended December 31, 2009, Mr. Drake deferred $116,500 of his total compensation from the Columbia Fund Complex pursuant to the deferred compensation plan. At December 31, 2009, the value of Mr. Drake’s account under that plan was $223,507.
(c) During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, Mr. Collins deferred $674 of his compensation from RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, $1,233 of his compensation from CA Tax-Exempt Fund, $638 of his compensation from CT Tax-Exempt Fund, $710 of his compensation from MA Tax-Exempt Fund, and $589 of his compensation from NY Tax-Exempt Fund. During the calendar year ended December 31, 2009, Mr. Collins deferred $116,000 of his total compensation from the Columbia Fund Complex pursuant to the deferred compensation plan. At December 31, 2009, the value of Mr. Collins’ account under that plan was $205,097.
(d) During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, Mr. Simpson deferred $1,474 of his compensation from RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund, $2,713 of his compensation from CA Tax-Exempt Fund, $1,397 of his compensation from CT Tax-Exempt Fund, $1,557 of his compensation from MA Tax-Exempt Fund, and $1,286 of his compensation from NY Tax-Exempt Fund. During the calendar year ended December 31, 2009, Mr. Simpson deferred $236,000 of his total compensation from the Columbia Fund Complex pursuant to the deferred compensation plan. At December 31, 2009, the value of Mr. Simpson’s account under that plan was $1,051,968.
(e) At December 31, 2009, the value of Mr. Theobald’s account under the deferred compensation plan was $600,183.
(f) At December 31, 2009, the value of Ms. Verville’s account under the deferred compensation plan was $679,903.
(g) Mr. Theobald served as a Trustee of the Trust until February 2010.

 

78


Table of Contents

Interested Trustee Compensation for the Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2009

 

Name of Trustee

   Aggregate
Compensation
from
Intermediate
Municipal
Bond Fund
for the Fiscal
Year ended
October 31,
2009(a)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from CT
Intermediate
Municipal
Bond Fund
for the Fiscal
Year ended
October 31,
2009(a)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from MA
Intermediate
Municipal

Bond Fund
for the Fiscal

Year ended
October 31,
2009(a)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from NJ
Intermediate
Municipal
Bond Fund
for the Fiscal
Year ended
October 31,
2009(a)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from NY
Intermediate
Municipal
Bond Fund
for the Fiscal
Year ended
October 31,
2009(a)

William E. Mayer

   $ 11,377    $ 1,887    $ 1,351    $ 1,288    $ 2,201

 

(a) Mr. Mayer receives reimbursements for reasonable expenses related to his attendance at meetings of the Board or standing committees, which are not included in the amounts shown.

Interested Trustee Compensation for the Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2009 and the Calendar Year Ended December 31, 2009

 

Name of Trustee

   Aggregate
Compensation
from RI
Intermediate
Municipal
Bond Fund
for the Fiscal
Year ended
October 31,
2009(a)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from CA
Tax-Exempt
Fund for the
Fiscal Year
ended
October 31,
2009(a)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from CT
Tax-Exempt
Fund for the
Fiscal Year
ended
October 31,
2009(a)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from MA
Tax-Exempt
Fund for the
Fiscal Year

Ended
October 31,
2009(a)
   Aggregate
Compensation
from NY
Tax-Exempt
Fund for the
Fiscal Year
ended
October 31,
2009(a)
   Total
Compensation
from the
Columbia
Funds
Complex
Paid to
Independent
Trustees for
the Calendar
Year ended
December 31,
2009(a)

William E. Mayer

   $ 1,464    $ 2,693    $ 1,388    $ 1,546    $ 1,278    $ 233,500

 

(a) Mr. Mayer receives reimbursements for reasonable expenses related to his attendance at meetings of the Board or standing committees, which are not included in the amounts shown.

Columbia Funds Deferred Compensation Plan

Under the terms of the Deferred Fee Agreement (the Deferred Compensation Plan), each eligible Trustee may elect, on an annual basis, to defer receipt of all or a portion of compensation payable to him or her for service as Trustee for that calendar year (expressly, a Trustee may elect to defer his/her annual retainer, his/her attendance fees, or both components, which together comprise total compensation for service). Fees deferred by a Trustee are credited to a book reserve account (the Deferral Account), established by the Columbia Funds, the value of which is derived from the rate of return of one or more Columbia Funds selected by the Trustee (with accruals to the Deferral Account beginning at such time as a Trustee’s fund elections having been established, and proceeds for service having been paid into such account, and terminating at such time as when proceeds become payable to such Trustee under the Deferred Compensation Plan). Trustees may change their fund elections only in accordance with the provisions of the Deferred Compensation Plan.

Distributions from a Trustee’s Deferral Account will be paid by check, either in a lump sum or in annual installments. Payments made in annual installments are disbursed over a period of up to ten years, following such time as a Trustee may qualify to receive such payments. If a deferring Trustee dies prior to or after the commencement of the disbursement of amounts accrued in his/her Deferral Account, the balance of the account will be distributed to his/her designated beneficiary either in lump sum or in annual payments as established by such Trustee himself/herself, his/her beneficiary or his/her estate. Amounts payable under the Deferred Compensation Plan are not funded or secured in any way, and each deferring Trustee has the status of an unsecured creditor of the Columbia Fund(s) from which compensation has been deferred.

 

79


Table of Contents

Beneficial Equity Ownership

As of the date of this SAI, the Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as a group, beneficially owned less than 1% of each class of shares of each Fund. The table below shows, for each Trustee, the amount of Fund equity securities beneficially owned by the Trustee and the aggregate value of all investments in equity securities of the Columbia Funds Family, stated as one of the following ranges: A = $0; B = $1-$10,000; C = $10,001-$50,000; D = $50,001-$100,000; and E = over $100,000.

Independent Trustee Ownership for the Calendar Year Ended December 31, 2009

 

Fund

   Rodman L.
Drake
    John D.
Collins
    Douglas A.
Hacker
   Janet
Langford
Kelly
   Charles R.
Nelson

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A      A      A    A    E

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A      A      A    A    A

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A      A      A    A    A

NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A      A      A    A    A

NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A      A      A    A    A

RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A      A      A    A    A

CA Tax-Exempt Fund

   A      A      A    A    A

CT Tax-Exempt Fund

   A      A      A    A    A

MA Tax-Exempt Fund

   A      A      A    A    A

NY Tax-Exempt Fund

   A      A      A    A    A

Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Funds in the Columbia Funds Family Overseen by the Trustee

   E   E   E    E    E

Independent Trustee Ownership for the Calendar Year Ended December 31, 2009

 

Fund

   John J.
Neuhauser
   Jonathan
Piel
   Patrick J.
Simpson
    Anne-Lee
Verville
 

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A    A    A      A   

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A    A    A      A   

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A    A    A      A   

NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A    A    A      A   

NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A    A    A      A   

RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A    A    A      A   

CA Tax-Exempt Fund

   A    A    A      A   

CT Tax-Exempt Fund

   A    A    A      A   

MA Tax-Exempt Fund

   E    A    A      A   

NY Tax-Exempt Fund

   A    A    A      A   

Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Funds in the Columbia Funds Family Overseen by the Trustee

   E    A    E   E

 

* Includes the value of compensation payable under the Deferred Compensation Plan that is determined as if the amounts deferred had been invested, as of the date of deferral, in shares of one or more funds in the Columbia Funds Complex as specified by each Trustee.

 

80


Table of Contents

Interested Trustee Ownership for the Calendar Year Ended December 31, 2009

 

Fund

   William E. Mayer

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A

NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A

NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A

RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   A

CA Tax-Exempt Fund

   A

CT Tax-Exempt Fund

   A

MA Tax-Exempt Fund

   A

NY Tax-Exempt Fund

   A

Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Funds in the Columbia Funds Family Overseen by the Trustee

   A

 

81


Table of Contents

The Officers

The following table provides basic information about the Officers of the Trust as of the date of this SAI, including their principal occupations during the past five years, although their specific titles may have varied over the period. The mailing address of each Officer is: c/o Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, One Financial Center, Mail Stop MA5-515-11-05, Boston, MA 02110.

Officer Biographical Information

 

Name, Year of Birth and
Address

 

Position with the Trust

  

Year First
Elected or
Appointed
to Office

 

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past
Five Years

J. Kevin Connaughton

(Born 1964)

  President    2009   Managing Director of Columbia Management Advisors, LLC since December 2004; Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Columbia Funds, from June 2008 to January 2009; Treasurer, Columbia Funds, from October 2003 to May 2008; Treasurer, the Liberty Funds, Stein Roe Funds and Liberty All-Star Funds, from December 2000 to December 2006; Senior Vice President, Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, from April 2003 to December 2004; President, Columbia Funds, Liberty Funds and Stein Roe Funds, from February 2004 to October 2004; Treasurer, Galaxy Funds, from September 2002 to December 2005; Treasurer, from December 2002 to December 2004, and President, from February 2004 to December 2004, Columbia Management Multi-Strategy Hedge Fund, LLC and a senior officer or director of various other Bank of America-affiliated entities, including other registered and unregistered funds.

James R. Bordewick, Jr.

(Born 1959)

  Senior Vice President, Secretary and Chief Legal Officer    2006   Associate General Counsel, Bank of America since April 2005; Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel, MFS Investment Management (investment management) prior to April 2005.

Linda J. Wondrack

(Born 1964)

  Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer    2007   Director (Columbia Management Group, LLC and Investment Product Group Compliance), Bank of America since June 2005; Director of Corporate Compliance and Conflicts Officer, MFS

 

82


Table of Contents

Name, Year of Birth and
Address

 

Position with the Trust

  

Year First
Elected or
Appointed
to Office

 

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past
Five Years

       Investment Management (investment management), from August 2004 to May 2005; Managing Director, Deutsche Asset Management (investment management) prior to August 2004.

Michael G. Clarke

(Born 1969)

  Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer    2009   Director of Fund Administration of the Advisor since January 2006; Managing Director of the Advisor, from September 2004 to December 2005; Vice President Fund Administration of the Advisor from June 2002 to September 2004.

Joseph F. DiMaria

(Born 1968)

  Treasurer and Chief Accounting Officer    2008   Director of Fund Administration of the Advisor since January 2006; Head of Tax/Compliance and Assistant Treasurer from November 2004 to December 2005; Director of Trustee Administration (Sarbanes-Oxley) from May 2003 to October 2004.

Stephen T. Welsh

(Born 1957)

  Vice President    1996   President and Director, Columbia Management Services, Inc. since July 2004; Managing Director, Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. since August 2007; Senior Vice President and Controller, Columbia Management Services, Inc. prior to July 2004.

Julie B. Lyman

(Born 1970)

  Vice President    2009   Assistant General Counsel, Bank of America since October 2009 and from October 2006 through May 2009; Managing Director of the Advisor from May 2009 through October 2009; Associate, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP (law firm) from April 2004 through October 2006.

Jeffrey R. Coleman

(Born 1969)

  Deputy Treasurer    2006   Director of Fund Administration of the Advisor since January 2006; Fund Controller of the Advisor from October 2004 to January 2006.

Julian Quero

(Born 1967)

  Deputy Treasurer    2003   Senior Tax Manager of the Advisor since August 2006; Senior Compliance Manager of the Advisor from April 2002 to August 2006.

 

83


Table of Contents

Name, Year of Birth and
Address

 

Position with the Trust

  

Year First
Elected or
Appointed
to Office

 

Principal Occupation(s) During the Past
Five Years

Timothy P. Kane

(Born 1974)

  Assistant Treasurer    2008   Head of Valuation of the Advisor since July 2007; Manager, Accounting Oversight Department of the Advisor since September 2004.

Kenneth E. O’Connor

(Born 1970)

  Assistant Treasurer    2008   Head of Mutual Fund Performance of the Advisor since September 2006; Senior Manager, Mutual Fund Performance of the Advisor from 2003 to September 2006.

Kathryn Thompson

(Born 1967)

  Assistant Treasurer    2006   Vice President, Mutual Fund Accounting Oversight of the Advisor since December 2004.

Philip N. Prefontaine

(Born 1948)

  Assistant Treasurer    2006   Vice President, Mutual Fund Reporting of the Advisor since November 2004.

Keith E. Stone

(Born 1974)

  Assistant Treasurer    2006   Vice President, Trustee Reporting of the Advisor since September 2003.

Barry S. Vallan

(Born 1969)

  Controller    2006   Vice President, Fund Treasury of the Advisor since October 2004.

Peter T. Fariel

(Born 1957)

  Assistant Secretary    2006   Associate General Counsel, Bank of America since April 2005; Partner, Goodwin Procter LLP (law firm) prior to April 2005.

Ryan C. Larrenaga

(Born 1970)

  Assistant Secretary    2005   Assistant General Counsel, Bank of America since March 2005; Associate, Ropes & Gray LLP (law firm) from 1998 to February 2005.

 

84


Table of Contents

BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES

General Brokerage Policy, Brokerage Transactions and Broker Selection

Subject to policies established by the Board, the Advisor (or the investment sub-advisor(s) who make(s) the day-to-day investment decisions for a Fund, as applicable) is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for each Fund, for the selection of broker/dealers, for the execution of a Fund’s securities transactions and for the allocation of brokerage commissions in connection with such transactions. The Advisor’s primary consideration in effecting a security transaction is to obtain the best net price and the most favorable execution of the order. Purchases and sales of securities on a securities exchange are effected through brokers who charge negotiated commissions for their services. Orders may be directed to any broker to the extent and in the manner permitted by applicable law.

In the over-the-counter market, securities generally are traded on a “net” basis with dealers acting as principals for their own accounts without stated commissions, although the price of a security usually includes a profit to the dealer. In underwritten offerings, securities are bought at a fixed price that includes an amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as the underwriter’s “concession” or “discount.” On occasion, certain money market instruments may be bought directly from an issuer, in which case no commissions or discounts are paid.

The Funds are affiliated with the NYSE specialist firm Banc of America Specialist, Inc. In order to ensure that markets are fair, orderly and competitive, NYSE specialist firms are responsible for maintaining a liquid and continuous two-sided auction market by acting as both an agent and a principal. Specialists are entrusted to hold the interests of customer orders above the specialist’s own interests, and will buy and sell securities as principal when such transactions are necessary to minimize imbalances between supply and demand. Banc of America Specialist, Inc. may make a market in certain securities held by the Funds.

In placing orders for portfolio securities of the Funds, the Advisor gives primary consideration to obtaining the best net prices and most favorable execution. This means that the Advisor will seek to execute each transaction at a price and commission, if any, which provides the most favorable total cost or proceeds reasonably attainable in the circumstances. In seeking such execution, the Advisor will use its best judgment in evaluating the terms of a transaction, and will give consideration to various relevant factors, including, without limitation, the size and type of the transaction, the nature and character of the market for the security, the confidentiality, speed and certainty of effective execution required for the transaction, the general execution and operational capabilities of the broker/dealer, the reputation, reliability, experience and financial condition of the broker/dealer, the value and quality of the services rendered by the broker/dealer in this instance and other transactions and the reasonableness of the spread or commission, if any. Research services received from broker/ dealers supplement the Advisor’s own research and may include the following types of information: statistical and background information on industry groups and individual companies; forecasts and interpretations with respect to U.S. and foreign economies, securities, markets, specific industry groups and individual companies; information on political developments; Fund management strategies; performance information on securities and information concerning prices of securities; and information supplied by specialized services to the Advisor and to the Board with respect to the performance, investment activities and fees and expenses of other mutual funds. Such information may be communicated electronically, orally or in written form. Research services also may include the arranging of meetings with management of companies and the provision of access to consultants who supply research information.

The outside research is useful to the Advisor since, in certain instances, the broker/dealers utilized by the Advisor may follow a different universe of securities issuers and other matters than those that the Advisor’s staff can follow. In addition, this research provides the Advisor with a different perspective on financial markets, even if the securities research obtained relates to issues followed by the Advisor. Research services that are provided to the Advisor by broker/dealers are available for the benefit of all accounts managed or advised by the Advisor.

 

85


Table of Contents

In some cases, the research services are available only from the broker/dealer providing such services. In other cases, the research services may be obtainable from alternative sources. The Advisor is of the opinion that because the broker/dealer research supplements rather than replaces the Advisor’s own research, the receipt of such research does not tend to decrease the Advisor’s expenses, but tends to improve the quality of its investment advice. However, to the extent that the Advisor would have bought any such research services had such services not been provided by broker/dealers, the expenses of such services to the Advisor could be considered to have been reduced accordingly. Certain research services furnished by broker/dealers may be useful to the clients of the Advisor other than the Funds. Conversely, any research services received by the Advisor through the placement of transactions of other clients may be of value to the Advisor in fulfilling its obligations to the Funds The Advisor is of the opinion that this material is beneficial in supplementing its research and analysis; and, therefore, it may benefit the Trust by improving the quality of the Advisor’s investment advice. The advisory fees paid by the Trust are not reduced because the Advisor receives such services.

Under Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, the Advisor shall not be “deemed to have acted unlawfully or to have breached its fiduciary duty” solely because under certain circumstances it has caused the account to pay a higher commission than the lowest available. To obtain the benefit of Section 28(e), the Advisor must make a good faith determination that the commissions paid are “reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such member, broker, or dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or his overall responsibilities with respect to the accounts as to which he exercises investment discretion.” Accordingly, the price to the Funds in any transaction may be less favorable than that available from another broker/dealer if the difference is reasonably justified by other aspects of the portfolio execution services offered. Some broker/ dealers may indicate that the provision of research services is dependent upon the generation of certain specified levels of commissions and underwriting concessions by the Advisor’s clients, including the Funds.

Commission rates are established pursuant to negotiations with broker/dealers based on the quality and quantity of execution services provided by broker/dealers in light of generally prevailing rates. On exchanges on which commissions are negotiated, the cost of transactions may vary among different broker/dealers. Transactions on foreign stock exchanges involve payment of brokerage commissions that generally are fixed. Transactions in both foreign and domestic over-the-counter markets generally are principal transactions with dealers, and the costs of such transactions involve dealer spreads rather than brokerage commissions. With respect to over-the-counter transactions, the Advisor, where possible, will deal directly with dealers who make a market in the securities involved, except in those circumstances in which better prices and execution are available elsewhere.

In certain instances there may be securities that are suitable for more than one Fund as well as for one or more of the other clients of the Advisor. Investment decisions for the Funds and for the Advisor’s other clients are made with the goal of achieving their respective investment objectives. A particular security may be bought or sold for only one client even though it may be held by, or bought or sold for, other clients. Likewise, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when one or more other clients are selling that same security. Some simultaneous transactions are inevitable when a number of accounts receive investment advice from the same investment advisor, particularly when the same security is suitable for the investment objectives of more than one client. When two or more clients are engaged simultaneously in the purchase or sale of the same security, the securities are allocated among clients in a manner believed to be equitable to each. In some cases, this policy could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security in a particular transaction that may affect the Funds.

The Funds may participate, if and when practicable, in bidding for the purchase of portfolio securities directly from an issuer in order to take advantage of the lower purchase price available to members of a bidding group. The Funds will engage in this practice, however, only when the Advisor, in its sole discretion, believes such practice to be otherwise in the Fund’s interests.

 

86


Table of Contents

The Trust will not execute portfolio transactions through, or buy or sell portfolio securities from or to, the Distributor, the Advisor, the Administrator or their affiliates acting as principal (including repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements), except to the extent permitted by applicable law, regulation or order. However, the Advisor is authorized to allocate buy and sell orders for portfolio securities to certain broker/dealers and financial institutions, including, in the case of agency transactions, broker/dealers and financial institutions that are affiliated with Bank of America. To the extent that a Fund executes any securities trades with an affiliate of Bank of America, the Fund does so in conformity with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act and the procedures that the Fund has adopted pursuant to the rule. In this regard, for each transaction, the Board will determine that: (i) the transaction resulted in prices for and execution of securities transactions at least as favorable to the particular Fund as those likely to be derived from a non-affiliated qualified broker/dealer; (ii) the affiliated broker/dealer charged the Fund commission rates consistent with those charged by the affiliated broker/dealer in similar transactions to clients comparable to the Fund and that are not affiliated with the broker/dealer in question; and (iii) the fees, commissions or other remuneration paid by the Fund did not exceed 2% of the sales price of the securities if the sale was effected in connection with a secondary distribution, or 1% of the purchase or sale price of such securities if effected in other than a secondary distribution. In addition, the Columbia Funds are affiliated with BAS, Merrill Lynch and their affiliates (including MLPF&S, Merrill Lynch Government Securities, Inc. and Merrill Lynch Money Markets Inc.) and may, pursuant to conditions prescribed by the SEC and applicable law (i) purchase certain types of securities from such entities in their role as dealers in such securities and (ii) purchase certain eligible municipal securities through group orders when MLPF&S is a member of an underwriting syndicate for such securities.

Certain affiliates of Bank of America, such as its subsidiary banks, may have deposit, loan or commercial banking relationships with the corporate users of facilities financed by industrial development revenue bonds or private activity bonds bought by certain of the Columbia Funds. Bank of America or certain of its affiliates may serve as trustee, custodian, tender agent, guarantor, placement agent, underwriter, or in some other capacity, with respect to certain issues of securities. Under certain circumstances, the Funds may buy securities from a member of an underwriting syndicate in which an affiliate of Bank of America is a member. The Trust has adopted procedures pursuant to Rule 10f-3 under the 1940 Act, and intends to comply with the requirements of Rule 10f-3, in connection with any purchases of municipal securities that may be subject to Rule 10f-3.

Given the breadth of the Advisor’s investment management activities, investment decisions for each Fund are not always made independently from those for other funds, or other investment companies and accounts advised or managed by the Advisor. When a purchase or sale of the same security is made at substantially the same time on behalf of one or more of the Columbia Funds and another investment portfolio, investment company or account, the transaction will be averaged as to price and available investments allocated as to amount in a manner which the Advisor believes to be equitable to each Fund and such other funds, investment portfolio, investment company or account. In some instances, this investment procedure may adversely affect the price paid or received by a Fund or the size of the position obtained or sold by the Fund. To the extent permitted by law, the Advisor may aggregate the securities to be sold or bought for the Funds with those to be sold or bought for other funds, investment portfolios, investment companies, or accounts in executing transactions.

See Investment Advisory and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information about these and other conflicts of interest.

 

87


Table of Contents

Brokerage Commissions

The following table describes the amounts of brokerage commissions paid by the Funds during their three most recently completed fiscal years. In certain instances the Funds may pay brokerage commissions to broker/ dealers that are affiliates of Bank of America. As indicated above, all such transactions involving the payment of brokerage commissions to affiliates are done in compliance with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act.

Aggregate Brokerage Commissions Paid by the Funds

 

Fund

   Fiscal Year Ended
October 31, 2009
   Fiscal Year Ended
October 31, 2008
   Fiscal Year Ended
October 31, 2007

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   $ 0    $ 5,572.50    $ 49,484.50

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   $ 0    $ 0    $ 1,189.50

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   $ 0    $ 799.50    $ 6,327.75

NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   $ 0    $ 149.50    $ 221.00

NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   $ 0    $ 195.00    $ 442.50

RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   $ 0    $ 650.00    $ 1,010.75

CA Tax-Exempt Fund

   $ 0    $ 9,399.00    $ 17,095.00

CT Tax-Exempt Fund

   $ 215    $ 2,063.75    $ 5,041.00

MA Tax-Exempt Fund

   $ 306    $ 3,165.50    $ 6,311.50

NY Tax-Exempt Fund

   $ 150    $ 1,576.25    $ 3,198.00

The Funds paid no brokerage commissions to affiliated broker/dealers for the fiscal years ended October  31, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Directed Brokerage

The Funds or the Advisor, through an agreement or understanding with a broker/dealer, or otherwise through an internal allocation procedure, may direct, subject to applicable legal requirements, the Funds’ brokerage transactions to a broker/dealer because of the research services it provides the Funds or the Advisor.

During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, no Fund directed brokerage transactions.

Securities of Regular Broker/Dealers

In certain cases, the Funds, as part of their principal investment strategies, or otherwise as a permissible investment, will invest in the common stock or debt obligations of the regular broker/dealers that the Advisor uses to transact brokerage for the Columbia Funds Family.

 

88


Table of Contents

As of October 31, 2009, the Funds owned securities of their “regular brokers or dealers” or their parents, as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act, as shown in the table below.

Investments in Securities of Regular Broker/Dealers as of October 31, 2009

 

Fund

   Broker/Dealer    Dollar Amount of Securities Held

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   None    $ 0

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   None    $ 0

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   None    $ 0

NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   None    $ 0

NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   None    $ 0

RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   None    $ 0

CA Tax-Exempt Fund

   None    $ 0

CT Tax-Exempt Fund

   None    $ 0

MA Tax-Exempt Fund

   None    $ 0

NY Tax-Exempt Fund

   None    $ 0

Additional Shareholder Servicing Payments

The Funds, along with the Transfer Agent and/or the Distributor may pay significant amounts to financial intermediaries (as defined below), including other Bank of America affiliates, for providing the types of services that would typically be provided directly by a mutual fund’s transfer agent. The level of payments made to financial intermediaries may vary. A number of factors may be considered in determining payments to a financial intermediary, including, without limitation, the nature of the services provided to shareholders or retirement plan participants that invest in the Funds through retirement plans. These services may include sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency or similar recordkeeping services, shareholder or participant reporting, shareholder or participant transaction processing, and/or the provision of call center support (additional shareholder services). These payments for shareholder servicing support vary by financial intermediary but generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of each Fund’s shares in the program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that pay a service fee pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 Plan, and 0.45% of the average aggregate value of each Fund’s shares in the program on an annual basis for those classes of shares that do not pay a service fee pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 Plan. The Board has authorized each Fund to pay up to 0.15% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares. Such payments will be made by a Fund to the Transfer Agent who will in turn make payments to the financial intermediary for the provision of such additional shareholder services. The Funds’ Transfer Agent, Distributor or their affiliates will pay, from its or their own resources, amounts in excess of the amount paid by the Funds to financial intermediaries in connection with the provision of these additional shareholder services and other services.

For purposes of this section the term “financial intermediary” includes any broker/dealer, bank, bank trust department, registered investment advisor, financial planner, retirement plan or other third party administrator and any other institution having a selling, services or any similar agreement with the Distributor and other Bank of America affiliates.

The Funds also may make additional payments to financial intermediaries that charge networking fees for certain services provided in connection with the maintenance of shareholder accounts through the NSCC.

In addition, the Distributor and other Bank of America affiliates may make lump sum payments to selected financial intermediaries receiving shareholder servicing payments in reimbursement of printing costs for literature for participants, account maintenance fees or fees for establishment of the Funds on the financial intermediary’s system or other similar services.

 

89


Table of Contents

As of the date of this SAI, the Distributor and/or other Bank of America affiliates had agreed to make shareholder servicing payments to the financial intermediaries or their affiliates shown below.

Recipients of Shareholder Servicing Payments from the Distributor and/or other Bank of America affiliates

 

  Acclaim Benefits, Inc.     Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
  A.G. Edwards     Matrix Settlement & Clearance Services
  Alerus Retirement Solutions     Mercer HR Services, LLC
  Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.     Merrill Lynch Life Insurance Company
  Bank of America, N.A.*    

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated*

  Benefit Plan Administrators     Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation
  Bisys Retirement Services     Morgan Keegan & Co., Inc.
  Charles Schwab & Co.     Morgan Stanley & Co., Incorporated
  Charles Schwab Trust Co.     MSCS Financial Services, LLC
  Citigroup Global Markets Inc.     National Investor Services Corp.
  CitiStreet LLC     Newport Retirement Services, Inc.
  City National Bank     New York State Deferred Compensation Plan
  Compensation & Capital Administrative Services, Inc.     NYLife Distributors LLC
  CPI Qualified Plan Consultants     PNC Advisors
  Daily Access Concepts, Inc.     Princeton Retirement Group
  Digital Retirement Solutions     Principal Life Insurance Company
  Dreyfus     Prudential Insurance Company of America
  Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P.     Prudential Retirement Insurance & Annuity Co.
  E*Trade Group, Inc.     Reliance Trust Company
  ExpertPlan     Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc.
  Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Co.     Royal Alliance Associates, Inc.
  First Clearing LLC     Standard Retirement Services, Inc.
  Genworth Financial     TD Ameritrade Clearing Inc.
  GPC Securities, Inc.*     TD Ameritrade Trust Company
  Guardian Life Insurance Company     Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America
  GWFS Equities, Inc.     The 401k Company
  Hartford Life Insurance Company     T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
  Hewitt Associates LLC     The Vanguard Group, Inc.
  ICMA Retirement Corporation     Unified Trust Company, N.A.
  ING Life Insurance and Annuity Company     UPromise Investments, Inc.
  ING Institutional Plan Services, LLP     VALIC Retirement Services
  John Hancock Life Insurance Company (USA)     Wachovia Bank, N.A.
  John Hancock Life Insurance Company of New York     Wachovia Securities, LLC
  JP Morgan Retirement Plan Services LLC     Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
  Lincoln Financial Group     Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC
  LPL Financial Corporation     Wilmington Trust Corporation
  Marshall & Ilsley Trust Company    

Wilmington Trust Retirement & Institutional

Services Company

 

* Bank of America affiliate

 

90


Table of Contents

The Distributor and/or other Bank of America affiliates may enter into similar arrangements with other financial intermediaries from time to time. Therefore, the preceding list is subject to change at any time without notice.

Additional Financial Intermediary Payments

Financial intermediaries may receive different commissions, sales charge reallowances and other payments with respect to sales of different classes of shares of the Funds. These other payments may include servicing payments to retirement plan administrators and other institutions at rates up to those described above under Brokerage Allocation and Other Practices — Additional Shareholder Servicing Payments. For purposes of this section the term “financial intermediary” includes any broker/dealer, bank, bank trust department, registered investment advisor, financial planner, retirement plan or other third party administrator and any other institution having a selling, services or any similar agreement with the Distributor and other Bank of America affiliates.

The Distributor and other Bank of America affiliates may pay compensation to selected financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, under the categories described below. These categories are not mutually exclusive, and a single financial intermediary may receive payments under all categories. A financial intermediary also may receive payments described above in Brokerage Allocation and Other Practices — Additional Shareholder Servicing Payments. These payments may create an incentive for a financial intermediary or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of a Fund to its customers. The amount of payments made to financial intermediaries may vary. In determining the amount of payments to be made, the Distributor and other Bank of America affiliates may consider a number of factors, including, without limitation, asset mix and length of relationship with the financial intermediary, the size of the customer/shareholder base of the financial intermediary, the manner in which customers of the financial intermediary make investments in the Funds, the nature and scope of marketing support or services provided by the financial intermediary (as described more fully below) and the costs incurred by the financial intermediary in connection with maintaining the infrastructure necessary or desirable to support investments in the Funds.

These additional payments by the Distributor and other Bank of America affiliates are made pursuant to agreements between the Distributor and other Bank of America affiliates and financial intermediaries, and do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of a share, the amount a Fund will receive as proceeds from such sales or the distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund as shown under the heading Fees and Expenses of the Fund in the Fund’s prospectuses.

Marketing Support Payments

The Distributor and the Advisor may make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Bank of America affiliates, for marketing support services relating to the Columbia Funds, including, but not limited to, business planning assistance, educating financial intermediary personnel about the Funds and shareholder financial planning needs, placement on the financial intermediary’s preferred or recommended fund list or otherwise identifying the Funds as being part of a complex to be accorded a higher degree of marketing support than complexes not making such payments, access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the financial intermediary, client servicing and systems infrastructure support. These payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that a financial intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment.

While the financial arrangements may vary for each financial intermediary, the marketing support payments to each financial intermediary generally are expected to be between 0.05% and 0.50% (between 0.03% and 0.12% in the case of the Money Market Funds) on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of

 

91


Table of Contents

the Columbia Funds attributable to the financial intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds (other than the Money Market Funds) attributable to the financial intermediary. The Distributor and other Bank of America affiliates may make payments in materially larger amounts or on a basis materially different from those described above when dealing with other affiliates of Bank of America. Such increased payments to the other Bank of America affiliate may enable the other Bank of America affiliate to offset credits that it may provide to its customers in order to avoid having such customers pay fees to multiple Bank of America entities in connection with the customer’s investment in a Columbia Fund.

As of the date of this SAI, the Distributor and/or other Bank of America affiliates had agreed to make marketing support payments to the financial intermediaries or their affiliates shown below.

Recipients of Marketing Support Payments from the Distributor and/or other Bank of America affiliates

 

  AIG Advisor Group     Linsco/Private Ledger Corp.
  Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.     Mellon Financial Markets, LLC
  AXA Advisors, LLC     Merrill Lynch Life Insurance Company
  Banc of America Investment Services, Inc.*     Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated*
  Banc of America Securities LLC*     Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
  Bank of America, N.A.*     MSCS Financial Services, LLC
  Bank of New York     National Financial Services LLC
  Citibank, N.A.     Pershing LLC
  Citigroup Global Markets Inc.     Prudential Investment Management Services, LLC
  Commonwealth Financial Network     Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
  Custodial Trust Company     Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.
  Fidelity Brokerage Services, Inc.     SEI Investments Inc.
  Genworth Financial, Inc.     State Street Global Markets, LLC
  Goldman, Sachs & Co.     Transamerica Corporation
  GunAllen Financial, Inc.     UBS Financial Services Inc.
  Harris Corporation     US Bank National Association
  ING Life Insurance and Annuity Co.     Wachovia Securities LLC
  J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, Inc.     Webster Investment Services, Inc.
  J.P. Morgan Clearing Corp.     Wells Fargo Corporate Trust Services
  Liberty Life Insurance Co.     Wells Fargo Funds Management LLC
  Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp.     Wells Fargo Investments, LLC

 

* Bank of America affiliate

 

92


Table of Contents

The Distributor and/or other Bank of America affiliates may enter into similar arrangements with other financial intermediaries from time to time. Therefore, the preceding list is subject to change at any time without notice.

Other Payments

From time to time, the Distributor, from its own resources, may provide additional compensation to certain financial intermediaries that sell or arrange for the sale of shares of the Funds to the extent not prohibited by laws or the rules of any self-regulatory agency, such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Such compensation provided by the Distributor may include financial assistance to financial intermediaries that enable the Distributor to participate in and/or present at financial intermediary-sponsored conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other financial intermediary employees, financial intermediary entertainment and other financial intermediary-sponsored events, and travel expenses, including lodging incurred by registered representatives and other employees in connection with prospecting, retention and due diligence trips. The Distributor makes payments for entertainment events it deems appropriate, subject to the Distributor’s internal guidelines and applicable law. These payments may vary depending upon the nature of the event.

Your financial intermediary may charge you fees or commissions in addition to those disclosed in this SAI. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending a particular fund or a particular share class over other funds or share classes. See Investment Advisory and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Bank of America and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.

 

93


Table of Contents

CAPITAL STOCK AND OTHER SECURITIES

Description of the Trust’s Shares

The Funds offer shares in the classes shown in the table below. Subject to certain limited exceptions discussed in each Fund’s prospectuses, a Fund may no longer be accepting new investments from current shareholders or prospective investors. Class B shares of the Funds are closed to new investments, except for certain limited transactions from existing investors in Class B shares. Additional Class B shares of the Funds will be issued only in connection with (i) reinvestment of dividends and/or capital gain distributions in Class B shares of the Funds by the Funds’ existing Class B shareholders and (ii) exchanges by shareholders invested in Class B shares of a Columbia Fund for Class B shares of the Funds. See the prospectuses for Class B shares of the Funds for details. The Funds, however, may at any time and without notice, offer any of these classes to the general public for investment.

The Trust’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (Declaration of Trust) permits it to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest of each Fund, without par value, and to divide or combine the shares of any series into a greater or lesser number of shares of that Fund without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interests in that Fund and to divide such shares into classes. Each share of a class of a Fund represents an equal proportional interest in that Fund with each other share in the same class and is entitled to such distributions out of the income earned on the assets belonging to that Fund as are declared in the discretion of the Board. However, different share classes of a Fund pay different distribution amounts, because each share class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.

Share Classes Offered by the Funds

 

Fund

   Class A
Shares
   Class B
Shares*
   Class C
Shares
   Class T
Shares
   Class Z
Shares

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   ü      ü      ü      ü      ü  

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   ü      ü      ü      ü      ü  

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   ü      ü      ü      ü      ü  

NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   ü      ü      ü      ü      ü  

NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   ü      ü      ü      ü      ü  

RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund

   ü      ü      ü      ü      ü  

CA Tax-Exempt Fund

   ü      ü      ü         ü  

CT Tax-Exempt Fund

   ü      ü      ü        

MA Tax-Exempt Fund

   ü      ü      ü        

NY Tax-Exempt Fund

   ü      ü      ü        

 

* Class B shares of the Funds are closed to new investments, except for certain limited transactions from existing investors in Class B shares. Additional Class B shares of the Funds will be issued only in connection with (i) reinvestment of dividends and/or capital gain distributions in Class B shares of the Funds by the Funds’ existing Class B shareholders and (ii) exchanges by shareholders invested in Class B shares of a Columbia Fund for Class B shares of the Funds. See the prospectuses for Class B shares of the Funds for details.

Restrictions on Holding or Disposing of Shares

There are no restrictions on the right of shareholders to retain or dispose of the Funds’ shares, other than the possible future termination of the Funds. The Funds may be terminated by reorganization into another mutual fund or by liquidation and distribution of their assets. Unless terminated by reorganization or liquidation, the Fund will continue indefinitely.

 

94


Table of Contents

Liability

Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. However, the Trust’s Declaration of Trust disclaims any shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Funds and the Trust and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by a Fund or the Trustees. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of Fund property for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of a Fund. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances (which are considered remote) in which a Fund would be unable to meet its obligations and the disclaimer was inoperative.

The risk of a Fund incurring financial loss on account of another series of the Trust also is believed to be remote, because it would be limited to circumstances in which the disclaimer was inoperative and the other series of the Trust was unable to meet its obligations.

Dividend Rights

The shareholders of a Fund are entitled to receive any dividends or other distributions declared for the Fund. No shares have priority or preference over any other shares of a Fund with respect to distributions. Distributions will be made from the assets of a Fund, and will be paid pro rata to all shareholders of the Fund (or class) according to the number of shares of the Fund (or class) held by shareholders on the record date. The amount of income dividends per share may vary between separate share classes of a Fund based upon differences in the way that expenses are allocated between share classes pursuant to a multiple class plan.

Voting Rights and Shareholder Meetings

The Trust is not required to hold annual shareholder meetings, but special meetings may be called for certain purposes. The Trust voluntarily has undertaken to hold a shareholder meeting at which the Board would be elected at least every five years beginning in 2005. Each whole share (or fractional share) outstanding on the record date established in accordance with the Trust’s By-Laws shall be entitled to a number of votes on any matter on which it is entitled to vote equal to the net asset value of the share (or fractional share) in U.S. dollars determined at the close of business on the record date (for example, a share having a net asset value of $10.50 would be entitled to 10.5 votes).

The Trustees may fill any vacancies on the Board except that the Trustees may not fill a vacancy if, immediately after filling such vacancy, less than two-thirds of the Trustees then in office would have been elected to such office by the shareholders. In addition, at such times as less than a majority of the Trustees then in office have been elected to such office by the shareholders, the Trustees must call a meeting of shareholders. Trustees may be removed from office by a written consent signed by holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Trust or by a vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares at a meeting duly called for the purpose. Except as otherwise disclosed in a Fund’s prospectuses and this SAI, the Trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint their successors.

At any shareholders’ meetings that may be held, shareholders of all series would vote together, irrespective of series, on the election of Trustees, but each series would vote separately from the others on other matters, such as changes in the investment policies of that series or the approval of the management agreement for that series. Shares of the Fund and any other series of the Trust that may be in existence from time to time generally vote together except when required by law to vote separately by fund or by class.

Liquidation Rights

In the event of the liquidation or dissolution of the Trust or the Funds, shareholders of the Funds are entitled to receive the assets attributable to the relevant class of shares of the Funds that are available for distribution and to a distribution of any general assets not attributable to a particular investment portfolio that are available for distribution in such manner and on such basis as the Board may determine.

 

95


Table of Contents

Preemptive Rights

There are no preemptive rights associated with Fund shares.

Conversion Rights

Shareholders have the right, which is subject to change by the Board, to convert or “exchange” shares of one class for another. Such right is outlined and subject to certain conditions set forth in each Fund’s prospectuses.

Redemptions

Each Fund’s dividend, distribution and redemption policies can be found in its prospectuses under the headings Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares and Distributions and Taxes. However, the Board may suspend the right of shareholders to sell shares when permitted or required to do so by law, or compel sales of shares in certain cases.

Sinking Fund Provisions

The Trust has no sinking fund provisions.

Calls or Assessment

All Fund shares are issued in uncertificated form only, and when issued will be fully paid and non-assessable by the Trust.

Other Securities

The Funds do not offer securities other than capital stock.

 

96


Table of Contents

PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES

Purchase and Redemption

An investor may buy, sell and exchange shares in the Funds utilizing the methods, and subject to the restrictions, described in the Funds’ prospectuses. The following information supplements information in the Funds’ prospectuses.

The Funds have authorized one or more broker/dealers to accept buy and sell orders on the Funds’ behalf. These broker/dealers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to accept buy and sell orders on the Funds’ behalf. The Funds will be deemed to have received a buy or sell order when an authorized broker/dealer, or, if applicable, a broker/dealer’s authorized designee, accepts the order. Customer orders will be priced at each Fund’s net asset value next computed after they are accepted by an authorized broker/dealer or the broker’s authorized designee.

The Trust also may make payment for sales in readily marketable securities or other property if it is appropriate to do so in light of the Trust’s responsibilities under the 1940 Act.

Under the 1940 Act, the Funds may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date of payment for shares during any period when (i) trading on the NYSE is restricted by applicable rules and regulations of the SEC; (ii) the NYSE is closed for other than customary weekend and holiday closings; (iii) the SEC has by order permitted such suspension; (iv) an emergency exists as determined by the SEC. (The Funds may also suspend or postpone the recordation of the transfer of their shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing conditions).

The Trust has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, as a result of which each Fund is obligated to redeem shares, subject to the exceptions listed above, with respect to any one shareholder during any 90-day period, solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net asset value of each Fund at the beginning of the period.

Tax-Advantaged Retirement Plans (Retirement Plans)

The Transfer Agent maintains prototype tax-qualified plans, including Pension and Profit-Sharing Plans, for individuals, corporations, employees and the self-employed. The minimum initial Retirement Plan investment is $1,000, applied at the plan level. BANA is the custodian/trustee and plan sponsor of the Columbia Management prototype plans offered through the Distributor. In general a $20 annual fee is charged. Participants in Retirement Plans not sponsored by BANA, not including IRAs, may be subject to an annual fee of $20 unless the Retirement Plan maintains an omnibus account with the Transfer Agent. Participants in BANA sponsored prototype plans (other than IRAs) who liquidate the total value of their account may also be charged a $20 close-out processing fee payable to the Transfer Agent. The close-out fee applies to plans opened after September 1, 1996. The fee is in addition to any applicable CDSC. The fee will not apply if the participant uses the proceeds to open a Columbia Management IRA Rollover account in any fund distributed by the Distributor, or if the Retirement Plan maintains an omnibus account. Consultation with a competent financial advisor regarding these Retirement Plans and consideration of the suitability of fund shares as an investment under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or otherwise is recommended.

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers

The investors listed below can buy Class A or Class T shares without paying a front-end sales charge.

 

   

Employees of Bank of America (and its predecessors), its affiliates and subsidiaries.

 

   

Trustees of funds advised or administered by the Advisor.

 

   

Directors, officers and employees of the Advisor, the Distributor, and their respective successors, any investment sub-advisor and companies affiliated with the Advisor.

 

97


Table of Contents
   

Insurance company separate accounts for the benefit of group retirement plans.

 

   

Registered representatives and employees of selling and servicing agents (including their affiliates) that are parties to dealer agreements or other sales arrangements with the Distributor.

 

   

Broker/dealers if purchases are in accordance with the internal policies and procedures of the employing broker/dealer and made for their own investment purposes.

 

   

Employees or partners of any service provider to the Columbia Funds.

 

   

Families of the parties listed above and their beneficial accounts. Family members include: spouses, parents, stepparents, legal guardians, children, stepchildren, fathers-in-law and mothers-in-law.

 

   

Individuals receiving a distribution from a Bank of America trust, fiduciary, custodial or other similar account may use the proceeds of that distribution to buy Class A shares without paying a front-end sales charge, as long as the proceeds are invested in the funds within 90 days of the date of distribution.

 

   

Registered broker/dealer firms that have entered into a dealer agreement with the Distributor may buy Class A shares without paying a front-end sales charge for their investment account only.

 

   

Banks, trust companies and thrift institutions, acting as fiduciaries.

 

   

Any shareholder who owned shares of any fund of Columbia Acorn Trust (formerly named Liberty Acorn Trust) on September 29, 2000 (when all of the then outstanding shares of Columbia Acorn Trust were re-designated Class Z shares) and who since that time has remained a shareholder of any Fund, may buy Class A shares of any Fund without paying a front-end sales charge in those cases where a Columbia Fund Class Z share is not available.

 

   

Galaxy Fund shareholders prior to December 1, 1995; and shareholders who (i) bought Galaxy Fund Prime A shares without paying a front-end sales charge and received Class A shares in exchange for those shares during the Galaxy/Liberty Fund reorganization; and (ii) continue to maintain the account in which the Prime A shares were originally bought.

 

   

(For Class T shares only) Shareholders who (i) bought Galaxy Fund Retail A shares at net asset value and received Class T shares in exchange for those shares during the Galaxy/Liberty Fund reorganization; and (ii) continue to maintain the account in which the Retail A shares were originally bought; and Boston 1784 Fund shareholders on the date that those funds were reorganized into Galaxy Funds.

 

   

Class A, Class E and Class T shares (Class E and Class T shares are not currently open to new investors) of certain funds may also be bought at reduced or no sales charge by clients of dealers, brokers or registered investment advisors that have entered into arrangements with the Distributor pursuant to which the funds are included as investment options in wrap fee accounts, other managed agency/asset allocation accounts or programs involving fee-based compensation arrangements, and by participants in certain retirement plans.

 

   

Certain pension, profit-sharing or other employee benefit plans offered to non-U.S. investors.

 

   

At the Fund’s discretion, front-end sales charges may be waived for shares issued in plans of reorganization, such as mergers, asset acquisitions and exchange offers, to which the Columbia Funds are a party.

Investors can also buy Class A shares without paying a sales charge if the purchase is made from the proceeds of a sale from any Columbia Fund Class A, B, C or T shares within 365 days, up to the amount of the sales proceeds. The purchase must be made into an account for the same owner but does not need to be into the same Columbia Fund from which the shares were sold. The reinstatement privilege does not apply to any shares bought through a previous reinstatement. The Transfer Agent, Distributor or their agents must receive a written reinstatement request within 365 days after the shares are sold and purchase of Class A shares through this reinstatement privilege will be made at the NAV of such shares next calculated after the request is received in good order.

 

98


Table of Contents

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge Waivers (Class A, Class B, Class C and Class T Shares)

Shareholders won’t pay a CDSC in the following circumstances:

Death: CDSCs may be waived on sales following the death of: (i) the sole shareholder on an individual account; (ii) a joint tenant on an account; or (iii) the beneficiary of a Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA), Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or other custodial account. If the account is transferred to an account registered in the name of the deceased’s estate, the CDSC will be waived on any sale from the estate account. If the account is transferred to a new registration and then a sale is requested, the applicable CDSC will be charged.

Disability: CDSCs may be waived on sales after the sole shareholder on an individual account or a joint tenant on a joint tenant account becomes disabled (as defined by Section 72(m)(7) of the Code). To be eligible for such a waiver: (i) the disability must arise after the account is opened and (ii) a letter from a physician must be signed under penalty of perjury stating the nature of the disability. If the account is transferred to a new registration and then shares are sold, the applicable CDSC will be charged.

Death of a trustee: CDSCs may be waived on sales occurring upon dissolution of a revocable living or grantor trust following the death of the sole trustee where: (i) the grantor of the trust is the sole trustee and the sole life beneficiary, (ii) death occurs following the purchase, and (iii) the trust document provides for the dissolution of the trust upon the trustee’s death. If the account is transferred to a new registration (including that of a successor trustee), the applicable CDSC will be charged upon any subsequent sale.

Health savings accounts: CDSCs may be waived on shares sold by health savings accounts sponsored by third party platforms, including those sponsored by Bank of America affiliates.

Medical payments: Upon request by a shareholder, CDSCs may be waived on (i) shares sold for medical payments that exceed 7.5% of income and (ii) distributions made to pay for insurance by an individual who has separated from employment and who has received unemployment compensation under a federal or state program for at least twelve weeks.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan (SWP): CDSCs may be waived on sales occurring pursuant to a SWP established with the Transfer Agent, to the extent that the sales do not exceed, on an annual basis, 12% of the account’s value as long as distributions are reinvested. Otherwise, a CDSC will be charged on SWP sales until this requirement is met.

Qualified retirement plans: CDSCs may be waived on shares (except for Class B shares) sold by certain group retirement plans held in omnibus accounts.

Redemptions under certain retirement plans and accounts: CDSCs may be waived on shares sold in connection with distributions from qualified retirement plans, government (Section 457) plans, individual retirement accounts or custodial accounts under Section 403(b)(7) of the Code following normal retirement or the attainment of age 59 1/2.

Loans from qualified retirement plans: CDSCs may be waived on shares sold in connection with loans from qualified retirement plans to shareholders.

Accounts liquidated by Distributor: CDSCs may be waived for shares sold under the Distributor’s right to liquidate a shareholder’s account, including but not limited to instances where the aggregate net asset value of Class A, Class B or Class C shares held in the account is less than the minimum account size.

Returns of excess contributions: CDSCs may be waived on sales required to return excess contributions made to retirement plans or individual retirement accounts, so long as the financial intermediary returns the applicable portion of any commission paid by the Distributor.

 

99


Table of Contents

Return of commission: CDSCs may be waived on shares sold by intermediaries that are part of the Columbia Funds selling group where the intermediary has entered into an agreement with Columbia Funds not to receive (or to return if received) all or any applicable portion of an upfront commission.

Plans of reorganization: At a Fund’s discretion, CDSCs may be waived for shares issued in connection with plans of reorganization, such as mergers, asset acquisitions and exchange offers, to which the Fund is a party.

Anti-Money Laundering Compliance

The Funds are required to comply with various anti-money laundering laws and regulations. Consequently, the Funds may request additional required information from you to verify your identity. Your application will be rejected if it does not contain your name, social security number, date of birth and permanent street address. If at any time the Funds believe a shareholder may be involved in suspicious activity or if certain account information matches information on government lists of suspicious persons, the Funds may choose not to establish a new account or may be required to “freeze” a shareholder’s account. The Funds also may be required to provide a governmental agency with information about transactions that have occurred in a shareholder’s account or to transfer monies received to establish a new account, transfer an existing account or transfer the proceeds of an existing account to a governmental agency. In some circumstances, the law may not permit the Funds to inform the shareholder that it has taken the actions described above.

Offering Price

The share price of each Fund is based on each Fund’s net asset value per share, which is calculated separately for each class of shares as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (which is usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time unless the NYSE closes earlier) on each day the Funds are open for business, unless the Board determines otherwise.

The value of each Fund’s portfolio securities for which a market quotation is available is determined in accordance with the Trust’s valuation procedures. In general terms, the valuation procedures provide that domestic exchange traded securities (other than NASDAQ listed equity securities) generally will be valued at their last traded sale prices as reported on the principal exchange where those securities are traded. If no sales of those securities are reported on a particular day on the principal exchange, the securities generally will be valued at the mean between the latest bid and asked prices as reported on the principal exchange where those securities are traded. Securities traded on a foreign securities exchange will generally be valued at their last sale prices on the exchange where the securities are primarily traded, or in the absence of a reported sale on a particular day, at their bid prices (in the case of securities held long) or ask prices (in the case of securities held short) as reported by that exchange. Securities traded primarily on NASDAQ will generally be valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price (NOCP) (which is the last trade price at or before 4:00:02 p.m. (Eastern Time) adjusted up to NASDAQ’s best bid price if the last trade price is below such bid price or adjusted down to NASDAQ’s best ask price if the last trade price is above such ask price). If no NOCP is available, the security will generally be valued at the last sale price shown on NASDAQ prior to the calculation of the NAV of the Fund. If no sale price is shown on NASDAQ, the latest bid price will be used. If no sale price is shown and no latest bid price is available, the price will be deemed “stale” and the value will be determined in accordance with the Funds’ fair valuation procedures.

Securities not traded upon any exchange will generally be valued at the mean between the latest bid and asked prices based upon quotes furnished by the appropriate market makers. If quoted prices are unavailable or are believed to be inaccurate, market values will generally be determined based on quotes obtained from one or more broker(s) or dealer(s) or based on a price obtained from a reputable independent pricing service.

Financial futures will generally be valued at the latest reported sales price. Forward foreign currency contracts will generally be valued using market quotations from a widely used quotation system that reflects the

 

100


Table of Contents

current cost of covering or off-setting the contract. Exchange traded options will generally be valued at the latest reported sales price on their exchange. If there is no reported sale on the valuation date, the options will generally be valued at the mean between the latest bid and asked prices.

Over-the-counter derivatives will generally be valued at fair value in accordance with the Funds’ fair valuation procedures.

Repurchase agreements will generally be valued at a price equal to the amount of the cash invested in the repurchase agreement at the time of valuation. The market value of the securities underlying a repurchase agreement will be determined in accordance with the procedures above, as appropriate, for the purpose of determining the adequacy of collateral.

Shares of open-end investment companies held in each Fund’s portfolio will generally be valued at the latest net asset value reported by the investment company.

Debt securities will generally be valued by a pricing service which may employ a matrix or other indications of value, including but not limited to broker quotes, to determine valuations for normal institutional size trading units. The matrix can take into account various factors including, without limitation, bids, yield spreads, and/or other market data and specific security characteristics (e.g., credit quality, maturity and coupon rate). Debt securities for which a pricing service does not furnish valuations and for which market quotations are readily available will generally be valued based on the mean of the latest bid prices obtained from one or more dealers. Debt securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less will, absent unusual circumstances, be valued at amortized cost.

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available for any reason, including that the latest quotation is deemed unreliable or unreasonable, securities and other assets and liabilities are valued at “fair value” as determined in good faith by the Advisor’s valuation committee. In general, any one or more of the following factors may be taken into account in determining fair value: the fundamental analytical data relating to the security; the value of other financial instruments, including derivative securities, traded on other markets or among dealers; trading volumes on markets, exchanges, or among dealers; values of baskets of securities traded on other markets; changes in interest rates; observations from financial institutions; government (domestic or foreign) actions or pronouncements; other news events; information as to any transactions or offers with respect to the security; price and extent of public trading in similar securities of the issuer or comparable companies; nature and expected duration of the event, if any, giving rise to the valuation issue; pricing history of the security; the relative size of the position in the portfolio; and other relevant information.

With respect to securities traded on foreign markets, the following factors also may be relevant: the value of foreign securities traded on other foreign markets; ADR trading; closed-end fund trading; foreign currency exchange activity; and the trading of financial products that are tied to baskets of foreign securities, such as World Equity Benchmark SharesTM.

The Board has determined, and the valuation procedures provide, that in certain circumstances it may be necessary to use an alternative valuation method, such as in-kind redemptions with affiliated benefit plans where the Department of Labor requires that valuation to be done in accordance with Rule 17a-7 of the 1940 Act.

 

101


Table of Contents

TAXATION

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Funds’ prospectuses entitled Distributions and Taxes. The prospectuses generally describe the U.S. federal income tax treatment of distributions by the Funds. This section of the SAI provides additional information concerning U.S. federal income taxes. It is based on the Code, applicable Treasury Regulations, judicial authority, and administrative rulings and practice, all as in effect as of the date of this SAI and all of which are subject to change, including changes with retroactive effect. Except as specifically set forth below, the following discussion does not address any state, local or foreign tax matters.

A shareholder’s tax treatment may vary depending upon his or her particular situation. This discussion applies only to shareholders holding Fund shares as capital assets within the meaning of the Code. Except as otherwise noted, it may not apply to certain types of shareholders who may be subject to special rules, such as insurance companies, tax-exempt organizations, shareholders holding Fund shares through tax-advantaged accounts (such as 401(k) Plan Accounts or Individual Retirement Accounts), financial institutions, broker- dealers, entities that are not organized under the laws of the United States or a political subdivision thereof, persons who are neither citizens nor residents of the United States, shareholders holding Fund shares as part of a hedge, straddle, or conversion transaction, and shareholders who are subject to the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax.

The Trust has not requested and will not request an advance ruling from the IRS as to the U.S. federal income tax matters described below. The IRS could adopt positions contrary to those discussed below and such positions could be sustained. In addition, the following discussion and the discussions in the prospectuses applicable to each shareholder address only some of the U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting investments in the Funds. Prospective shareholders are urged to consult with their own tax advisors and financial planners regarding the U.S. federal tax consequences of an investment in a Fund, the application of state, local, or foreign laws, and the effect of any possible changes in applicable tax laws on their investment in the Funds.

Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company

It is intended that each Fund qualify as a “regulated investment company” under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1 of the Code. Each Fund will be treated as a separate entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Thus, the provisions of the Code applicable to regulated investment companies generally will apply separately to each Fund, even though each Fund is a series of the Trust. Furthermore, each Fund will separately determine its income, gains, losses, and expenses for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded regulated investment companies and their shareholders, each Fund must, among other things, derive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year generally from (i) dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, and other income attributable to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) and (ii) net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership, as defined below. In general, for purposes of this 90% gross income requirement, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership which would be qualifying income if realized directly by the regulated investment company. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership (defined as a partnership (x) the interests in which are traded on an established securities market or readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, (y) that derives at least 90% of its income from the passive income sources defined in Code Section 7704(d), and (z) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in clause (i) above) will be treated as qualifying income. In addition, although in general the passive loss rules do not apply to a regulated investment company, such rules do apply to a regulated investment company with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.

 

102


Table of Contents

Each Fund must also diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year: (i) at least 50% of the fair market value of its total assets consists of (A) cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies, and (B) securities of any one issuer (other than those described in clause (A)) to the extent such securities do not exceed 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and are not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets consists of the securities of any one issuer (other than those described in clause (i)(A)), the securities of two or more issuers the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships. In addition, for purposes of meeting this diversification requirement, the term “outstanding voting securities of such issuer” includes the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership and in the case of a Fund’s investments in loan participations, the Fund shall treat both the financial intermediary and the issuer of the underlying loan as an issuer. The qualifying income and diversification requirements described above may limit the extent to which a Fund can engage in certain derivative transactions.

In addition, each Fund generally must distribute to its shareholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income for the taxable year, which generally includes its ordinary income and the excess of any net short- term capital gain over net long-term capital loss, and at least 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income (if any) for the taxable year.

If a Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment, it generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any of the investment company taxable income and net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) it distributes to its shareholders (including Capital Gain Dividends, as defined below). Each Fund generally intends to distribute at least annually substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction) and substantially all of its net capital gain. However, no assurance can be given that a Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation. Any investment company taxable income retained by a Fund will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates.

In addition, although each Fund generally intends to distribute all of its net capital gain, a Fund may determine to retain for investment all or a portion of its net capital gain. If a Fund retains any net capital gain, it will be subject to a tax at regular corporate rates on the amount retained, but may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their shares of such undistributed amount, and (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of a Fund will be increased by an amount equal under current law to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s gross income under clause (i) of the preceding sentence and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence.

In determining its net capital gain for Capital Gain Dividend purposes, a regulated investment company generally must treat any net capital loss or any net long-term capital loss incurred after October 31 as if it had been incurred in the succeeding year. Treasury Regulations permit a regulated investment company, in determining its taxable income, to elect to treat all or part of any net capital loss, any net long-term capital loss or any foreign currency loss incurred after October 31 as if it had been incurred in the succeeding year.

In order to comply with the distribution requirements described above applicable to regulated investment companies, a Fund generally must make the distributions in the same taxable year that it realizes the income and gain, although in certain circumstances, a Fund may make the distributions in the following taxable year in respect of income and gains from the prior taxable year. Shareholders generally are taxed on any distributions from a Fund in the year they are actually distributed. If a Fund declares a distribution to shareholders of record in October, November or December of one calendar year and pays the distribution by January 31 of the following calendar year, however, the Fund and its shareholders will be treated as if the Fund paid the distribution by December 31 of the earlier year.

 

103


Table of Contents

If, for any taxable year, a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company accorded special tax treatment under the Code, it will be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation without any deduction for its distributions to shareholders, and all distributions from the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits (including any distributions of its net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains) to its shareholders will be taxable to shareholders as dividend income. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a regulated investment company.

Excise Tax

If a Fund fails to distribute by December 31 of each calendar year at least the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for that year (excluding capital gains and losses) and 98% of its capital gain net income (adjusted for net ordinary losses) for the 1-year period ending on October 31 of that year, and any of its ordinary income and capital gain net income from previous years that were not distributed during such years, the Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. For these purposes, a Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax in the taxable year ending within the calendar year. Each Fund generally intends to actually distribute or be deemed to have distributed substantially all of its ordinary income and capital gain net income, if any, by the end of each calendar year and, thus, expects not to be subject to the excise tax. However, no assurance can be given that a Fund will not be subject to the excise tax. Moreover, each Fund reserves the right to pay an excise tax rather than make an additional distribution when circumstances warrant (for example, if the amount of excise tax to be paid is deemed de minimis by a Fund).

Capital Loss Carryforwards

Subject to certain limitations, a Fund is permitted to carry forward a net capital loss from any year to offset its capital gains, if any, realized during the eight years following the year of the loss. A Fund’s capital loss carryforward is treated as a short-term capital loss in the year to which it is carried. If future capital gains are offset by carried forward capital losses, such future capital gains are not subject to fund-level U.S. federal income taxation, regardless of whether they are distributed to shareholders. Accordingly, the Funds do not expect to distribute any such offsetting capital gains. The Funds cannot carry back or carry forward any net operating losses.

Equalization Accounting

Each Fund may use the so-called “equalization method” of accounting to allocate a portion of its “accumulated earnings and profits,” which generally equals a Fund’s undistributed net investment income and realized capital gains, with certain adjustments, to redemption proceeds. This method permits a Fund to achieve more balanced distributions for both continuing and redeeming shareholders. Although using this method generally will not affect a Fund’s total returns, it may reduce the amount of income and gains that the Fund would otherwise distribute to continuing shareholders by reducing the effect of redemptions of Fund shares on Fund distributions to shareholders. The IRS has not sanctioned the particular equalization method used by the Funds, and thus a Fund’s use of this method may be subject to IRS scrutiny.

Taxation of Fund Investments

In general, realized gains or losses on the sale of securities held by a Fund will be treated as capital gains or losses, and long-term capital gains or losses if the Fund has held or is deemed to have held the securities for more than one year at the time of disposition.

If a Fund purchases a debt obligation with original issue discount (OID) (generally a debt obligation with an issue price less than its stated principal amount, such as a zero-coupon bond), the Fund may be required to annually include in its income a portion of the OID as ordinary income, even though the Fund will not receive

 

104


Table of Contents

cash payments for such discount until maturity or disposition of the obligation. Inflation-protected bonds generally can be expected to produce OID income as their principal amounts are adjusted upward for inflation. In general, gains recognized on the disposition of (or the receipt of any partial payment of principal on) a debt obligation (including a municipal obligation) purchased by a Fund at a market discount, generally at a price less than its principal amount, will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of the portion of market discount which accrued, but was not previously recognized pursuant to an available election, during the term that the Fund held the debt obligation. A Fund generally will be required to make distributions to shareholders representing the OID or market discount (if an election is made by the Fund to accrue market discount over the holding period of the applicable debt obligation) on debt securities that is currently includible in income, even though the cash representing such income may not have been received by the Fund. Cash to pay such distributions may be obtained from borrowing or from sales proceeds of securities held by a Fund which the Fund otherwise might have continued to hold; obtaining such cash might be disadvantageous for the Fund.

In addition, payment-in-kind securities similarly will give rise to income which is required to be distributed and is taxable even though a Fund receives no cash interest payment on the security during the year. A portion of the interest paid or accrued on certain high-yield discount obligations (such as high-yield corporate debt securities) may not (and interest paid on debt obligations owned by a Fund that are considered for tax purposes to be payable in the equity of the issuer or a related party will not) be deductible to the issuer, possibly affecting the cash flow of the issuer.

If a Fund invests in debt obligations that are in the lowest rating categories or are unrated, including debt obligations of issuers not currently paying interest or who are in default, special tax issues may exist for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as whether a Fund should recognize market discount on a debt obligation and, if so, the amount of market discount the Fund should recognize, when a Fund may cease to accrue interest, OID or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by a Fund when, as and if it invests in such securities, in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company and does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.

If an option granted by a Fund is sold, lapses or is otherwise terminated through a closing transaction, such as a repurchase by the Fund of the option from its holder, the Fund generally will realize a short-term capital gain or loss, depending on whether the premium income is greater or less than the amount paid by the Fund in the closing transaction. Some capital losses realized by a Fund in the sale, exchange, exercise or other disposition of an option may be deferred if they result from a position that is part of a “straddle,” discussed below. If securities are sold by a Fund pursuant to the exercise of a covered call option granted by it, the Fund generally will add the premium received to the sale price of the securities delivered in determining the amount of gain or loss on the sale. If securities are purchased by a Fund pursuant to the exercise of a put option written by it, the Fund generally will subtract the premium received from its cost basis in the securities purchased.

Some regulated futures contracts, foreign currency contracts, and non-equity, listed options that may be used by a Fund will be deemed “Section 1256 contracts.” A Fund will be required to “mark to market” any such contracts held at the end of the taxable year by treating them as if they had been sold on the last day of that year at market value. Sixty percent of any net gain or loss realized on all dispositions of Section 1256 contracts, including deemed dispositions under the “mark-to-market” rule, generally will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and the remaining 40% will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss, although certain foreign currency gains and losses from such contracts may be treated as ordinary income or loss as described below. These provisions may require a Fund to recognize income or gains without a concurrent receipt of cash. Transactions that qualify as designated hedges are exempt from the mark-to-market rule and the “60%/40%” rule and may require the Fund to defer the recognition of losses on certain futures contracts, foreign currency contracts, and non-equity options.

 

105


Table of Contents

Foreign exchange gains and losses realized by a Fund in connection with certain transactions involving foreign currency-denominated debt securities, certain options, futures contracts, forward contracts and similar instruments relating to foreign currency, foreign currencies, or payables or receivables denominated in a foreign currency are subject to Section 988 of the Code, which generally causes such gains and losses to be treated as ordinary income or loss and may affect the amount and timing of recognition of the Fund’s income. Under future Treasury Regulations, any such transactions that are not directly related to a Fund’s investments in stock or securities (or its options contracts or futures contracts with respect to stock or securities) may have to be limited in order to enable the Fund to satisfy the 90% qualifying income test described above. If the net foreign exchange loss exceeds a Fund’s net investment company taxable income (computed without regard to such loss) for a taxable year, the resulting ordinary loss for such year will not be available as a carryforward and thus cannot be deducted by the Fund or its shareholders in future years.

Offsetting positions held by a Fund involving certain derivative instruments, such as forwards, futures and options contracts, may be considered, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to constitute “straddles.” “Straddles” are defined to include “offsetting positions” in actively traded personal property. The tax treatment of “straddles” is governed by Section 1092 of the Code which, in certain circumstances, overrides or modifies the provisions of Section 1256. If a Fund is treated as entering into a “straddle” and at least one (but not all) of the Fund’s positions in derivative contracts comprising a part of such straddle is governed by Section 1256 of the Code, described above, then such straddle could be characterized as a “mixed straddle.” A Fund may make one or more elections with respect to “mixed straddles.” Depending upon which election is made, if any, the results with respect to a Fund may differ. Generally, to the extent the straddle rules apply to positions established by a Fund, losses realized by the Fund may be deferred to the extent of unrealized gain in any offsetting positions. Moreover, as a result of the straddle rules, short-term capital loss on straddle positions may be recharacterized as long-term capital loss, and long-term capital gain may be characterized as short-term capital gain. In addition, the existence of a straddle may affect the holding period of the offsetting positions. As a result, the straddle rules could cause distributions that would otherwise constitute “qualified dividend income” or qualify for the dividends-received deduction to fail to satisfy the applicable holding period requirements (as described below). Furthermore, the Fund may be required to capitalize, rather than deduct currently, any interest expense and carrying charges applicable to a position that is part of a straddle, including any interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry any positions that are part of a straddle. The application of the straddle rules to certain offsetting Fund positions can therefore affect the amount, timing, and character of distributions to shareholders, and may result in significant differences from the amount, timing and character of distributions that would have been made by the Fund if it had not entered into offsetting positions in respect of certain of its portfolio securities.

If a Fund enters into a “constructive sale” of any appreciated financial position in stock, a partnership interest, or certain debt instruments, the Fund will be treated as if it had sold and immediately repurchased the property and must recognize gain (but not loss) with respect to that position. A constructive sale of an appreciated financial position occurs when a Fund enters into certain offsetting transactions with respect to the same or substantially identical property, including, but not limited to: (i) a short sale; (ii) an offsetting notional principal contract; (iii) a futures or forward contract; or (iv) other transactions identified in future Treasury Regulations. The character of the gain from constructive sales will depend upon a Fund’s holding period in the appreciated financial position. Losses realized from a sale of a position that was previously the subject of a constructive sale will be recognized when the position is subsequently disposed of. The character of such losses will depend upon a Fund’s holding period in the position beginning with the date the constructive sale was deemed to have occurred and the application of various loss deferral provisions in the Code. Constructive sale treatment does not apply to certain closed transactions, including if such a transaction is closed on or before the 30th day after the close of the Fund’s taxable year and the Fund holds the appreciated financial position unhedged throughout the 60-day period beginning with the day such transaction was closed.

The amount of long-term capital gain a Fund may recognize from certain derivative transactions with respect to interests in certain pass-through entities is limited under the Code’s constructive ownership rules. The

 

106


Table of Contents

amount of long-term capital gain is limited to the amount of such gain the Fund would have had if the Fund directly invested in the pass-through entity during the term of the derivative contract. Any gain in excess of this amount is treated as ordinary income. An interest charge is imposed on the amount of gain that is treated as ordinary income.

If a Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. Similar consequences may apply to repurchase and other derivative transactions. Similarly, to the extent that a Fund makes distributions of income received by the Fund in lieu of tax-exempt interest with respect to securities on loan, such distributions will not constitute exempt-interest dividends (defined below) to shareholders.

In addition, a Fund’s transactions in securities and certain types of derivatives (e.g., options, futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements) may be subject to other special tax rules, such as the wash- sale rules or the short-sale rules, the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the Fund, defer losses to the Fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the Fund’s securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains, and/or convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders.

Certain of a Fund’s investments in derivative instruments and foreign currency-denominated instruments, as well as any of its foreign currency transactions and hedging activities, are likely to produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If a Fund’s book income exceeds the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the distribution (if any) of such excess generally will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the Fund’s remaining earnings and profits (including earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income), (ii) thereafter, as a return of capital to the extent of the recipient’s basis in its shares, and (iii) thereafter, as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset. If a Fund’s book income is less than the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the Fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.

Rules governing the U.S. federal income tax aspects of derivatives, including swap agreements, are in a developing stage and are not entirely clear in certain respects. Accordingly, while each Fund intends to account for such transactions in a manner it deems to be appropriate, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether a Fund has made sufficient distributions, and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid fund-level tax. Certain requirements that must be met under the Code in order for a Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company may limit the extent to which a Fund will be able to engage in certain derivatives transactions.

A Fund may invest directly or indirectly in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests in taxable mortgage pools (TMPs). Under an IRS notice, and Treasury Regulations that have yet to be issued but may apply retroactively, a portion of a Fund’s income (including income allocated to the Fund from a pass-through entity) that is attributable to a residual interest in a REMIC or an equity interest in a TMP (referred to in the Code as an “excess inclusion”) will be subject to U.S. federal income tax in all events. This notice also provides, and the regulations are expected to provide, that excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as a Fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related interest directly. As a result, the Fund may not be a suitable investment for certain tax-exempt shareholders, as noted under Tax-Exempt Shareholders below.

In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) to entities (including a qualified pension plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh

 

107


Table of Contents

plan or certain other tax-exempt entities) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a foreign shareholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax.

“Passive foreign investment companies” (PFICs) are generally defined as foreign corporations where at least 75% of their gross income for their taxable year is income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties, or capital gains) or at least 50% of their assets on average produce such passive income. If a Fund acquires any equity interest in a PFIC, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and interest charges on “excess distributions” received from the PFIC or on gain from the sale of such equity interest in the PFIC, even if all income or gain actually received by the Fund is timely distributed to its shareholders. Excess distributions and gain from the sale of interests in PFICs may be characterized as ordinary income even though, absent the application of PFIC rules, these amounts may otherwise have been classified as capital gain.

A Fund will not be permitted to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for these special taxes and interest charges incurred with respect to a PFIC. Elections may be available that would ameliorate these adverse tax consequences, but such elections would require a Fund to include its share of the PFIC’s income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it receives any distribution from the PFIC (in the case of a “QEF election”), or to mark the gains (and to a limited extent losses) in its interests in the PFIC “to the market” as though the Fund had sold and repurchased such interests on the last day of the Fund’s taxable year, treating such gains and losses as ordinary income and loss (in the case of a “mark-to-market election”). The QEF and mark-to-market elections may require a Fund to recognize taxable income or gain without the concurrent receipt of cash and increase the amount required to be distributed by the Fund to avoid taxation. Making either of these elections therefore may require a Fund to liquidate other investments prematurely to meet the minimum distribution requirements described above, which also may accelerate the recognition of gain and adversely affect the Fund’s total return. Each Fund may attempt to limit and/or manage its holdings in PFICs to minimize tax liability and/or maximize returns from these investments but there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so. Moreover, because it is not always possible to identify a foreign corporation as a PFIC in advance of acquiring shares in the corporation, a Fund may incur the tax and interest charges described above in some instances. Dividends paid by PFICs will not be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income, as defined below.

In addition to the investments described above, prospective shareholders should be aware that other investments made by a Fund may involve complex tax rules that may result in income or gain recognition by the Fund without corresponding current cash receipts. Although each Fund seeks to avoid significant noncash income, such noncash income could be recognized by a Fund, in which case the Fund may distribute cash derived from other sources in order to meet the minimum distribution requirements described above. In this regard, a Fund could be required at times to liquidate investments prematurely in order to satisfy its minimum distribution requirements, which may accelerate the recognition of gain and adversely affect the Fund’s total return.

Taxation of Distributions

Except for exempt-interest dividends (defined below) paid by a Fund, distributions paid out of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in the Fund, generally are deemed to be taxable distributions and must be reported by each shareholder who is required to file a U.S. federal income tax return. Dividends and distributions on a Fund’s shares are generally subject to U.S. federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed the Fund’s realized income and gains, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder’s investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the Fund’s net asset value reflects either unrealized gains, or realized but undistributed income or gains. Such realized income and gains may be

 

108


Table of Contents

required to be distributed even when the Fund’s net asset value also reflects unrealized losses. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, a Fund’s earnings and profits, described above, are determined at the end of the Fund’s taxable year and are allocated pro rata to distributions paid over the entire year. Distributions in excess of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will first be treated as a return of capital up to the amount of a shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Fund shares and then as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Fund shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of his or her shares. A Fund may make distributions in excess of its earnings and profits to a limited extent, from time to time.

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income (except for exempt-interest dividends, defined below) are generally taxable as ordinary income, and distributions of gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned (or is deemed to have owned) for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions properly designated by a Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain (to the extent such distributions do not exceed the Fund’s actual net long-term capital gain for the taxable year), regardless of how long a shareholder has held Fund shares, and do not qualify as dividends for purposes of the dividends-received deduction or as qualified dividend income (defined below). Each Fund will designate Capital Gain Dividends, if any, in a written notice mailed by the Fund to its shareholders not later than 60 days after the close of the Fund’s taxable year.

Some states will not tax distributions made to individual shareholders that are attributable to interest a Fund earns on direct obligations of the U.S. government if the Fund meets the state’s minimum investment or reporting requirements, if any. Investments in GNMA or FNMA securities, bankers’ acceptances, commercial paper, and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities generally do not qualify for tax-free treatment. This exemption may not apply to corporate shareholders.

Sales and Exchanges of Fund Shares

If a shareholder sells or exchanges his or her Fund shares, he or she generally will realize a taxable capital gain or loss on the difference between the amount received for the shares (or deemed received in the case of an exchange) and his or her tax basis in the shares. This gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if he or she has held (or is deemed to have held) such Fund shares for more than one year at the time of the sale or exchange, and short-term capital gain or loss otherwise.

If a shareholder sells or exchanges Fund shares within 90 days of having acquired such shares and if, as a result of having initially acquired those shares, he or she subsequently pays a reduced sales charge on a new purchase of shares of the Fund or a different regulated investment company, the sales charge previously incurred in acquiring the Fund’s shares generally shall not be taken into account (to the extent the previous sales charges do not exceed the reduction in sales charges on the new purchase) for the purpose of determining the amount of gain or loss on the disposition, but generally will be treated as having been incurred in the new purchase. Also, if a shareholder realizes a loss on a disposition of Fund shares, the loss will be disallowed under “wash sale” rules to the extent that he or she purchases substantially identical shares within the 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition. Any disallowed loss generally will be reflected in an adjustment to the tax basis of the purchased shares.

If a shareholder receives a Capital Gain Dividend or is deemed to receive a distribution of long-term capital gain with respect to any Fund share and such Fund share is held or treated as held for six months or less, then (unless otherwise disallowed) any loss on the sale or exchange of that Fund share will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the Capital Gain Dividend or deemed long-term capital gain distribution. If shares of a Fund are sold at a loss after being held for six months or less, the loss will be disallowed to the extent of any exempt-interest dividends (defined below) received on those shares.

 

109


Table of Contents

Foreign Taxes

Amounts realized by a Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If more than 50% of the value of a Fund’s total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of securities of foreign corporations, the Fund will be eligible to file an annual election with the IRS pursuant to which the Fund may pass through to its shareholders on a pro rata basis foreign income and similar taxes paid by the Fund with respect to foreign securities that the Fund has held for at least the minimum holding periods specified in the Code and such taxes may be claimed, subject to certain limitations, either as a tax credit or deduction by the shareholders. It is not expected that any of the Funds will qualify for this election.

U.S. Federal Income Tax Rates

As of the date of this SAI, the maximum stated U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to individuals generally is 35% for ordinary income and 15% for net long-term capital gain. Long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals have been temporarily reduced - in general, to 15% with lower rates applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% rate brackets - for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2011. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2011.

For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2011, U.S. federal income tax law also provides for a maximum individual U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to “qualified dividend income” equal to the highest net long-term capital gain rate, which, as described above, generally is 15%. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend this provision for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2011. In general, “qualified dividend income” is income attributable to dividends received by a Fund from certain domestic and foreign corporations, as long as certain holding period and other requirements are met by the Fund with respect to the dividend-paying corporation’s stock and by the shareholders with respect to the Fund’s shares. If 95% or more of a Fund’s gross income (excluding net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) constitutes qualified dividend income, all of its distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) will be generally treated as qualified dividend income in the hands of individual shareholders, as long as they have owned their Fund shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the Fund’s ex-dividend date (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date) and meet certain other requirements specified in the Code. In general, if less than 95% of a Fund’s income is attributable to qualified dividend income, then only the portion of the Fund’s distributions that is attributable to qualified dividend income and designated as such in a timely manner will be so treated in the hands of individual shareholders who meet the aforementioned holding period requirements. The rules regarding the qualification of Fund distributions as qualified dividend income are complex, including the holding period requirements. Individual Fund shareholders therefore are urged to consult their own tax advisors and financial planners. Fixed income funds, such as the Funds, typically do not distribute significant amounts of qualified dividend income.

The maximum stated corporate U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to ordinary income and net capital gain is 35%. Actual marginal tax rates may be higher for some shareholders, for example, through reductions in deductions. Naturally, the amount of tax payable by any taxpayer will be affected by a combination of tax laws covering, for example, deductions, credits, deferrals, exemptions, sources of income and other matters. U.S. federal income tax rates are set to increase in future years under various “sunset” provisions of U.S. federal income tax laws.

Backup Withholding

Each Fund generally is required to withhold, and remit to the U.S. Treasury, subject to certain exemptions, an amount equal to 28% of all distributions and redemption proceeds (including proceeds from exchanges and redemptions in-kind) paid or credited to a Fund shareholder if (1) the shareholder fails to furnish the Fund with a correct “taxpayer identification number” (TIN) or has not certified to the Fund that withholding does not apply or (2) the IRS notifies the Fund that the shareholder’s TIN is incorrect or the shareholder is otherwise subject to backup withholding. These backup withholding rules may also apply to distributions that are properly designated

 

110


Table of Contents

as exempt-interest dividends (defined below). This backup withholding is not an additional tax imposed on the shareholder. The shareholder may apply amounts required to be withheld as a credit against his or her future U.S. federal income tax liability, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS. If a shareholder fails to furnish a valid TIN upon request, the shareholder can also be subject to IRS penalties. The rate of backup withholding is set to increase for amounts distributed or paid after December 31, 2010.

Tax-Deferred Plans

The shares of a Fund may be available for a variety of tax-deferred retirement and other tax-advantaged plans and accounts. Prospective investors should contact their tax advisors and financial planners regarding the tax consequences to them of holding Fund shares through such plans and/or accounts.

Corporate Shareholders

Subject to limitations and other rules, a corporate shareholder of a Fund may be eligible for the dividends- received deduction on Fund distributions attributable to dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations, which, if received directly by the corporate shareholder, would qualify for such a deduction. For eligible corporate shareholders, the dividends-received deduction may be subject to certain reductions, and a distribution by a Fund attributable to dividends of a domestic corporation will be eligible for the deduction only if certain holding period and other requirements are met. These requirements are complex; therefore, corporate shareholders of the Funds are urged to consult their own tax advisors and financial planners.

As discussed above, a portion of the interest paid or accrued on certain high-yield discount obligations that a Fund may own may not be deductible to the issuer. If a portion of the interest paid or accrued on these obligations is not deductible, that portion will be treated as a dividend. In such cases, if the issuer of the obligation is a domestic corporation, dividend payments by a Fund may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction to the extent of the dividend portion of such interest.

Foreign Shareholders

For purposes of this discussion, “foreign shareholders” generally include: (i) nonresident alien individuals, (ii) foreign trusts (i.e., a trust other than a trust with respect to which a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over administration of that trust and one or more U.S. persons have authority to control substantial decisions of that trust), (iii) foreign estates (ie., the income of which is not subject to U.S. tax regardless of source), and (iv) foreign corporations.

Generally, unless an exception applies, dividend distributions made to foreign shareholders other than Capital Gain Dividends and exempt-interest dividends (defined below) will be subject to non-refundable U.S. federal income tax withholding at a 30% rate (or such lower rate as may be provided under an applicable income tax treaty) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding. However, generally, for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2010 (and for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2011 if pending legislation (discussed below) is enacted), distributions made to foreign shareholders and properly designated by a Fund as “interest-related dividends” are exempt from U.S. federal income tax withholding. The exemption for interest-related dividends does not apply to any distribution to a foreign shareholder (i) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the foreign shareholder is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer; (ii) that is within certain foreign countries that have inadequate information exchange with the United States, or (iii) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the foreign shareholder and the foreign shareholder is a controlled foreign corporation. Interest-related dividends are generally attributable to the Fund’s net U.S.-source interest income of types similar to those not subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign shareholder. In order to qualify as an interest-related dividend, the Fund must designate a distribution as such in a written notice mailed to its shareholders not later than 60 days after the close of the Fund’s taxable year. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a distribution described above is “effectively connected”

 

111


Table of Contents

with a U.S. trade or business (or, if an income tax treaty applies, is attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment) of the recipient foreign shareholder, neither U.S. federal income tax withholding nor the exemption for interest-related dividends will apply. Instead, the distribution will be subject to the tax, reporting and withholding requirements generally applicable to U.S. persons, and an additional branch profits tax may apply if the recipient foreign shareholder is a foreign corporation.

In general, a foreign shareholder’s capital gains realized on the disposition of Fund shares, distributions properly designated as Capital Gain Dividends and, with respect to taxable years of a Fund beginning before January 1, 2010 (and for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2011 if pending legislation (discussed below) is enacted), “short-term capital gain dividends” (defined below) are not subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax, unless: (i) such gains or distributions are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business (or, if an income tax treaty applies, are attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment) of the foreign shareholder; or (ii) in the case of an individual foreign shareholder, the shareholder is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the disposition of Fund shares or the receipt of Capital Gain Dividends or short-term capital gain dividends and certain other conditions are met. If the requirements of clause (i) are met, the tax, reporting and withholding requirements applicable to U.S. persons generally will apply to the foreign shareholder and an additional branch profits tax may apply if the foreign shareholder is a foreign corporation. If the requirements of clause (i) are not met, but the requirements of clause (ii) are met, such gains and distributions will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate (or such lower rate as may be provided under an applicable income tax treaty). “Short-term capital gain dividends” are distributions attributable to a Fund’s net short-term capital gain in excess of its net long-term capital loss and designated as such by the Fund in a written notice mailed by the Fund to its shareholders not later than 60 days after the close of the Fund’s taxable year.

Pending legislation proposes to extend the exemptions from withholding for interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends for one additional year (i.e., for dividends with respect to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2010 but before January 1, 2011). However, as of the date of this SAI, it is unclear whether such legislation will be enacted and, if enacted, what the terms of the extension will be.

In the case of shares held through an intermediary, even if a Fund makes a designation with respect to a payment, no assurance can be made that the intermediary will respect such a designation, and an intermediary may withhold even if a Fund makes a designation with respect to a payment. Foreign shareholders should contact their intermediaries regarding the application of these rules to their accounts.

Even if permitted to do so, each Fund provides no assurance that it will designate any distributions as interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends.

Special rules apply to certain distributions to certain foreign shareholders from a regulated investment company that is either a “U.S. real property holding corporation” (“USRPHC”) or would be a USRPHC absent exclusions from the definition thereof for interests in domestically controlled REITs or regulated investment companies and not-greater-than-5% interests in publicly traded classes of stock in REITs or regulated investment companies. Additionally, special rules apply to the sale of shares in a regulated investment company that is a USRPHC. Generally, a USRPHC is a domestic corporation that holds U.S. real property interests (“USRPIs”) — USRPIs are defined generally as any interest in U.S. real property or any equity interest in a USRPHC — the fair market value of which equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market values of the corporation’s USRPIs, interests in real property located outside the United States and other assets. The Funds generally do not expect that they will be USRPHCs or would be USRPHCs but for certain of the above-mentioned exceptions and thus do not expect that these special tax rules will apply.

In order to qualify for any exemptions from withholding described above or for lower withholding tax rates under income tax treaties, or to establish an exemption from backup withholding, a foreign shareholder must comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its foreign status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN or substitute form). Foreign shareholders should consult their tax advisers in this regard.

 

112


Table of Contents

Special rules (including withholding and reporting requirements) apply to foreign partnerships and those holding Fund shares through foreign partnerships. In addition, additional considerations may apply to foreign trusts and foreign estates. Investors holding Fund shares through foreign entities should consult their tax advisors about their particular situation.

A beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person may be subject to state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the U.S. federal income tax referred to above.

Tax-Exempt Shareholders

Under current law, a Fund serves to “block” (that is, prevent the attribution to shareholders of) UBTI from being realized by tax-exempt shareholders. Notwithstanding this “blocking” effect, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b).

It is possible that a tax-exempt shareholder will also recognize UBTI if a Fund recognizes excess inclusion income (as described above) derived from direct or indirect investments in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests in TMPs. Furthermore, any investment in residual interests of a CMO that has elected to be treated as a REMIC can create complex tax consequences, especially if the Fund has state or local governments or other tax- exempt organizations as shareholders.

In addition, special tax consequences apply to charitable remainder trusts (CRTs) that invest in regulated investment companies that invest directly or indirectly in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests in TMPs. Under legislation enacted in December 2006, a CRT, as defined in Section 664 of the Code, that realizes UBTI for a taxable year must pay an excise tax annually of an amount equal to such UBTI. Under IRS guidance issued in October 2006, a CRT will not recognize UBTI solely as a result of investing in a Fund to the extent that it recognizes excess inclusion income. Rather, if at any time during any taxable year a CRT (or one of certain other tax-exempt shareholders, such as the United States, a state or political subdivision, or an agency or instrumentality thereof, and certain energy cooperatives) is a record holder of a share in a Fund and the Fund recognizes excess inclusion income, then the Fund will be subject to a tax on that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to such shareholders at the highest U.S. federal corporate income tax rate. The extent to which the IRS guidance remains applicable in light of the December 2006 legislation is unclear. To the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, each Fund may elect to specially allocate any such tax to the applicable CRT, or other shareholder, and thus reduce such shareholder’s distributions for the year by the amount of the tax that relates to such shareholder’s interest in the Fund. Each Fund has not yet determined whether such an election will be made. CRTs are urged to consult their tax advisors concerning the consequences of investing in a Fund.

Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations

Under Treasury Regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all regulated investment companies. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Special Tax Considerations Pertaining to Tax-Exempt Funds

If, at the close of each quarter of a regulated investment company’s taxable year, at least 50% of the value of its total assets consists of obligations the interest on which is exempt from U.S. federal income tax under

 

113


Table of Contents

Section 103(a) of the Code, then the regulated investment company may qualify to pay “exempt-interest dividends” and pass through to its shareholders the tax-exempt character of its income from such obligations. Each of the Funds intends to so qualify and is designed to provide shareholders with a high level of income in the form of exempt- interest dividends, which are generally exempt from U.S. federal income tax.

Distributions of capital gains or income not attributable to interest on a Fund’s tax-exempt obligations will not constitute exempt-interest dividends and will be taxable to shareholders as described earlier.

Not later than 60 days after the close of its taxable year, each Fund will notify its shareholders of the portion of the distributions for the taxable year which constitutes exempt-interest dividends. In general, if an amount of a Fund’s distribution designated as an exempt-interest dividend exceeds the Fund’s net-exempt interest, the amount so qualifying as tax-exempt will be scaled back ratably to the amount of its net-exempt income. In such a case, each Fund shareholder must proportionately reduce the amount of the dividend it treats as tax-exempt, and will generally include the excess income as a taxable dividend to the extent of certain disallowed deductions and thereafter as a return of capital. The deductibility of interest paid or accrued on indebtedness incurred by a shareholder to purchase or carry shares of a Fund may be limited. The portion of such interest that is non-deductible generally equals the amount of such interest times the ratio of the Fund’s exempt-interest dividends received by the shareholder to all of the Fund’s dividends received by the shareholder (excluding Capital Gain Dividends and any capital gains required to be included in the shareholder’s long term capital gains in respect of capital gains retained by the Fund, as described earlier).

Although exempt-interest dividends are generally exempt from U.S. federal income tax, there may not be a similar exemption under the laws of a particular state or local taxing jurisdiction. Thus, exempt-interest dividends may be subject to state and local taxes; however, each of the state-specific Funds invests at least 80% of its net assets in municipal bonds that pay interest that is exempt not only from U.S. federal income tax, but also from the applicable state’s personal income tax (but not necessarily local taxes or taxes of other states). You should consult your tax advisor to discuss the tax consequences of your investment in a Fund.

Tax-exempt interest on certain “private activity bonds” has been designated as a “tax preference item” and must be added back to taxable income for purposes of calculating U.S. federal alternative minimum tax (“AMT”). To the extent that a Fund invests in certain private activity bonds, its shareholders will be required to report that portion of the Fund’s distributions attributable to income from the bonds as a tax preference item in determining their U.S. federal AMT, if any. Shareholders will be notified of the tax status of distributions made by a Fund. Persons who may be “substantial users” (or “related persons” of substantial users) of facilities financed by private activity bonds should consult their tax advisors before purchasing shares in a Fund. In addition, exempt-interest dividends paid by a Fund to a corporate shareholder are included in the shareholder’s “adjusted current earnings” as part of its U.S. federal AMT calculation. As of the date of this SAI, individuals are subject to the U.S. federal AMT at a maximum rate of 28% and corporations at a maximum rate of 20%. Shareholders with questions or concerns about the U.S. federal AMT should consult their own tax advisors.

Ordinarily, a Fund relies on an opinion from the issuer’s bond counsel that interest on the issuer’s obligation will be exempt from U.S. federal income taxation. However, no assurance can be given that the IRS will not successfully challenge such exemption, which could cause interest on the obligation to be taxable and could jeopardize a Fund’s ability to pay exempt-interest dividends. Similar challenges may occur as to state-specific exemptions. Also, from time to time legislation may be introduced or litigation may arise that would change the treatment of exempt-interest dividends. Such litigation or legislation may have the effect of raising the state or other taxes payable by shareholders on such dividends. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors for the current law on exempt-interest dividends.

A shareholder who receives Social Security or railroad retirement benefits should consult his or her tax advisor to determine what effect, if any, an investment in a Fund may have on the federal taxation of such benefits. Exempt-interest dividends are included in income for purposes of determining the amount of benefits that are taxable.

 

114


Table of Contents

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

As of January 29, 2010, the name, address and percentage of ownership of each person who may be deemed to be a “principal holder” (i.e., owns of record or is known by the Trust to own beneficially 5% or more of any class of a Fund’s outstanding shares) is listed below.

Principal Holder Ownership of the Funds

 

Fund/Share Class

 

Shareholder Account Registration

  Share Balance   Percentage of Class
CA Tax-Exempt Fund- Class A  

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.

ATTN PETER BOOTH 7TH FL

333 W 34TH ST

NEW YORK, NY 10001-2402

  2,011,221.5400   5.57%

CA Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class B

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF

ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 2

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  50,703.0000   8.42%

CA Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class B

 

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.

ATTN PETER BOOTH 7th FL

333 W 34TH ST

NEW YORK, NY 10001-2402

  45,871.6290   7.62%

CA Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class B

 

NFS LLC FEBO

MARGARITO RICO TTEE

MARGARITO RICO LIVINGTRUST

PO BOX 515

NORCO, CA 92860-0515

  32,036.8200   5.32%

CA Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class C

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF

ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 2

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  1,500,155.5310   36.91%

CA Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class C

 

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.

ATTN PETER BOOTH 7TH FL

333 W 34TH ST

NEW YORK, NY 10001-2402

  290,930.2280   7.16%

 

115


Table of Contents

Fund/Share Class

 

Shareholder Account Registration

  Share Balance   Percentage of Class

CA Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class Z

 

BANK OF AMERICA NA, TRUSTEE

ATTN BETTY BARLEY/FUNDS ACCOUNTING

1201 MAIN STREET 10TH FL

DALLAS, TX 75202-3908

  11,665,596.3360   88.69%

CT Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class A

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF

ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 2

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  797,628.1630   7.95%

CT Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class B

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF

ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 2

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  106,957.1700   13.84%

CT Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class C

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF

ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 2

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  377,553.8060   22.93%

CT Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class C

 

MORGAN STANLEY & CO

HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER PLAZA II, 3RD FL

JERSEY CITY, NJ 07311

  100,239.1890   6.09%

CT Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class C

 

PERSHING LLC

PO BOX 2052

JERSEY CITY, NJ 07303-2052

  94,050.7650   5.71%

MA Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class B

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF

ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 2

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  69,995.8470   9.76%

 

116


Table of Contents

Fund/Share Class

 

Shareholder Account Registration

  Share Balance   Percentage of Class

MA Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class B

 

MORGAN STANLEY & CO

HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER PLAZA II, 3RD FL

JERSEY CITY, NJ 07311

  68,298.5450   9.52%

MA Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class B

 

PO-TUNG TU & SHUCHEN TU

7 KIMBERLY CT

MARSHFIELD, MA 02050-6218

  39,416.6770   5.50%

MA Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class C

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF

ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 2

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  259,114.9870   19.37%

MA Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class C

 

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.

ATTN PETER BOOTH 7TH FL

333 W 34TH ST

NEW YORK, NY 10001-2402

  197,211.8180   14.74%

MA Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class C

 

MORGAN STANLEY & CO

HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER PLAZA II, 3RD FL

JERSEY CITY, NJ 07311

  97,220.0710   7.27%

NY Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class A

 

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.

ATTN PETER BOOTH 7TH FL

333 W 34TH ST

NEW YORK, NY 10001-2402

  769,263.8740   10.91%

NY Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class A

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF

ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 2

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  669,988.2980   9.50%

NY Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class B

 

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.

ATTN PETER BOOTH 7TH FL

333 W 34TH ST

NEW YORK, NY 10001-2402

  133,695.7880   13.18%

NY Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class B

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF

ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 2

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  108,370.6390   10.69%

 

117


Table of Contents

Fund/Share Class

 

Shareholder Account Registration

  Share Balance   Percentage of Class

NY Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class B

 

NFS LLC FEBO

FERNE BROWNELL TTEE

FERNE BROWNELL LIVING TRUST

204 N RIDGE RUN

MANCHESTER CTR, VT 05255-9141

  52,286.8990   5.16%

NY Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class C

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF

ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 2

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  499,617.5240   38.62%

NY Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class C

 

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.

ATTN PETER BOOTH 7TH FL

333 W 34TH ST

NEW YORK, NY 10001-2402

  239,555.0500   18.52%

NY Tax-Exempt Fund-

Class C

 

MORGAN STANLEY & CO

HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER PLAZA II, 3RD FL

JERSEY CITY, NJ 07311

  132,622.7700   10.25%

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class B

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF

ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 2

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  86,928.2730   18.65%

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class B

 

NFS LLC FEBO

GILDA Y SPIVAK

2633 ELM DR

N BELLMORE, NY 11710-1303

  24,927.2110   5.35%

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class C

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF

ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATOR

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 2

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  491,815.1810   28.57%

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class C

 

MORGAN STANLEY & CO

HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER PLAZA II, 3RD FL

JERSEY CITY, NJ 07311

  86,322.3070   5.01%

 

118


Table of Contents

Fund/Share Class

 

Shareholder Account Registration

  Share Balance   Percentage of Class

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class T

 

CHARLES SCHWAB & CO INC

ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS

101 MONTGOMERY ST

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104-4151

  67,604.6430   6.70%

Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class Z

 

BANK OF AMERICA NA, TRUSTEE

ATTN BETTY BARLEY/FUNDS ACCOUNTING

1201 MAIN STREET 10TH FL

DALLAS, TX 75202-3908

  13,239,968.2870   92.83%

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class A

 

NFS LLC FEBO

KENNETH D POLIVY

120 GORDON RD

WABAN, MA 02468-1227

  184,699.1520   11.45%

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class A

 

CHARLES SCHWAB & CO INC CUST

ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS DEPT

101 MONTGOMERY ST

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104-4151

  139,956.6580   8.67%

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class A

 

NFS LLC FEBO

LONGA VITA CORPORATION

C/O KESEV CORP.

2000 COMMONWEALTH AVE.

AUBURNDALE, MA 02466-2004

  98,290.2210   6.09%

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class A

 

FIRST CLEARING LLC

VINCENT BISCEGLIA TTEE

VINCENT BISCEGLIA TRUST

139 WHARTON ROAD

GROTON, MA 01450-4244

  97,977.7310   6.07%

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class A

 

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.

ATTN PETER BOOTH 7TH FL

333 W 34TH ST

NEW YORK, NY 10001-2402

  93,272.6690   5.78%

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class B

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 3

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  10,698.2010   10.10%

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class B

 

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INVESTMENT SVCS

PO BOX 9446

MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55474-0001

  8,863.5170   8.37%

 

119


Table of Contents

Fund/Share Class

 

Shareholder Account Registration

  Share Balance   Percentage of Class

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class B

 

NFS LLC FEBO

HOWARD F CASEY

103 SCHOOL ST UNIT 4

CONCORD, NH 03301-3820

  7,564.6570   7.14%

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class B

 

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.

ATTN PETER BOOTH 7TH FL

333 W 34TH ST

NEW YORK, NY 10001-2402

  7,199.9240   6.80%

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class B

 

NFS LLC FEBO

J LEONARD SCHATZ

25 GREYSTONE CT

BURLINGTON, MA 01803-3823

  5,572.6440   5.26%

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class C

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 3

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  188,538.4610   22.02%

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class C

 

MORGAN STANLEY & CO.

HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER PLAZA II, 3RD FL

JERSEY CITY, NJ 07311

  58,384.9110   6.82%

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class C

 

FIRST CLEARING LLC

KEVIN J MCCARTHY

36 MINUTEMAN RD

MEDFIELD, MA 02052-1444

  57,798.7690   6.75%

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class T

 

NFS LLC FEBO

KAREN K DER

8 LENOX CIR

ANDOVER, MA 01810-5429

  334,941.7790   9.04%

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class T

 

NFS LLC FEBO

ERIC R COSMAN

872 CONCORD AVE

BELMONT, MA 02478-1604

  293,745.5180   7.93%

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class T

 

NFS LLC FEBO

MURIEL HUROVITZ

1111 BEACON ST APT 37

BROOKLINE, MA 02446-5518

  220,053.0760   5.94%

 

120


Table of Contents

Fund/Share Class

 

Shareholder Account Registration

  Share Balance   Percentage of Class

MA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class Z

 

BANK OF AMERICA

ATTN BETTY BARLEY/FUNDS ACCOUNTING

1201 MAIN STREET 10TH FL

DALLAS, TX 75202-3908

  25,287,086.7470   94.68%

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class A

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF

ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 3

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  426,207.9210   40.69%

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class A

 

NFS LLC FEBO

12 HEMLOCK LTD PARTNERSHIP

A PARTNERSHIP

CHRISTOPHER K OHARA

44 SYLVAN, RD N

WESTPORT, CT 06880-2942

  111,031.0950   10.60%

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class A

 

CHARLES SCHWAB & CO INC CUST

ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS DEPT

101 MONTGOMERY ST

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94101-4151

  56,506.6550   5.39%

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class B

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF

ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 3

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  39,569.8200   23.44%

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class B

 

NFS LLC FEBO

NANETTE GANDELMAN

2 COACH LN

WESTPORT, CT 06880-2107

  11,880.5030   7.04%

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class B

 

NFS LLC FEBO

HIDEKO HARA DUNN

JAN D DUNN

75 INVERNESS CT

CHESHIRE, CT 06410-3548

  10,486.8490   6.21%

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class C

 

MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH

FOR THE SOLE BENEFIT OF

ITS CUSTOMERS

ATTN FUND ADMINISTRATION

4800 DEER LAKE DR E FL 3

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246-6484

  194,004.2820   25.54%

 

121


Table of Contents

Fund/Share Class

 

Shareholder Account Registration

  Share Balance   Percentage of Class

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class C

 

MORGAN STANLEY & CO

HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER PLAZA II, 3RD FL

JERSEY CITY, NJ 07311

  67,554.2200   8.89%

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class C

 

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.

ATTN PETER BOOTH 7TH FL

333 W 34TH ST

NEW YORK, NY 10001-2402

  54,989.1160   7.24%

CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund-

Class C

 

NFS LLC FEBO

ANN L BURSTEIN

ANN ROGOFF

1 CAMPBELL AVE APT 67

WEST HAVEN, CT 06516-8907

  42,046.3790   5.53%

 

122


Table of Contents

As of January 29, 2010, the name, address and percentage of ownership of each person who may be deemed to be a “control person” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund because it owns greater than 25% of the outstanding shares, either beneficially or by virtue of its fiduciary or trust roles or otherwise, is shown below. A controlling person’s vote could have a more significant effect on matters presented to shareholders for approval than the vote of other Fund shareholders.

Control Person Ownership of the Funds

 

Fund

 

Shareholder Account Registration

  Share Balance   Percentage of Fund
Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund  

BANK OF AMERICA NA, TRUSTEE

ATTN BETTY BARLEY/FUNDS ACCOUNTING

1201 MAIN STREET 10TH FL

DALLAS, TX 75202-3908

  13,239,968.2870   88.40%
CA Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund  

BANK OF AMERICA NA, TRUSTEE

ATTN BETTY BARLEY/FUNDS ACCOUNTING

1201 MAIN STREET 10TH FL

DALLAS, TX 75202-3908

  25,287,086.7470   76.66%
NJ Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund  

BANK OF AMERICA NA, TRUSTEE

ATTN BETTY BARLEY/FUNDS ACCOUNTING

1201 MAIN STREET 10TH FL

DALLAS, TX 75202-3908

  5,810,558.3440   72.62%
NY Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund  

BANK OF AMERICA NA, TRUSTEE

ATTN BETTY BARLEY/FUNDS ACCOUNTING

1201 MAIN STREET 10TH FL

DALLAS, TX 75202-3908

  21,413,535.6260   79.64%
CT Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund  

BANK OF AMERICA NA, TRUSTEE

ATTN BETTY BARLEY/FUNDS ACCOUNTING

1201 MAIN STREET 10TH FL

DALLAS, TX 75202-3908

  18,284,111.9980   80.41%
RI Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund  

BANK OF AMERICA NA, TRUSTEE

ATTN BETTY BARLEY/FUNDS ACCOUNTING

1201 MAIN STREET 10TH FL

DALLAS, TX 75202-3908

  7,723,501.4550   83.38%

 

123


Table of Contents

APPENDIX A — DESCRIPTIONS OF SECURITIES RATINGS

This Appendix summarizes the various descriptions of securities ratings applicable to securities purchased by the Columbia Funds Family. Please refer to a Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information to determine whether that Fund may invest in securities that have ratings described in this Appendix.

STANDARD & POOR’S (S&P)

Bonds

The following summarizes the ratings used by S&P for bonds. The ratings AAA, AA, A and BBB denote investment grade securities.

AAA bonds have the highest rating assigned by S&P and are considered to have an extremely strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal.

AA bonds are considered to have a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal, and they differ from AAA only in small degree.

A bonds are considered to have a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal, although they are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated categories.

BBB bonds are considered to have an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Whereas they normally exhibit adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal than for bonds in the A category.

BB, B, CCC, CC and C bonds are considered to have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation. BB indicates the lowest degree of speculation and C the highest degree. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or large exposures to adverse conditions.

BB bonds are considered to have less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative issues. However, they face major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The BB rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BBB- rating.

B bonds are considered to have a greater vulnerability to default but currently have the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The B rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BB or BB — rating.

CCC bonds are considered to have a currently identifiable vulnerability to default, and are dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet timely payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the bonds are not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The CCC rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied B or B — rating.

CC rating typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied CCC rating.

 

A-1


Table of Contents

C rating typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied CCC — debt rating. The C rating may be used to cover a situation, for example, where a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments are continued.

CI rating is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid.

D bonds are in payment default. The D rating category is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are jeopardized.

Plus (+) or minus (-): The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

Municipal Notes

SP-1. Notes rated SP-1 are considered to have very strong or strong capacity to pay principal and interest. Those issues determined to possess overwhelming safety characteristics are designated as SP-1+.

SP-2. Notes rated SP-2 are considered to have satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest.

Notes due in three years or less normally receive a note rating. Notes maturing beyond three years normally receive a bond rating, although the following criteria are used in making that assessment:

Amortization schedule (the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely the issue will be rated as a note).

Source of payment (the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be rated as a note).

Commercial Paper

A. Issues assigned this highest rating are regarded as having the greatest capacity for timely payment. Issues in this category are further refined with the designations 1, 2, and 3 to indicate the relative degree of safety.

A-1. Issues assigned to this rating are considered to have overwhelming or very strong capacity for timely payment. Those issues determined to possess overwhelming safety characteristics are designed A-1+.

MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. (MOODY’S) Municipal Bonds

Aaa bonds are considered to be of the best quality. They are considered to have the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as “gilt edge”. Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair a fundamentally strong position of such issues.

Aa bonds are considered to be of high quality by all standards. Together with Aaa bonds 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 in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than in Aaa securities. Those bonds in the Aa through B groups that Moody’s believes possess the strongest investment attributes are designated by the symbols Aa1, A1 or Baa1.

 

A-2


Table of Contents

A bonds are considered to possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered to be upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present that suggest a susceptibility to impairment at some time in the future.

Baa bonds are considered to be medium grade obligations: they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great period of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and, in fact, have speculative characteristics as well.

Ba bonds are considered to have speculative elements: their future cannot be considered as well secured. Often, the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times in the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this grade.

B bonds are considered generally to lack characteristics of a desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small.

Caa bonds are considered to be of poor standing. Such issues may be in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest.

Ca bonds are considered to represent obligations that are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.

C bonds are the lowest rated class of bonds and issues so rated are considered to have extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.

Conditional Ratings. Bonds for which the security depends upon the completion of some act or the fulfillment of some condition are rated conditionally. These are bonds secured by (a) earnings of projects under construction, (b) earnings of projects unseasoned in operating experience, (c) rentals which begin when facilities are completed, or (d) payments to which some other limiting conditions attach. Parenthetical rating denotes probable credit stature upon completion of construction or elimination of basis of condition.

Corporate Bonds

The description of the applicable rating symbols (Aaa, Aa, A, Baa, etc.) and their meanings is identical to that of the Municipal Bond ratings as set forth above, except for the numerical modifiers. Moody’s applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in the Aa and A classifications of its corporate bond rating system. The modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a midrange ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates that the issuer ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.

Municipal Notes

MIG 1. This designation denotes best quality. There is present strong protection by established cash flows, superior liquidity support or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

MIG 2. This designation denotes high quality. Margins of protection are ample although not so large as in the preceding group.

MIG 3. This designation denotes favorable quality. All security elements are accounted for, but there is lacking the undeniable strength of the preceding grades. Liquidity and cash flow protection may be narrow and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well established.

 

A-3


Table of Contents

Commercial Paper

Moody’s employs the following three designations, all judged to be investment grade, to indicate the relative repayment capacity of rated issuers:

Prime-1 Highest Quality

Prime-2 Higher Quality

Prime-3 High Quality

If an issuer represents to Moody’s that its commercial paper obligations are supported by the credit of another entity or entities, Moody’s, in assigning ratings to such issuers, evaluates the financial strength of the indicated affiliated corporations, commercial banks, insurance companies, foreign governments, or other entities, but only as one factor in the total rating assessment.

FITCH, INC. (FITCH)

Long-Term Debt

Investment Grade Bond Ratings

AAA bonds are considered to be investment grade and of the highest credit quality. The obligor has an exceptionally strong ability to pay interest and/or dividends and repay principal, which is unlikely to be affected by reasonably foreseeable events.

AA bonds are considered to be investment grade and of very high credit quality. The obligor’s ability to pay interest and repay principal is very strong, although not quite as strong as bonds rated AAA. 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+.

A bonds are considered to be investment grade and of high credit quality. The obligor’s ability to pay interest and repay principal is considered to be strong, but may be more vulnerable to adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances than debt securities with higher ratings.

BBB bonds are considered to be investment grade and of satisfactory credit quality. The obligor’s ability to pay interest or dividends and repay principal is considered to be adequate. Adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances, however, are more likely to have adverse impact on these securities and, therefore, impair timely payment. The likelihood that the ratings of these bonds will fall below investment grade is higher than for securities with higher ratings.

Speculative Grade Bond Ratings

BB bonds are considered speculative. The obligor’s ability to pay interest and repay principal may be affected over time by adverse economic changes. However, business and financial alternatives can be identified, which could assist the obligor in satisfying its debt service requirements.

B bonds are considered highly speculative. While securities in this class are currently meeting debt service requirements, the probability of continued timely payment of principal and interest reflects the obligor’s limited margin of safety and the need for reasonable business and economic activity throughout the life of the issue.

CCC bonds are considered to have certain identifiable characteristics that, if not remedied, may lead to default The ability to meet obligations requires an advantageous business and economic environment.

CC bonds are considered to be minimally protected. Default in payment of interest and/or principal seems probable over time.

 

A-4


Table of Contents

C bonds are in imminent default in payment of interest or principal.

DDD, DD, and D bonds are in default on interest and/or principal payments. Such securities are extremely speculative and should be valued on the basis of their ultimate recovery value in liquidation or reorganization of the obligor. DDD represents the highest potential for recovery on these securities and D represents the lowest potential for recovery.

Plus (+) or minus (-): Plus or minus signs are used to show relative standing within the major rating categories. Plus and minus signs, however, are not used in the DDD, DD, or D categories.

Short-Term Debt

Fitch’s short-term ratings apply to debt obligations that are payable on demand or have original maturities of up to three years, including commercial paper, certificates of deposit, medium-term notes, and investment notes.

F-1+ obligations have exceptionally strong credit quality and are considered to have the strongest degree of assurance for timely payment.

F-1 obligations are considered to reflect an assurance of timely payment only slightly less in degree than issues rated F-1+.

F-2 obligations are considered to have good credit quality. Securities in this class have a satisfactory degree of assurance for timely payment, but the margin of safety is not as great as for issues assigned F-1+ and F-1 ratings.

F-3 obligations are considered to have characteristics suggesting that the degree of assurance for timely payment is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes could cause these securities to be rated below investment grade.

F-S rating is assigned to obligations that are considered to have a minimal degree of assurance for timely payment and to be vulnerable to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

B obligations are considered to have a minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments and a susceptibility to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions.

C rating is assigned to obligations that are considered to have a high default risk and whose capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.

D obligations are in actual or imminent payment default.

 

A-5


Table of Contents

APPENDIX B — PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

Last Review Date:    March 2009
Applicable Regulatory Authority:    Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940
   Form N-PX
   ERISA Department of Labor Bulletin 08-2
   Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (SEC No Action Letter dated September 15, 2004)

 

Explanation/Summary of Regulatory Requirements

An investment adviser that exercises voting authority over clients’ proxies must adopt written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that those proxies are voted in the best economic interests of clients. An adviser’s policies and procedures must address how the adviser resolves material conflicts of interest between its interests and those of its clients. An investment adviser must comply with certain record keeping and disclosure requirements with respect to its proxy voting responsibilities. In addition, an investment adviser to Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) accounts has an affirmative obligation to vote proxies for an ERISA account, unless the client expressly retains proxy voting authority.

Policy Summary

Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (“CMA”) has adopted and implemented the following policy, which it believes is reasonably designed to: (1) ensure that proxies are voted in the best economic interest of clients; and (2) address material conflicts of interest that may arise. This policy applies primarily to the Global Wealth and Investment Management (“GWIM”) Investment Operations Group, the Investment groups (particularly, Equity and Chief Investment Officer’s Office), as well as to Compliance Risk Management (“CRM”) and Legal. CRM and Business groups to which this policy directly applies must adopt written procedures to implement this Policy.

Policy

All proxies regarding client securities for which CMA has authority to vote will, unless CMA determines in accordance with policies stated below to refrain from voting, be voted in a manner considered by CMA to be in the best interest of CMA’s clients without regard to any resulting benefit or detriment to CMA, its associates, or its affiliates. The best interest of clients is defined for this purpose as the interest of enhancing or protecting the economic value of client accounts, considered as a group rather than individually, as CMA determines in its sole and absolute discretion. In the event a client believes that its other interests require a different vote, CMA will vote as the client clearly instructs, provided CMA receives such instructions in time to act accordingly. Information regarding CMA’s proxy voting decisions is confidential. Therefore, the information may be shared on a need to know basis only, including within CMA and with CMA affiliates. Advisory clients, including mutual funds’ and other funds’ boards, may obtain information on how their proxies were voted by CMA. However, CMA will not selectively disclose its investment company clients’ proxy voting records to third parties. Rather, the investment company clients’ proxy records will be disclosed to shareholders by publicly-available annual filings for 12-month periods ending each year on June 30th on Form N-PX.

CMA endeavors to vote, in accordance with this Policy, all proxies of which it becomes aware prior to the vote deadline date, subject to certain general exceptions described below.

CMA seeks to avoid the occurrence of actual or apparent material conflicts of interest in the proxy voting process by voting in accordance with predetermined voting guidelines and observing other procedures that are intended to prevent where practicable and manage conflicts of interest (refer to Conflicts of Interest section below). CMA’s proxy voting policy and practices are summarized in its Form ADV. Additionally, CMA will provide clients with a copy of its policies, as they may be updated from time to time, upon request.

 

B-1


Table of Contents

Means of Achieving Compliance

The Proxy Group within GWIM Investment Operations is primarily responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the proxy voting process. The Proxy Group’s monitoring will take into account the following elements: (1) periodic review of the proxy vendor’s votes to ensure that the proxy vendor is accurately voting consistent with CMA’s Voting Guidelines; and (2) review of the Columbia Funds’ fund website to ensure that annual proxy voting reports are posted in a timely and accurate manner. CMA has established a Proxy Committee which is responsible for overseeing the proxy voting process.

The specific responsibilities of the Proxy Committee and scope of its oversight are described in the Proxy Committee’s charter.

CMA’S INVESTMENT ASSOCIATES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

Under CMA’s Voting Guidelines, certain matters must be determined on a case-by-case basis. In general, the Proxy Group within GWIM Investment Operations will refer these matters first to the relevant CMA research analyst after first confirming that the proxy matter does not present a potential conflict to CMA. If there is not a research analyst assigned to the particular security, the matter will be referred to the appropriate portfolio manager.

In considering a particular proxy matter, the research analyst or portfolio manager must vote in the clients’ best interest as defined above. Information regarding CMA’s proxy voting decisions is confidential information. Therefore, research analysts and portfolio managers generally must not discuss proxy votes with any person outside of CMA and within CMA except on a need to know basis only.

Research analysts and portfolio managers must discharge their responsibilities consistent with the obligations set forth below (refer to Management of Conflicts of Interest — Additional Procedures). A research analyst or portfolio manager must disclose in writing any inappropriate attempt to influence their recommendation or any other personal interest that they have with the issuer (see Appendix B — Conflicts of Interest Disclosure and Certification Form). For each Proxy Referral (defined below), the research analyst or portfolio manager is responsible for memorializing their recommendation on the Proxy Voting Recommendation Form (see Appendix C) and communicating their recommendation to the Proxy Group.

Research analysts and portfolio managers should seek advice from CRM or Legal with respect to any questions that they have regarding personal conflicts of interests, communications regarding proxies, or other related matters.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

For purposes of this policy, a material conflict of interest is a relationship or activity engaged in by CMA, a CMA affiliate1, or a CMA associate that creates an incentive (or appearance thereof) to favor the interests of CMA, the affiliate, or associate, rather than the clients’ interests. However, a material conflict of interest is not automatically created when there is a relationship or activity engaged in by a CMA affiliate, but there is a possibility that a CMA affiliate could cause a conflict. CMA may have a conflict of interest if either CMA has a significant business relationship with a company that is soliciting a proxy, or if a CMA associate involved in the proxy voting decision-making process has a significant personal or family relationship with the particular

 

1 Bank of America Corporation (“BAC”), the ultimate corporate parent of CMA, Bank of America, N.A. and all of their numerous affiliates owns, operates and has interests in many lines of business that may create or give rise to the appearance of a conflict of interest between BAC or its affiliates and those of CMA-advised clients. For example, the commercial and investment banking business lines may have interests with respect to issuers of voting securities that could appear to or even actually conflict with CMA’s duty, in the proxy voting process, to act in the best economic interest of its clients.

 

B-2


Table of Contents

company. A conflict of interest is considered to be “material” to the extent that a reasonable person could expect the conflict to influence CMA’s decision on the particular vote at issue. In all cases where there is deemed to be a material conflict of interest, CMA will seek to resolve said conflict in the clients’ best interests.

For those proxy proposals that: (1) are not addressed by CMA’s proxy voting guidelines; (2) the guidelines specify the issue must be evaluated and determined on a case-by-case basis; or (3) a CMA investment associate believes that an exception to the guidelines may be in the best economic interest of CMA’s clients (collectively, “Proxy Referrals”), CMA may vote the proxy, subject to the conflicts of interest procedures set forth below.

In the case of Proxy Referrals, CRM identifies companies with which CMA has significant business relationships and Proxy Referrals of such companies will be voted consistent with CMA’s conflicts management procedures described below. For Proxy Referrals that do not involve companies with which CMA has a significant business relationship the relevant CMA investment personnel (i.e. research analyst, portfolio manager, members of Proxy Committee) involved in the particular Proxy Referral must report any personal conflict of interest circumstances (e.g., relationships with nominees for directorship, members of an issuer’s or

dissident’s management or otherwise, unusual communications with parties outside the investment organization concerning a proxy matter) to Columbia Management’s Conflicts of Interest Officer in writing (see Appendix B). In the event any member of the Proxy Committee has a conflict of interest regarding a given matter, he or she will abstain from participating in the Committee’s determination of whether and/or how to vote in the matter.

If the Proxy Committee, the Chairperson of the Proxy Committee, or the Conflicts Officer determines that a proxy matter presents a material conflict of interest, CMA will invoke one or more of the following conflict management procedures:

 

   

Causing the proxies to be voted in accordance with the recommendations of an independent third party (which generally will be CMA’s proxy voting agent);

 

   

Causing the proxies to be delegated to a qualified, independent third party, which may include CMA’s proxy voting agent; or

 

   

In unusual cases, with the Client’s consent and upon ample notice, forwarding the proxies to CMA’s clients so that they may vote the proxies directly.

Affiliate Investment Companies and Public Companies

CMA considers (1) proxies solicited by open-end and closed-end investment companies for which CMA or an affiliate serves as an investment adviser or principal underwriter; and (2) proxies solicited by Bank of America Corporation (“BAC”) or other public companies within the BAC organization to present a material conflict of interest for CMA. Consequently, the proxies of such affiliates will be voted following one of the conflict management practices discussed above.

Management of Conflicts of Interest — Additional Procedures

In certain circumstances, CMA follows the proxy guidelines and uses other research services provided by the proxy vendor or another independent third party. CMA reviews its proxy vendor’s conflicts of interest procedures as part of its oversight of the proxy vendor’s services.

CMA and other BAC affiliates have adopted various other policies and procedures that help reinforce this Policy. Please see any associated documents.

Ownership Limits — Delegation of Proxy Voting to an Independent Third Party

From time to time, CMA may face regulatory or compliance limits on the types or amounts of voting securities that it may purchase or hold for client accounts. Among other limits, federal, state, foreign regulatory restrictions, or company-specific ownership limits may restrict the total percentage of an issuer’s voting securities that CMA can hold for clients (collectively, “Ownership Limits”).

 

B-3


Table of Contents

The regulations or company-specific documents governing a number of these Ownership Limits often focus upon holdings in voting securities. As a result, in limited circumstances in order to comply with such Ownership Limits and/or internal policies designed to comply with such limits, CMA may delegate proxy voting in certain issuers to a qualified, independent third party, who may be CMA’s proxy voting agent.

PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES

A. CMA’s Proxy Voting Guidelines — General Practices.

The Proxy Committee has adopted the guidelines for voting proxies specified in Appendix A of this policy. CMA uses an independent, third-party proxy vendor to implement its proxy voting process as CMA’s proxy voting agent. In general, whenever a vote is solicited, the proxy vendor will execute the vote according to CMA’s Voting Guidelines.

B. Ability to Vote Proxies Other than as Provided by Voting Guidelines.

A Portfolio Manager or other party involved with a client’s account may conclude that the best interest of the firm’s client, as defined above, requires that a proxy be voted in a manner that differs from the predetermined proxy Voting Guidelines. In this situation, he or she will request in writing that the Proxy Committee consider voting the proxy other than according to such Guidelines and provide information as the Proxy Committee may request. The Proxy Committee may consider the matter, subject to the conflicts of interest procedures discussed above.

C. Other Proxy Matters

For the following categories, proxies will be voted as stated below:

 

  1. New Proposals. For certain new proposals that are expected to be proposed to shareholders of multiple companies, the Proxy Committee may develop a Voting Guideline which will be incorporated into this Policy.

 

  2. Accounts Adhering to Taft Hartley Principles. All proposals for accounts adhering to Taft Hartley principles will be voted according to the Taft Hartley Guidelines developed by the proxy vendor.

 

  3. Accounts Adhering to Socially Responsible Principles. All proposals for accounts adhering to socially responsible principles will be voted according to the Socially Responsible Guidelines developed by the proxy vendor or as specified by the client.

 

  4. Proxies of International Issuers. In general, CMA will refrain from voting securities in cases where international issuers impose share blocking restrictions. However, in the exceptional circumstances that CMA determines that it would be appropriate to vote such securities, all proposals for these securities will be voted only on the specific instruction of the Proxy Committee and to the extent practicable in accordance with the Voting Guidelines set forth in this Policy. Additionally, proxies will typically not be voted in markets where powers of attorney are required to be executed in order to vote shares.

 

  5. Proxies of Investment Company Shares. Proposals on issues other than affiliated investment companies (previously described) will be voted on the specific instruction of the Proxy Committee.

 

  6.

Proxy Referrals for Passive Index Accounts. Proxy Referrals for a security that is held only within a passive index account managed by CMA’s Quantitative Strategies Group and not in any other account within CMA, shall be voted according to the guidelines developed by the proxy vendor or as specified by the client. However, if a security is held within a passive index account

 

B-4


Table of Contents
 

managed by CMA’s Quantitative Strategies Group and within another CMA-managed account (including without limitation an account actively managed by CMA’s Quantitative Strategies Group), all proposals, including Proxy Referrals, will be voted in accordance with the Voting Guidelines, subject to the other provisions of this Policy.

 

  7. Proxy Voting for Securities on Loan. CMA generally votes in cases where shares have been loaned from actively managed Columbia Funds as long as the shares have been recalled in a timely manner. However, CMA generally does not vote shares that have been loaned from passively managed Columbia Index Funds. Other CMA clients may have their own stock loan programs and may or may not recall their shares for proxy voting.

Supervision

Managers and supervisory personnel are responsible for ensuring that their associates understand and follow this policy and any applicable procedures adopted by the business group to implement the policy. The Proxy Committee has ultimate responsibility for the implementation of this Policy.

Escalation

With the exception of conflicts of interest-related matters, issues arising under this policy should be escalated to the Proxy Committee. Issues involving potential or actual conflicts of interest should be promptly communicated to the Columbia Management Conflicts Officer.

Monitoring/Oversight

CRM and/or Corporate Internal Audit Group perform periodic reviews and assessments of various lines of businesses, including a review of Columbia Management’s compliance with the Proxy Voting Policy.

Recordkeeping

CMA will create and maintain records of each investment company’s proxy record for 12-month periods ended June 30th. CMA will compile the following information for each matter relating to a portfolio security considered at any shareholder meeting during the period covered by the annual report and for which CMA was entitled to vote:

 

   

The name of the issuer of the security;

 

   

The exchange ticker symbol of the portfolio security (if symbol is available through reasonably practicable means);

 

   

The Council on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures number for the portfolio security (if number is available through reasonably practicable means);

 

   

The shareholder meeting date;

 

   

A brief identification of the matter voted on;

 

   

Whether the matter was proposed by the issuer or by a security holder;

 

   

Whether the company cast its vote on the matter;

 

   

How the company cast its vote (e.g., for or against proposal, or abstain; for or withhold regarding the election of directors); and

 

   

Whether the company cast its vote for or against management.

 

B-5


Table of Contents

Business groups and support partners are responsible for maintaining all records necessary to evidence compliance with this policy. The records must be properly maintained and readily accessible in order to evidence compliance with this policy.

These records include:

 

Document

 

Responsible Party

Proxy Committee Meeting Minutes and Related Materials   Proxy Group in GWIM Investment Operations
Proxy Vote Recommendation Form and Supporting Materials of Investment Management Personnel Concerning Proxy Decisions and Recommendations (or any other document created by CMA that was material to making a voting decision or that memorializes the basis for the voting decision)   Proxy Group in GWIM Investment Operations
Conflicts of Interest Review Documentation, including Conflicts of Interest Forms   Compliance Risk Management
Client Communications Regarding Proxy Matters   Client Service Group
Copy of Each Applicable Proxy Statement Unless it has been Filed with the SEC and may be Obtained from the SEC’s EDGAR System   Proxy Group in GWIM Investment Operations

Records should be retained for a period of not less than six years plus the current year. Records must be retained in an appropriate office of CM for the first three years.

 

B-6


Table of Contents

APPENDIX A — CMA’s Proxy Voting Policy CMA’S VOTING GUIDELINES

A. The Proxy Committee has adopted the following guidelines for voting proxies:

1. Matters Relating to the Board of Directors/Corporate Governance

CMA generally will vote FOR:

 

   

Proposals for the election of directors or for an increase or decrease in the number of directors, provided that no more than one-third of the Board of Directors would, presently or at any time during the previous three-year period, be from management.

However, CMA generally will WITHHOLD votes from pertinent director nominees if:

 

  (i) the board as proposed to be constituted would have more than one-third of its members from management;

 

  (ii) the board does not have audit, nominating, and compensation committees composed solely of directors who qualify as being regarded as “independent,” i.e. having no material relationship, directly or indirectly, with the Company, as CMA’s proxy voting agent may determine (subject to the Proxy Committee’s contrary determination of independence or non-independence);

 

  (iii) the nominee, as a member of the audit committee, permitted the company to incur excessive non-audit fees (as defined below regarding other business matters — ratification of the appointment of auditors);

 

  (iv) a director serves on more than six public company boards;

 

  (v) the CEO serves on more than two public company boards other than the company’s board.

On a CASE-BY-CASE basis, CMA may WITHHOLD votes for a director nominee who has failed to observe good corporate governance practices or, through specific corporate action or inaction (e.g. failing to implement policies for which a majority of shareholders has previously cast votes in favor), has demonstrated a disregard for the interests of shareholders.

 

   

Proposals requesting that the board audit, compensation and/or nominating committee be composed solely of independent directors. The Audit Committee must satisfy the independence and experience requirements established by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the New York Stock Exchange, or appropriate local requirements for foreign securities. At least one member of the Audit Committee must qualify as a “financial expert” in accordance with SEC rules.

 

   

Proposals to declassify a board, absent special circumstances that would indicate that shareholder interests are better served by a classified board structure.

CMA generally will vote FOR:

 

   

Proposals to create or eliminate positions or titles for senior management. CMA generally prefers that the role of Chairman of the Board and CEO be held by different persons unless there are compelling reasons to vote AGAINST a proposal to separate these positions, such as the existence of a counter¬balancing governance structure that includes at least the following elements in addition to applicable listing standards:

 

   

Established governance standards and guidelines.

 

   

Full board composed of not less than two-thirds “independent” directors, as defined by applicable regulatory and listing standards.

 

   

Compensation, as well as audit and nominating (or corporate governance) committees composed entirely of independent directors.

 

B-7


Table of Contents
   

A designated or rotating presiding independent director appointed by and from the independent directors with the authority and responsibility to call and preside at regularly and, as necessary, specially scheduled meetings of the independent directors to be conducted, unless the participating independent directors otherwise wish, in executive session with no members of management present.

 

   

Disclosed processes for communicating with any individual director, the presiding independent director (or, alternatively, all of the independent directors, as a group) and the entire board of directors, as a group.

 

   

The pertinent class of the Company’s voting securities has out-performed, on a three-year basis, both an appropriate peer group and benchmark index, as indicated in the performance summary table of the Company’s proxy materials. This requirement shall not apply if there has been a change in the Chairman/CEO position within the three-year period.

 

   

Proposals that grant or restore shareholder ability to remove directors with or without cause.

 

   

Proposals to permit shareholders to elect directors to fill board vacancies.

 

   

Proposals that encourage directors to own a minimum amount of company stock.

 

   

Proposals to provide or to restore shareholder appraisal rights.

 

   

Proposals to adopt cumulative voting.

 

   

Proposals for the company to adopt confidential voting.

CMA will generally vote FOR shareholder proposals calling for majority voting thresholds for director elections unless the company has adopted formal corporate governance principles that present a meaningful alternative to the majority voting standard and/or provides an adequate response to both new nominees as well as incumbent nominees who fail to receive a majority of votes cast.

CMA generally will vote AGAINST:

 

   

Proposals to classify boards, absent special circumstances indicating that shareholder interests would be better served by a classified board structure.

 

   

Proposals that give management the ability to alter the size of the board without shareholder approval.

 

   

Proposals that provide directors may be removed only by supermajority vote.

 

   

Proposals to eliminate cumulative voting.

 

   

Proposals which allow more than one vote per share in the election of directors.

 

   

Proposals that provide that only continuing directors may elect replacements to fill board vacancies.

 

   

Proposals that mandate a minimum amount of company stock that directors must own.

 

   

Proposals to limit the tenure of non-management directors.

CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis in contested elections of directors.

CMA generally will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis on board approved proposals relating to corporate governance. Such proposals include, but are not limited to:

 

   

Reimbursement of proxy solicitation expenses taking into consideration whether or not CMA was in favor of the dissidents.

 

   

Proxy contest advance notice. CMA generally will vote FOR proposals that allow shareholders to submit proposals as close to the meeting date as possible while allowing for sufficient time for Company response, SEC review, and analysis by other shareholders.

 

B-8


Table of Contents
   

CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis to indemnify directors and officers, and AGAINST proposals to indemnify external auditors.

 

   

CMA will vote FOR the indemnification of internal auditors, unless the costs associated with the approval are not disclosed.

2. Compensation

CMA generally will vote FOR management sponsored compensation plans (such as bonus plans, incentive plans, stock option plans, pension and retirement benefits, stock purchase plans or thrift plans) if they are consistent with industry and country standards. However, CMA generally is opposed to compensation plans that substantially dilute ownership interest in a company, provide participants with excessive awards, or have objectionable structural features. Specifically, for equity-based plans, if the proposed number of shares authorized for option programs (excluding authorized shares for expired options) exceeds an average of 5% of the currently outstanding shares over the previous three years or an average of 3% over the previous three years for directors only, the proposal should be referred to the Proxy Committee. The Committee will then consider the circumstances surrounding the issue and vote in the best interest of CMA’s clients. CMA requires that management provide substantial justification for the repricing of options.

CMA generally will vote FOR:

 

   

Proposals requiring that executive severance arrangements be submitted for shareholder ratification.

 

   

Proposals asking a company to expense stock options.

 

   

Proposals to put option repricings to a shareholder vote.

 

   

Employee stock purchase plans that have the following features: (i) the shares purchased under the plan are acquired for no less than 85% of their market value, (ii) the offering period under the plan is 27 months or less, and (iii) dilution is 10% or less.

 

   

Proposals for the remuneration of auditors if no more than 25% of the compensation costs comes from non audit activity.

CMA generally will vote AGAINST:

 

   

Stock option plans that permit issuance of options with an exercise price below the stock’s current market price, or that permit replacing or repricing of out-of-the money options.

 

   

Proposals to authorize the replacement or repricing of out-of-the money options.

 

   

Proposals requesting that plan administrators have advance authority to amend the terms of a plan without detailed disclosure of the specific amendments. When sufficient details are provided on the amendments permitted by the advance authority, CMA will recommend on such proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis

CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis proposals regarding approval of specific executive severance arrangements.

3. Capitalization

CMA generally will vote FOR:

 

   

Proposals to increase the authorized shares for stock dividends, stock splits (and reverse stock splits) or general issuance, unless proposed as an anti-takeover measure or a general issuance proposal increases the authorization by more than 30% without a clear need presented by the company. Proposals for reverse stock splits should include an overall reduction in authorization.

 

B-9


Table of Contents

For companies recognizing preemptive rights for existing shareholders, CMA generally will vote FOR general issuance proposals that increase the authorized shares by more than 30%. CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis all such proposals by companies that do not recognize preemptive rights for existing shareholders.

 

   

Proposals for the elimination of authorized but unissued shares or retirement of those shares purchased for sinking fund or treasury stock.

 

   

Proposals to institute/renew open market share repurchase plans in which all shareholders may participate on equal terms.

 

   

Proposals to reduce or change the par value of common stock, provided the number of shares is also changed in order to keep the capital unchanged.

CMA will evaluate on a CASE-BY-CASE basis proposals regarding:

 

   

Management proposals that allow listed companies to de-list and terminate the registration of their common stock. CMA will determine whether the transaction enhances shareholder value by giving consideration to:

 

   

Whether the company has attained benefits from being publicly traded.

 

   

Cash-out value

 

   

Balanced interests of continuing vs. cashed-out shareholders

 

   

Market reaction to public announcement of transaction

4. Mergers, Restructurings and Other Transactions

CMA will review, on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, business transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, liquidations, spinoffs, buyouts and sale of all or substantially all of a company’s assets.

5. Anti-Takeover Measures

CMA generally will vote AGAINST proposals intended largely to avoid acquisition prior to the occurrence of an actual event or to discourage acquisition by creating a cost constraint. With respect to the following measures, CMA generally will vote as follows:

Poison Pills

 

   

CMA votes FOR shareholder proposals that ask a company to submit its poison pill for shareholder ratification.

 

   

CMA generally votes FOR shareholder proposals to eliminate a poison pill.

 

   

CMA generally votes AGAINST management proposals to ratify a poison pill.

Greenmail

 

   

CMA will vote FOR proposals to adopt anti-greenmail charter or bylaw amendments or to otherwise restrict a company’s ability to make greenmail payments.

Supermajority vote

 

   

CMA will vote AGAINST board-approved proposals to adopt anti-takeover measures such as supermajority voting provisions, issuance of blank check preferred stock, the creation of a separate class of stock with disparate voting rights and charter amendments adopting control share acquisition provisions.

 

B-10


Table of Contents

Control Share Acquisition Provisions

 

   

CMA will vote FOR proposals to opt out of control share acquisition statutes.

6. Other Business Matters

CMA generally will vote FOR:

 

   

Bylaw amendments giving holders of at least 25% of outstanding common stock the ability to call a special meeting of stockholders.

 

   

Board governance document amendments or other proposals which give the lead independent director the authority to call special meetings of the independent directors at any time.

CMA generally will vote FOR:

 

   

Proposals to approve routine business matters such as changing the company’s name and procedural matters relating to the shareholder meeting such as approving the minutes of a prior meeting.

 

   

Proposals to ratify the appointment of auditors, unless any of the following apply in which case CMA will generally vote AGAINST the proposal:

 

   

Credible reason exists to question:

 

   

The auditor’s independence, as determined by applicable regulatory requirements.

 

   

The accuracy or reliability of the auditor’s opinion as to the company’s financial position.

 

   

Fees paid to the auditor or its affiliates for “non-audit” services were excessive, i.e., in excess of the total fees paid for “audit,” “audit-related” and “tax compliance” and/or “tax return preparation” services, as disclosed in the company’s proxy materials.

 

   

Bylaw or charter changes that are of a housekeeping nature (e.g., updates or corrections).

 

   

Proposals to approve the annual reports and accounts provided the certifications required by the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 have been provided.

CMA generally will vote AGAINST:

 

   

Proposals to eliminate the right of shareholders to act by written consent or call special meetings.

 

   

Proposals providing management with authority to adjourn an annual or special shareholder meeting absent compelling reasons, or to adopt, amend or repeal bylaws without shareholder approval, or to vote unmarked proxies in favor of management.

 

   

Shareholder proposals to change the date, time or location of the company’s annual meeting of shareholders.

CMA will vote AGAINST:

 

   

Authorization to transact other unidentified substantive (as opposed to procedural) business at a meeting.

CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis:

 

   

Proposals to change the location of the company’s state of incorporation. CMA considers whether financial benefits (e.g., reduced fees or taxes) likely to accrue to the company as a result of a reincorporation or other change of domicile outweigh any accompanying material diminution of shareholder rights.

 

   

Proposals on whether and how to vote on “bundled” or otherwise conditioned proposals, depending on the overall economic effects upon shareholders.

 

B-11


Table of Contents

CMA generally will ABSTAIN from voting on shareholder proposals predominantly involving social, socio-economic, environmental, political or other similar matters on the basis that their impact on share value can rarely be anticipated with any high degree of confidence. CMA may, on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, vote:

 

   

FOR proposals seeking inquiry and reporting with respect to, rather than cessation or affirmative implementation of, specific policies where the pertinent issue warrants separate communication to shareholders; and

 

   

FOR or AGAINST the latter sort of proposal in light of the relative benefits and detriments (e.g. distraction, costs, other burdens) to share value which may be expected to flow from passage of the proposal.

7. Other Matters Relating to Foreign Issues

CMA generally will vote FOR:

 

   

Most stock (scrip) dividend proposals. CMA votes AGAINST proposals that do not allow for a cash option unless management demonstrates that the cash option is harmful to shareholder value.

 

   

Proposals to capitalize the company’s reserves for bonus issues of shares or to increase the par value of shares.

 

   

Proposals to approve control and profit transfer agreements between a parent and its subsidiaries.

 

   

Management proposals seeking the discharge of management and supervisory board members, unless there is concern about the past actions of the company’s auditors/directors and/or legal action is being taken against the board by other shareholders.

 

   

Management proposals concerning allocation of income and the distribution of dividends, unless the proxy vendor would vote against such proposal in accordance with its guidelines, in which case CMA will evaluate the proposal on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

 

   

Proposals for the adoption of financing plans if they are in the best economic interests of shareholders.

CMA will generally vote FOR proposals to approve Directors’ Fees, unless the proxy vendor would vote against such proposal in accordance with its guidelines, in which case CMA will evaluate the proposal on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

CMA will evaluate management proposals to approve protective preference shares for Netherlands located company-friendly foundations proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis and will only support resolutions if:

 

   

The supervisory board needs to approve an issuance of shares while the supervisory board is independent within the meaning of CMA’s categorization rules and the Dutch Corporate Governance Code.

 

   

No call/put option agreement exists between the company and the foundation.

 

   

There is a qualifying offer clause or there are annual management and supervisory board elections.

 

   

The issuance authority is for a maximum of 18 months.

 

   

The board of the company-friendly foundation is independent.

 

   

The company has disclosed under what circumstances it expects to make use of the possibility to issue preference shares.

 

   

There are no priority shares or other egregious protective or entrenchment tools.

 

   

The company releases its proxy circular, with details of the poison pill proposal, at least three weeks prior to the meeting.

 

   

Art 2:359c Civil Code of the legislative proposal has been implemented.

 

B-12


Table of Contents

8. Investment Company Matters

Election of Directors:

CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis proposals for the election of directors, considering the following factors:

 

   

Board structure

 

   

Attendance at board and committee meetings.

CMA will WITHHOLD votes from directors who:

 

   

Attend less than 75 percent of the board and committee meetings without a valid excuse for the absences. Valid reasons include illness or absence due to company business. Participation via telephone is acceptable. In addition, if the director missed only one meeting or one day’s meetings, votes should not be withheld even if such absence dropped the director’s attendance below 75 percent.

 

   

Ignore a shareholder proposal that is approved by a majority of shares outstanding;

 

   

Ignore a shareholder proposal this is approved by a majority of the votes cast for two consecutive years;

 

   

Are interested directors and sit on the audit or nominating committee; or

 

   

Are interested directors and the full board serves as the audit or nominating committee or the company does not have one of these committees.

Proxy Contests:

CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis proposals for proxy contests, considering the following factors:

 

   

Past performance relative to its peers

 

   

Market in which fund invests

 

   

Measures taken by the board to address the pertinent issues (e.g., closed-end fund share market value discount to NAV)

 

   

Past shareholder activism, board activity and votes on related proposals

 

   

Strategy of the incumbents versus the dissidents

 

   

Independence of incumbent directors; director nominees

 

   

Experience and skills of director nominees

 

   

Governance profile of the company

 

   

Evidence of management entrenchment

Converting Closed-end Fund to Open-end Fund:

CMA will vote conversion proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, considering the following factors:

 

   

Past performance as a closed-end fund

 

   

Market in which the fund invests

 

   

Measures taken by the board to address the discount

 

   

Past shareholder activism, board activity, and votes on related proposals.

 

B-13


Table of Contents

Investment Advisory Agreements:

CMA will vote investment advisory agreements on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, considering the following factors:

 

   

Proposed and current fee schedules

 

   

Fund category/investment objective

 

   

Performance benchmarks

 

   

Share price performance as compared with peers

 

   

Resulting fees relative to peers

 

   

Assignments (where the adviser undergoes a change of control) Approving New Classes or Series of Shares:

Approving New Classes or Series of Shares:

CMA will vote FOR the establishment of new classes or series of shares.

Preferred Stock Proposals:

CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis proposals for the authorization for or increase in the preferred shares, considering the following factors:

 

   

Stated specific financing purpose

 

   

Possible dilution for common shares

 

   

Whether the shares can be used for antitakeover purposes

Policies Addressed by the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”):

CMA will vote proposals regarding adoption or changes of policies addressed by the 1940 Act on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, considering the following factors:

 

   

Potential competitiveness

 

   

Regulatory developments

 

   

Current and potential returns

 

   

Current and potential risk

CMA generally will vote FOR these amendments as long as the proposed changes do not fundamentally alter the investment focus of the fund and do comply with current SEC interpretations.

Changing a Fundamental Restriction to a Non-fundamental Restriction:

CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis proposals to change a fundamental restriction to a non-fundamental restriction, considering the following factors:

 

   

Fund’s target investments

 

   

Reasons given by the fund for the change

 

   

Projected impact of the change on the portfolio

Change Fundamental Investment Objective to Non-fundamental:

CMA will vote AGAINST proposals to change a fund’s investment objective from fundamental to non-fundamental unless management acknowledges meaningful limitations upon its future requested ability to change the objective

 

B-14


Table of Contents

Name Change Proposals:

CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis proposals to change a fund’s name, considering the following factors:

 

   

Political/economic changes in the target market

 

   

Consolidation in the target market

 

   

Current asset composition

Change in Fund’s Subclassification:

CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis proposals to change a fund’s subclassification, considering the following factors:

 

   

Potential competitiveness

 

   

Current and potential returns

 

   

Risk of concentration

 

   

Consolidation in target industry

Disposition of Assets/Termination/Liquidation:

CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis these proposals, considering the following factors:

 

   

Strategies employed to salvage the company

 

   

Past performance of the fund

 

   

Terms of the liquidation

Changes to the Charter Document:

CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis proposals to change the charter document, considering the following factors:

 

   

The degree of change implied by the proposal

 

   

The efficiencies that could result

 

   

The state of incorporation; net effect on shareholder rights

 

   

Regulatory standards and implications

CMA will vote FOR:

 

   

Proposals allowing the Board to impose, without shareholder approval, fees payable upon redemption of fund shares, provided imposition of such fees is likely to benefit long-term fund investors (e.g., by deterring market timing activity by other fund investors)

 

   

Proposals enabling the Board to amend, without shareholder approval, the fund’s management agreement(s) with its investment adviser(s) or sub-advisers, provided the amendment is not required by applicable law (including the Investment Company Act of 1940) or interpretations thereunder to require such approval

CMA will vote AGAINST:

 

   

Proposals enabling the Board to:

 

   

Change, without shareholder approval the domicile of the fund

 

B-15


Table of Contents
   

Adopt, without shareholder approval, material amendments of the fund’s declaration of trust or other organizational document

Changing the Domicile of a Fund:

CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis proposals to reincorporate, considering the following factors:

 

   

Regulations of both states

 

   

Required fundamental policies of both states

 

   

The increased flexibility available

Authorizing the Board to Hire and Terminate Subadvisors Without Shareholder Approval:

CMA will vote FOR proposals to enable the Board or Investment Adviser to hire and terminate sub-advisers, without shareholder approval, in accordance with applicable rules or exemptive orders under the Investment Company Act of 1940

Distribution Agreements:

CMA will vote these proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, considering the following factors:

 

   

Fees charged to comparably sized funds with similar objectives

 

   

The proposed distributor’s reputation and past performance

 

   

The competitiveness of the fund in the industry

 

   

Terms of the agreement

Master-Feeder Structure:

CMA will vote FOR the establishment of a master-feeder structure.

Mergers:

CMA will vote merger proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, considering the following factors:

 

   

Resulting fee structure

 

   

Performance of both funds

 

   

Continuity of management personnel

 

   

Changes in corporate governance and their impact on shareholder rights

Shareholder Proposals to Establish Director Ownership Requirement:

CMA will generally vote AGAINST shareholder proposals that mandate a specific minimum amount of stock that directors must own in order to qualify as a director or to remain on the board. While CMA favors stockownership on the part of directors, the company should determine the appropriate ownership requirement.

Shareholder Proposals to Reimburse Shareholder for Expenses Incurred:

CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis proposals to reimburse proxy solicitation expenses.

 

B-16


Table of Contents

Shareholder Proposals to Terminate the Investment Adviser:

CMA will vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis proposals to terminate the investment adviser, considering the following factors:

 

   

Performance of the fund’s NAV

 

   

The fund’s history of shareholder relations

 

   

The performance of other funds under the adviser’s management

 

B-17


Table of Contents

APPENDIX B

Conflicts of Interest Disclosure and Certification Form

Conflict Review Questionnaire for Proxy Voting Working Group Members and Other Individuals Participating in the Proxy Voting Decision-Making Process.

Instructions: Please complete each of the questions. Please provide an explanation for any affirmative responses. Return the completed questionnaire to Columbia Management Conflicts of Interest Officer.

 

 

Issuer and Proxy Matter :    

 

 

 

  1.

Do you or any member of your immediate family have an existing (or potential) business, financial, personal or other relationship with any management personnel of the issuer?1

 

 

 

  2. Do you or any member of your immediate family have an existing (or potential) business, financial, personal or other relationship with any person participating, supporting, opposing or otherwise connected with the particular proxy proposal (e.g., principals of the issuer; director nominees of issuer company; shareholder activists)?

 

 

 

  3.

Have you discussed this particular proxy proposal with anyone outside of Columbia Management’s investment group?2

 

 

  4. Are you aware of any other potential personal conflicts of interest not described above? Please detail below.

 

 

 

Name:  

 

Signed:    

 

Date:  

 

 

 

1

Personal investing in the issuer by you or a member of your immediate family does not require an affirmative response to this item.

2

Communications with issuer or solicitors in the regular course of business would not have to be disclosed on this form.

 

B-18


Table of Contents

APPENDIX C

CMA Proxy Vote Recommendation/Proxy Committee Request Form

Name of Investment Associate:                     

Company Name:                     

Overview of Proxy Vote and Meeting Date:                     

Proxy Agenda Item(s)                     

Description of Item:                     

(The above information will be pre-populated by the Proxy Department.)

Recommendation (FOR, AGAINST, ABSTAIN) including brief rationale:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please attach any supporting information other than analysis or reports provided by the Proxy Department.

 

 

 

 

Signed                     

By signing, I am certifying that I either have no conflicts of interest-related information to report or have sent a completed “Conflicts of Interest Disclosure and Certification Form” to Compliance Risk Management (Conflicts Officer).

Send Completed Forms to:

GWIM Investment Operations — Proxy Department

or

In the case of Proxy Votes to be referred to the Proxy Committee, submit this form and materials to the Chair of the Proxy Committee

 

B-19


Table of Contents

APPENDIX C — DESCRIPTION OF STATE CONDITIONS

STATE SPECIFIC INFORMATION

Each Fund’s investments are highly dependent on and sensitive to the general fiscal and economic stability of the state in which the Fund invests, as well as the general fiscal and economic stability of the state’s subdivisions, agencies, instrumentalities or authorities, which issue the securities in which the Fund invests. The following information supplements information set forth in each Fund’s prospectus, constitutes only a brief summary and does not purport to be a complete description of certain state-specific considerations and is provided to investors in view of each Fund’s policy of concentrating its investments in securities issued by issuers of a single state. The information is based on publicly available sources and has not been independently verified by the Advisor. It is expected that the information will be updated only on an annual basis and thus may be out of date at any time that you make an investment decision to purchase or sell shares of a Fund.

To the extent that any statements made below involve matters of forecasts, projections, assumptions, opinions or estimates, whether or not expressly stated to be such, they are made as such and not as representations of fact or certainty, and no representation is made that any of these statements has been or will be realized. All forecasts, projections, assumptions, opinions or estimates are “forward looking statements” that must be read with an abundance of caution and that may not be realized or may not occur in the future.

California

The following information relates specifically to the Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund. This summary does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all relevant facts. Although the Fund has no reason to believe that the information summarized below is not correct in all material respects, such information has not been independently verified for accuracy or thoroughness. Rather, this information has been obtained from official statements, prospectuses and other disclosure provided in connection with various securities offerings of the State of California (California or the State) and local agencies in California available as of the date of this Statement of Additional Information. Further, estimates and projections contained in the following information should not be construed as statements of fact. They are based on assumptions that may be affected by numerous factors and there can be no assurance that such estimates and projections will be realized or achieved.

The Fund is more susceptible to factors adversely affecting issuers of California municipal securities than comparable municipal bond funds that do not focus on investments in California issuers.

General Economic Factors.

California’s economy, the largest among the 50 states and one of the largest and most diverse in the world, has major components in high technology, trade, entertainment, agriculture, manufacturing, government, tourism, construction and services. The relative proportion of the various components of the California economy closely resembles the make-up of the national economy.

In the May Revision of the 2008-09 Governor’s Budget released on May 14, 2008 (the 2009-10 May Revision), the California Department of Finance (the Department of Finance) projected that the California economy would contract sharply in calendar year 2009 and grow slowly in 2010, with the State’s unemployment rate increasing in both years.

The national and California economies have slowed further since the 2009-10 May Revision, although there have been an increasing number of signs that the rate of decline is moderating. As of September 2009, unemployment in the State was approximately 12.2%, compared to approximately 7.8% percent in September 2008. The U.S. unemployment rate for September 2009 was approximately 9.8%.

 

C-1


Table of Contents

California, like the rest of the nation, is in a severe economic recession. Personal income fell in the State in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the first two quarters of 2009. The 1.8% decline in personal income in the first quarter of 2009 was the largest in California in 40 years. The decline in the second quarter, however, was considerably smaller.

Taxable sales fell sharply in California in the first half of 2009. The total assessed valuation of property in the State is lower in fiscal year 2009-10 than it was in the prior fiscal year. This is the first year-to-year decline in such statewide total since the State began keeping records in 1933. California’s unemployment rate increased from approximately 6.1% at the start of 2008 to approximately 12.2% in September 2009.

The weak economy resulted in a dramatic reduction in California tax revenues during 2008 and 2009. In December 2008, the Governor identified a budget gap between expected revenues and expenditure obligations in excess of $41 billion for the two fiscal years 2008-09 and 2009-10. After protracted negotiations, the California Legislature adopted the February 2009 budget package on February 19, 2009, consisting of revisions to the 2008 Budget Act and the Initial 2009 Budget Act. The package was signed by the Governor on February 20, 2009. This package of bills attempted to address the budget gap through significant expenditure reductions, revenue increases and borrowing. See “The California Budget” below.

By May 2009, continued economic decline with a consequent reduction of revenues, plus the failure of various budget measures placed before the voters at a May 19, 2009 special election ballot, led the Governor to announce that the budget gap for the period through June 30, 2010 was still projected to be more than $22 billion (and subsequently increased to $24 billion). The budget for fiscal year 2008-09 approved by the Governor on February 20, 2009, as amended by revisions enacted on July 28, 2009, together with other related legislation (collectively, the Amended 2009 Budget Act), addressed the $24 billion budget gap projected at the time of its adoption through a combination of revenue enhancements (which were included in the Initial 2009 Budget Act) and significant cuts in a wide variety of programs.

The sharp drop in revenues at the start of the 2008-09 fiscal year resulted in a significant depletion of California’s cash resources to pay the State’s obligations, requiring the State to first defer certain payments and then issue registered warrants in order to manage its cash resources. As a result of the cash pressure facing the State, on December 17, 2008, the Pooled Money Investment Board (PMIB) voted to significantly curtail loans from the State’s Pooled Money Investment Account (PMIA), thereby postponing or stopping thousands of infrastructure projects Statewide. The PMIA customarily funded such loans to provide temporary funding for projects and programs prior to permanent financing through the issuance of State general obligation bonds or lease revenue bonds.

The Governor also ordered unpaid furloughs of State employees each month, commencing on February 1, 2009, as well as layoffs of State agency and department employees. If the three-day-per-month furlough remains in effect for all of fiscal year 2009-10, it is projected to reduce General Fund payroll expenditures by approximately $1.278 billion, or 14% of General Fund payroll expenditures. Various litigation has been brought challenging the furlough program that, if successful, could adversely affect California’s financial condition.

The Legislature adopted a number of bills on or before September 11, 2009 in its regular legislative session and in a special session of the Legislature dealing with fiscal matters.

Recent Developments

On September 30, 2009, the California Supreme Court denied California’s petition for review of the appeals court decision in the case entitled Shaw v. Chiang, which had overturned provisions in the Budget Act for the 2007-08 fiscal year adopted on August 24, 2007 (together with other related budget legislation, the 2007 Budget Act), authorizing use of certain sales and use taxes on vehicle fuels to offset certain transportation-related costs in the General Fund. The matter has been remanded to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with the appeals court decision. The Amended 2009 Budget Act included use of such sales and use taxes for similar purposes, totaling up to $1 billion. See “The California Budget” below.

 

C-2


Table of Contents

On September 30, 2009, the Department of Finance obtained preliminary data on revenue collections for personal income taxes in the month of September 2009 suggesting a shortfall in quarterly estimated payments of nearly $1 billion, or approximately 33% below Department of Finance projections. Some portion of the shortfall could result from incomplete implementation by individuals of new tax policies and rules enacted in February 2009 and from adjustments to estimated tax payments in September 2009 based on final filings of returns for the 2008 tax year. The Department of Finance cannot predict if this apparent shortfall is indicative of full year results.

The Department of Finance released its Finance Bulletin for October 2009 (the October Bulletin), which describes September 2009 receipts on the agency cash basis. Results contained in the October Bulletin take into account the $3 billion reduction to the revenue forecasts contained in the 2009-10 May Revision described herein. This reduction is assumed to occur throughout fiscal year 2009-10 in amounts proportional to current major tax collections, but is not allocated among individual revenue line items. For September 2009, the unallocated revenue reduction was calculated at $331 million, reducing the total General Fund revenue forecast for September 2009 from $9.755 billion to $9.424 billion. Preliminary General Fund agency cash for September 2009 was $8.614 billion, or $810 million below the Amended 2009 Budget Act forecast, which includes the unallocated revenue adjustment. On the same adjusted basis, year-to-date revenues through September 2009 are $948 million below the $20.415 billion forecast.

The October Bulletin noted that September personal income taxes were approximately $1 billion, or approximately 19.4%, below 2009-10 May Revision projections (approximately $1.2 billion, or approximately 11.2%, below projections on a year to date basis). In addition, the October Bulletin stated that September 2009 sales and use tax collections were approximately $53 million, or approximately 2.4%, below projections (approximately $302 million, or approximately 4.5%, below projections on a year to date basis). The October Bulletin also noted that September 2009 corporation taxes were approximately $189 million, or approximately 10.8%, below projections (approximately $61 million, or approximately 3.0%, below projections on a year to date basis).

Legislation enacted November 4, 2009 (SB X7 2) authorizes submission to the voters at the statewide election on November 2, 2010 of a ballot measure to approve the issuance of $11.14 billion in general obligation bonds. The bill specifies that not more than one-half of the bonds may be sold before July 1, 2015. Funds generated by bond sales may be used for a wide variety of purposes including improvement of California’s water supply systems, drought relief and groundwater protection.

Bond Ratings.

Three major credit rating agencies, Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s), Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) and Fitch Ratings (Fitch), assign ratings to California long-term general obligation bonds. The ratings of Moody’s, S&P and Fitch represent their opinions as to the quality of the municipal bonds they rate. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, municipal bonds with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while obligations with the same maturity and coupon with different ratings may have the same yield.

In July 2009, Fitch lowered its rating assigned to California’s general obligation bonds from A- to BBB, and Moody’s lowered its rating assigned to California’s general obligation bonds from A2 to Baa1. S&P assigns an A rating on California general obligation bonds. All three rating agencies have California debt on a negative watch. It is not possible to determine whether or to what extent Moody’s, S&P or Fitch will change its respective rating on California general obligation bonds in the future.

California’s general obligation bonds currently are rated low in comparison to other rated states in the nation. Lower ratings make it more expensive for the State to raise revenue and, in some cases, could prevent the State from issuing general obligation bonds in the quantity otherwise desired. Additional rating downgrades may negatively impact the marketability and price of securities in the Fund’s portfolio.

 

C-3


Table of Contents

California Finances.

General Fund. California’s moneys are segregated among its General Fund and over 1,000 other funds, including special, bond and trust funds. The General Fund consists of revenues received by the California Treasury (the Treasury) and not required by law to be credited to any other fund, as well as earnings from the investment of California moneys not allocable to another fund. The General Fund is the principal operating fund for the majority of governmental activities and is the depository of most of the major revenue sources of the State. The General Fund may be expended as a consequence of appropriation measures enacted by the California Legislature and approved by the Governor (including the annual Budget Act), as well as appropriations pursuant to various constitutional authorizations and initiative statutes.

Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties. The State maintains a Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties (SFEU), which is funded with General Fund revenues and which was established to protect the State from unforeseen revenue reductions and/or unanticipated expenditure increases. The State Controller (the Controller) may transfer amounts in the SFEU to the General Fund as necessary to meet cash needs of the General Fund and such transfers are characterized as “loans.” The Controller is required to return moneys so transferred without payment of interest as soon as there are sufficient moneys in the General Fund. At the end of each fiscal year, the Controller is required to transfer from the SFEU to the General Fund any amount necessary to eliminate any deficit in the General Fund.

The legislation creating the SFEU (California Government Code Section 16418) also contains a continuous appropriation authorizing the Controller to transfer the unencumbered balance in the General Fund to the SFEU as of the end of each fiscal year. If, however, at the end of any fiscal year in which it has been determined that there are revenues in excess of the amount that may be appropriated, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 2 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution, such transfer must be reduced by the amount of the excess revenues. The estimates of the transfer are made jointly by the State’s Legislative Analyst’s Office (the LAO) and the Department of Finance.

For budgeting and accounting purposes, any appropriation made from the SFEU, other than appropriations contained in California Government Code Section 16418, is deemed an appropriation from the General Fund. For year-end reporting purposes, the Controller is required to add the balance in the SFEU to the balance in the General Fund so as to show the total moneys then available for General Fund purposes.

Budget Stabilization Account. Proposition 58, approved in March 2004, created the Budget Stabilization Account (the BSA) as a second budgetary reserve. Since fiscal year 2006-07, a specified portion of estimated annual General Fund revenues (reaching a ceiling of 3% by fiscal year 2008-09) is transferred by the Controller into the BSA no later than September 30 of each fiscal year unless the transfer is suspended or reduced as described below. Those transfers continue until the balance in the BSA reaches $8 billion or 5% of the estimated General Fund revenues for that fiscal year, whichever is greater. The annual transfer requirement goes back into effect whenever the balance falls below the $8 billion or 5% target. The annual transfers can be suspended or reduced for a fiscal year by an executive order issued by the Governor no later than June 1 of the preceding fiscal year. Proposition 58 also provides that one-half of the annual transfers shall be used to retire Economic Recovery Bonds (ERBs) until a total of $5 billion has been used for that purpose. A total of $1.495 billion of such $5 billion amount has been applied to the retirement of ERBs. See “State Indebtedness — Economic Recovery Bonds” below. The 2007, 2008 and 2009 Budget Acts give the Director of Finance the authority to transfer moneys from the BSA back into the General Fund in an amount determined by the Director of Finance to be sufficient to ensure there is a prudent General Fund balance. Using this authority, the Director of Finance ordered the transfer of the entire balance of $1.495 billion from the BSA to the General Fund to address a fiscal emergency proclaimed by the Governor on January 10, 2008. Once moneys are transferred out of the BSA, pursuant to the authority, they will not be replenished by a future fiscal year’s annual transfer unless the California Legislature, by statute, directs additional funds to be transferred from the General Fund into the BSA. Separate from the foregoing process for a budgetary transfer, the BSA may be used to make temporary loans to the General Fund, which must be repaid when the General Fund has available cash.

 

C-4


Table of Contents

In light of the condition of the General Fund, the Governor issued an Executive Order on May 28, 2008, suspending the fiscal year 2008-09 transfer of $3.018 billion from the General Fund to the BSA, as had been proposed in the 2008-09 Governor’s Budget. Due to a drastic decline in General Fund revenues, the Governor issued an Executive Order on May 29, 2009, suspending the fiscal year 2009-10 transfer estimated at approximately $2.8 billion from the General Fund to the BSA. There are currently no moneys in the BSA.

The California Budget.

The Budget Process. California’s fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 of the following year. The State’s General Fund budget operates on a legal basis, generally using a modified accrual system of accounting, with revenues credited in the period in which they are measurable and available and expenditures debited in the period in which the corresponding liabilities are incurred. The annual budget is proposed by the Governor by January 10 of each year for the next fiscal year (the Governor’s Budget). Under California law, the annual proposed Governor’s Budget cannot provide for projected expenditures in excess of projected revenues for the ensuing fiscal year. Following the submission of the Governor’s Budget, the California Legislature takes up the proposal. As required by the Balanced Budget Amendment (Proposition 58), the California Legislature may not pass a budget bill in which General Fund expenditures exceed estimated General Fund revenues and fund balances at the time of the passage and as set forth in the budget bill.

Under the California Constitution, money may be drawn from the State Treasury only through an appropriation made by law. The primary source of annual expenditure appropriations is the annual budget act (each, a Budget Act) as approved by the California Legislature and signed by the Governor. Each Budget Act must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote of each house of the California Legislature. The Governor may reduce or eliminate specific line items in a Budget Act or any other appropriations bill without vetoing the entire bill. Such individual line-item vetoes are subject to override by a two-thirds majority vote of each house of the California Legislature.

Appropriations also may be included in legislation other than a Budget Act. Except as noted in the previous paragraph and in the next sentence, bills containing General Fund appropriations must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote in each house of the California Legislature and be signed by the Governor. Bills containing appropriations for K-12 schools or community colleges require only a simple majority vote. Continuing appropriations, available without regard to fiscal year, may also be provided by statute or the California Constitution. Funds necessary to meet an appropriation are not required to be in the State Treasury at the time an appropriation is enacted; revenues may be appropriated in anticipation of their receipt.

The estimates and projections contained in the budgets discussed in the following paragraphs are based on a variety of assumptions. There can be no assurances that the financial condition of California will not be further materially adversely affected by actual conditions or circumstances, including but not limited to lower than expected revenues or higher than expected expenditures.

Budgets for Fiscal Years Prior to Fiscal Year 2007-08. During fiscal year 2001-02, following a half decade of strong economic and revenue growth, as the State and national economies fell into a recession and the stock markets dropped significantly, California experienced an unprecedented drop in revenues compared to the prior fiscal year largely due to reduced personal income taxes from stock option and capital gains activity. During the three fiscal years between fiscal year 2001-02 and fiscal year 2003-04, the State encountered severe budgetary difficulties due to reduced revenues and failure to make equivalent reductions in expenditures, resulting in successive budget deficits. The budgets for these fiscal years included substantial reliance on one-time measures, internal borrowing and external borrowing. The State also faced a cash flow crisis during this period, which was relieved by the issuance of revenue anticipation warrants in June 2002 and June 2003, and the issuance of ERBs in the spring of 2004.

 

C-5


Table of Contents

California’s economy rebounded during the 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 fiscal years, resulting in substantially higher General Fund revenues in each such fiscal year than had been projected at the start of the fiscal year. This allowed the budgets in these fiscal years to end with substantial positive balances (although the positive balance declined from approximately $9.9 billion at the end of fiscal year 2005-06 to approximately $3.5 billion at the end of fiscal year 2006-07). The State continued to utilize a combination of expenditure cuts, cost avoidance, internal and external borrowing, fund shifts and one-time measures, such as the securitization of tobacco settlement revenues and the sale of ERBs, to produce balanced budgets. The 2005 Budget Act relied much less on one-time measures than the budgets of the immediately preceding fiscal years, but did include receipt of $525 million from the refinancing of tobacco securitization bonds.

Final estimates relating to the 2006-07 fiscal year, as released in the 2007-08 Governor’s Budget in January 2008, showed that the State experienced more favorable results than were projected at the time the 2006 Budget Act was signed. As a result of revised estimates for fiscal years prior to 2005-06 and improved economic results, which generated increases in tax revenues, the General Fund balance at June 30, 2006, was estimated to be approximately $3.487 billion, of which $3.0 billion was in the SFEU, compared to the original 2006 Budget Act estimate of $1.6 billion in the SFEU.

Fiscal Year 2007-08 Budget. The 2007 Budget Act was adopted by the California Legislature on August 21, 2007, together with a number of implementing measures, and signed by the Governor on August 24, 2007. In approving the 2007 Budget Act, the Governor vetoed $943 million in appropriations from the General Fund, special funds and bond funds (including $703 million in General Fund appropriations). Under the 2007 Budget Act as originally enacted, General Fund revenues and transfers were projected to increase 6%, from $95.5 billion in fiscal year 2006-07 to $101.2 billion in fiscal year 2007-08. The 2007 Budget Act contained General Fund appropriations of $102.3 billion, compared to $101.7 billion in fiscal year 2006-07. The 2007 Budget Act also included the largest reserve of any Budget Act in the State’s history, a total of $4.1 billion. The reserve was made so large because the 2007 Budget Act disclosed a number of risks. By the time the 2008-09 Governor’s Budget was released on January 10, 2008, many of these risks had occurred, such that even the planned reserve was not expected to be sufficient to keep the budget in balance through June 30, 2008. Accordingly, the Governor called a special session of the California Legislature, which took a series of actions to close the budget gap, and the Governor took certain additional actions not requiring legislative action.

Fiscal Year 2008-09 Budget. The 2008 Budget Act was adopted by the California Legislature on September 16, 2008, together with a number of implementing measures, and signed by the Governor on September 23, 2008. In approving the 2008 Budget Act, the Governor vetoed $714 million in appropriations from the General Fund, special funds and bond funds (including $510 million in General Fund appropriations). This was the longest delay by the California Legislature in adopting a budget in modern history.

The 2008 Budget Act, as originally enacted, resolved a $17.3 billion budget deficit (after implementation of $7.0 billion in actions taken during the February 2008 fiscal emergency special session of the California Legislature) identified in the 2008-09 May Revision. It provided a modest reserve of $1.7 billion for fiscal year 2008-09, but projected a deficit of $1.0 billion in fiscal year 2009-10. Under the 2008 Budget Act as originally enacted, General Fund revenues and transfers were projected to decrease 1.0%, from $103.0 billion in fiscal year 2007-08 to $102.0 billion in fiscal year 2008-09. The 2008 Budget Act contained General Fund appropriations of $103.4 billion, compared to $103.3 billion in 2007-08. The June 30, 2009 total reserve was projected to be $1.7 billion, a decrease of $1.4 billion or 45% compared to the June 30, 2008 reserve. The February 2009 Budget Package made major changes to the 2008 Budget Act.

Since the enactment of the 2008 Budget Act, economic conditions in the State have worsened considerably. The 2009-10 Governor’s Budget projected that the State would end fiscal year 2008-09 with no reserve, compared to the original estimate of $1.7 billion contained in the 2008 Budget Act. Subsequent projections prepared for the 2009 Budget Act estimated a total reserve deficit at June 30, 2009 of $3.4 billion, down $5.1 billion from the 2008 Budget Act estimate. Given the dramatic decline in General Fund revenues and the

 

C-6


Table of Contents

emergence of a $41.6 billion combined current and budget year General Fund gap, the Governor called three special sessions of the California Legislature on November 6, December 1, and December 19, 2008 to take actions on various budget items in order to reduce expenditures in 2008-09 and address the State’s cash shortage.

Fiscal Year 2009-10 Budget. The California Legislature passed on February 19, 2009, and the Governor signed on February 20, 2009, the Initial 2009 Budget Act that addressed the combined deficit of $41.6 billion in fiscal years 2008-09 and 2009-10. The Initial 2009 Budget Act also provided for five budget-related measures that would have provided an estimated $6 billion in additional budget solutions, to be placed before the voters on May 19, 2009. These measures were all rejected by the voters.

As the recession deepened throughout the spring, revenues continued to erode and the budget had again fallen out of balance. On July 1, 2009 the Governor declared a fiscal emergency and called a special session of the California Legislature to solve the new $24.3 billion deficit. The California Legislature passed on July 24, 2009, and the Governor signed on July 28, 2009, the Amended 2009 Budget Act. Under the Amended 2009 Budget Act, General Fund expenditures for fiscal year 2008-09 are projected at $91.5 billion, a decrease of $11.9 billion compared with 2008 Budget Act estimates. This primarily includes a decrease of $10.4 billion in expenditure reductions offset by, among other things, $2.8 billion of federal stimulus funds and $1.5 billion in increased taxes.

As part of the Amended 2009 Budget Act, the Department of Finance assumed that revenues in fiscal year 2009-10 would be $3.0 billion lower than the level assumed in the 2009-10 May Revision forecast. The Department of Finance also revised revenues prior to 2008-09 upward by an increase of $1.3 billion to account for a prior-year adjustment that affects the beginning balance, and reduced 2008-09 revenues by $1.8 billion, for an aggregate reduction over all fiscal years of $3.5 billion. The change for fiscal years prior to 2008-09 is related to the 2008 Budget Act provision that imposed a 20% penalty for corporations that understate their tax liability by $1 million or more. The penalty revenues, which were received in 2008-09 but attributable to prior years, resulted in a positive $1.3 billion prior-year adjustment to corporation tax revenues for years prior to 2008-09. The Department of Finance assumed a $1.8 billion reduction to revenues in fiscal year 2008-09 from the 2009-10 May Revision forecast based on the trends seen in May and June tax collections. For fiscal years 2008-09 and 2009-10, the revenue reductions were not allocated to any specific revenue source.

The Amended 2009 Budget Act and the State’s cash management plan are based on a variety of assumptions. In the event actual circumstances or conditions differ from those assumptions, the State’s financial condition could be materially adversely affected. The Amended 2009 Budget Act provides for a reserve of $500 million.

Actions that may be taken by California’s Legislature or Governor in the current or future years to address California’s current or future budget deficits cannot be predicted. Future California budgets will be affected by national and State economic conditions and other factors over which the Fund has no control. Additional information concerning California’s budget and financial condition may be obtained from the State’s Department of Finance website at http://www.dof.ca.gov, and California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office at http://www.lao.ca.gov. Information provided on these websites is not incorporated as part of this Statement of Additional Information.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in February 2009, which provides approximately $787 billion of economic stimulus actions in the form of direct payments from the federal government and tax relief to individuals and businesses nationwide. The stimulus bill provides approximately $330 billion in aid to states, approximately $170 billion for federal projects and non-state aid and approximately $287 billion of tax relief.

 

C-7


Table of Contents

The California Recovery Task Force (the Recovery Task Force) estimates ARRA will have an $85.4 billion effect in California, including $55.2 billion in State aid and an additional $30.2 billion in tax relief. The Recovery Task Force believes that over the 18 month course of ARRA, Californians can expect to see a $19.5 billion investment in health and human services, $11.8 billion investment in education, $5.2 billion investment in labor and workforce development, and $4.7 billion investment in transportation infrastructure. The Amended 2009 Budget Act includes an estimated $4.9 billion of federal stimulus revenues being available to offset General Fund expenditures in the 2009-10 fiscal year.

State Indebtedness.

The California Treasurer (the Treasurer) is responsible for the sale of debt obligations of the State and its various authorities and agencies. The State has always paid the principal of and interest on its general obligation bonds, general obligation commercial paper notes, lease-purchase obligations and short-term obligations, including revenue anticipation notes and revenue anticipation warrants, when due.

General Obligation Bonds. The California Constitution prohibits the creation of general obligation indebtedness of the State unless a bond measure is approved by a majority of the electorate voting at a general election or a direct primary. General obligation bond acts provide a continuing appropriation from the General Fund of all debt service payments on general obligation bonds, subject only to the prior application of moneys in the General Fund to the support of the public school system and public institutions of higher education. Under the California Constitution, the appropriation to pay debt service on the general obligation bonds cannot be repealed until the principal of and interest on the bonds has been paid. Certain general obligation bond programs, called “self-liquidating bonds,” receive revenues from specified sources so that moneys from the General Fund are not expected to be needed to pay debt service, but the General Fund is liable as a back-up if the specified revenue source is not sufficient. The principal self-liquidating bond programs are (1) the ERBs, supported by a special sales tax, and (2) veterans general obligation bonds, supported by mortgage repayments from housing loans made to military veterans. As of October 1, 2009, the State had outstanding $68,362,254,045 aggregate principal amount of long-term general obligation bonds, of which $58,532,634,045 were payable primarily from the State’s General Fund, and $9,829,620,000 were self-liquidating bonds payable first from other special revenue funds. As of October 1, 2009, there were unused voter authorizations for the future issuance of $54,525,414,000 of long-term general obligation bonds, some of which may first be issued as commercial paper notes. (See “Commercial Paper Program” below.) Of this unissued amount, $1,341,710,000 is for general obligation bonds payable first from other revenue sources.

Under California law, the State must pay the principal of any general obligation bonds (except for the ERBs) that are subject to optional or mandatory tender and that are not remarketed or, if applicable, purchased by financial institutions that provide liquidity support to the State. The State has not entered into any interest rate hedging contracts in relation to any of its variable rate general obligation bonds.

Commercial Paper Program. Pursuant to legislation enacted in 1995, voter-approved general obligation indebtedness may be issued either as long-term bonds or, for some but not all bond issues, as commercial paper notes. Commercial paper notes may be renewed or may be refunded by the issuance of long-term bonds. It is currently the State’s policy to use commercial paper notes for a portion of the interim funding of voter-approved projects. The balance of such funding has in the past been done through internal loans from the State’s PMIA. The State then issues long-term general obligation bonds from time to time to retire its general obligation commercial paper notes (and internal loans). Pursuant to the terms of the bank credit agreement presently in effect, the general obligation commercial paper program may have up to $2 billion in aggregate principal amount at any time. This maximum amount may be increased or decreased in the future. As of November 10, 2009, $1,116,960,000 aggregate principal amount of general obligation commercial paper notes were outstanding.

Bank Arrangements. In connection with the letters of credit or other credit facilities obtained by the State in connection with variable rate obligations and the commercial paper program, the State has entered into a number

 

C-8


Table of Contents

of reimbursement agreements or other credit agreements with a variety of financial institutions. These agreements include various representations and covenants of the State, and the terms (including interest rates and repayment schedules) by which the State would be required to repay any drawings (including drawings resulting from any failed remarketings) on the respective letters of credit or other credit enhancement to which such credit agreements relate. To the extent that any variable rate obligations cannot be remarketed over an extended period (whether due to reductions in the credit ratings of the institution providing credit enhancement or other factors), interest payable by the State pursuant to the reimbursement agreement or credit agreement would generally increase over current market levels relating to the variable rate obligations, and the principal repayment period would generally be shorter (typically less than five years) than the repayment period otherwise applicable to the variable rate obligation. On occasion the State’s variable rate obligations have not been remarketed resulting in draws on the applicable credit facilities.

Lease-Purchase Obligations. In addition to general obligation bonds, the State builds and acquires capital facilities through the use of lease-purchase borrowing. Under these arrangements, the State Public Works Board, another State or local agency or a joint powers authority issues bonds to pay for the construction of facilities such as office buildings, university buildings or correctional institutions. Such facilities are leased to a State agency, the California State University, or the University of California under a long-term lease that provides the source of payment as the debt service on the lease-purchase bonds. In some cases, there is not a separate bond issue, but a trustee directly creates certificates of participation in the State’s lease obligation, which certificates of participation are then marketed to investors. Under applicable court decisions, such lease arrangements do not constitute the creation of “indebtedness” within the meaning of the California constitutional provisions that require voter approval. Rental payments in connection with certain of the lease-purchase financings are payable from special funds rather than the General Fund. In addition, recent legislation provides California’s court system with increased fees to support up to $5 billion of lease-revenue bond authority to expand and repair its infrastructure to address significant caseload increases and reduce delays. The State had $7,956,646,500 of General Fund-supported lease-purchase obligations outstanding as of October 1, 2009. The State Public Works Board, which is authorized to sell lease revenue bonds, had $11,610,524,671 of authorized and unissued lease-purchase obligations as of October 1, 2009.

Non-Recourse Debt. Certain California agencies and authorities issue revenue obligations for which the General Fund has no liability. Revenue bonds represent obligations payable from State revenue-producing enterprises and projects, which obligations are not payable from the General Fund, and conduit obligations payable only from revenues paid by private users of facilities financed by the revenue bonds. The enterprises and projects include transportation projects, various public works projects, public and private educational facilities (including the California State University and University of California systems), housing, health facilities and pollution control facilities. State agencies and authorities had approximately $53 billion in aggregate principal amount of revenue bonds and notes that are non-recourse to the General Fund outstanding as of June 30, 2009.

Future Issuance Plans. Between November 2006 and August 2009, voters and the California Legislature authorized more than $60 billion of new general obligation bonds and lease revenue bonds, which are paid solely from the General Fund. This new authorization substantially increased the current amount of such General Fund-supported debt authorized and unissued to about $64.8 billion as of October 1, 2009. In order to address the expenditure needs for these new authorizations, along with those that existed before 2006, the State increased the volume of issuance of both of these categories of bonds substantially, compared to previous years, starting in fiscal year 2007-08. The amounts and timing of future issuance of general obligation and lease revenue bonds will depend on a variety of factors, including the actual timing of expenditure needs for the various programs for which such bonds are to be issued, the amount and timing of interim financing provided to the programs, the interest rate and other market conditions at the time of issuance, and the timing and amounts of additional general obligation bonds or lease revenue bonds that may be approved. The Amended 2009 Budget Act assumes that approximately $13.4 billion of general obligation bonds and $1.1 billion of lease revenue bonds will be issued in fiscal year 2009-10.

 

C-9


Table of Contents

Disruptions in financial markets and uncertainties about the State’s budget condition have caused significant disruptions over the past year in the State’s bond issuance program. Because of these factors, the State did not issue any new general obligation bonds between July 2008 and March 2009. In March 2009, the State issued $6.54 billion of new tax-exempt bonds, the largest new money general obligation bond issue in the State’s history (excluding ERBs). A few weeks later, the State took advantage of a new federal program called “Build America Bonds” (BABs) to issue $6.86 billion of federally taxable general obligations bonds, of which $5.3 billion were BABs. BABs are bonds whose interest is subject to federal income tax, but the U.S. Treasury will repay to the State an amount equal to 35% of the interest cost on the BABs. This will result in a net interest expense lower than that which the State would have had to pay for tax-exempt bonds at the same time and in the same amount. In October 2009, the State issued $2.825 billion of federally taxable general obligation bonds, of which $1.75 billion were BABs. The State subsequently issued additional general obligation bonds and lease revenue bonds as BABs, as well as tax-exempt and federally taxable issues which were not BABs. Additional BABs may be issued by the State through December 31, 2010 (unless Congress extends the program).

Based on the current Department of Finance projections of program expenditure needs, without taking into account any future authorizations that may occur, the Treasurer has estimated that the aggregate amount of outstanding general obligation and lease revenue bonds based on current voter and legislative authorizations is estimated to peak at approximately $111.8 billion by June 2016, compared to the current total outstanding amount of approximately $66.5 billion. The annual debt service costs on this amount of debt is estimated by the Treasurer to peak in fiscal year 2017-18 at approximately $9.75 billion compared to approximately $5.9 billion budgeted in fiscal year 2009-10. (These estimates do not include ERBs, described below, or veterans general obligation bonds supported by mortgage repayments from housing loans made to military veterans, nor do they take into account potential benefits from future refunding opportunities.)

There also have been proposed several new bond initiatives, including $9.3 billion for water, $23.9 billion for K-12 schools and higher education, and $7.7 billion for various lease revenue bond-funded programs. If voters approve additional general obligation bonds at future elections and the California Legislature authorizes additional lease revenue bonds consistent with those supported by the Governor, debt service will increase commensurately. In addition, in light of the substantial drop in General Fund revenues since fiscal year 2007-08 and the projections for substantial new bond sales in the future, the ratio of debt service on general obligation and lease revenue bonds supported by the General Fund to annual General Fund revenues can be expected to increase significantly in future years.

Economic Recovery Bonds. The California Economic Recovery Bond Act (Proposition 57) was approved by voters on March 2, 2004. Proposition 57 authorized the issuance of up to $15 billion in ERBs to finance the negative General Fund reserve balance as of June 30, 2004, and other General Fund obligations undertaken prior to June 30, 2004. Repayment of the ERBs is secured by a pledge of revenues from a one-quarter cent increase in the State’s sales and use tax that became effective July 1, 2004. In addition, as voter-approved general obligation bonds, the ERBs are secured by the State’s full faith and credit and payable from the General Fund in the event the dedicated sales and use tax revenue is insufficient to repay the bonds.

In May and June 2004, the State issued $10.896 billion principal amount of ERBs, resulting in the deposit of net proceeds to the General Fund of approximately $11.254 billion. In order to relieve cash flow and budgetary shortfalls identified in the 2008-09 Governor’s Budget, the State issued approximately $3.179 billion of additional ERBs on February 14, 2008, generating net proceeds of $3.313 billion, which were transferred to the General Fund. No further ERBs can be issued under Proposition 57, except refunding bonds, which may be issued in the future. (The Department of Finance had determined that the full $15 billion voter authorization could not be issued because of the previous repayment of certain June 30, 2004 obligations eligible for financing pursuant to Proposition 57.)

Three different sources of funds are required to be applied to the early retirement (generally by purchase or redemption) of ERBs: (i) all proceeds from the dedicated quarter cent sales tax in excess of the amounts needed,

 

C-10


Table of Contents

on a semi-annual basis, to pay debt service and other required costs of the bonds, (ii) all proceeds from the sale of specified surplus State property, and (iii) 50% of each annual deposit, up to $5 billion in the aggregate, of deposits in the BSA. As of June 30, 2009, funds from these sources have been used for early retirement of approximately $3.5 billion of bonds during fiscal years 2005-06 through 2008-09, including $1.495 billion which was transferred from the BSA in fiscal year 2006-07 ($472 million) and fiscal year 2007-08 ($1.023 billion). The Governor suspended both the 2008-09 and 2009-10 BSA transfers due to the condition of the General Fund.

Because of the sharp reduction in taxable sales as a result of the current economic recession, the one-quarter cent Special Sales Tax Revenues (SSTRs) collected from the one-quarter cent tax dedicated to repayment of the ERB debt have decreased to a level that has provided very little coverage above the required debt service amounts. This has twice caused the State to temporarily access the coverage account (reserve fund) for the ERBs (which account has an approximate balance of $302 million) — once on December 24, 2008 in the amount of $13.3 million, to fill up a debt service account for January 1, 2009, and once on June 24, 2009 in the amount of $64.5 million, as required under the master indenture for the ERBs. In both instances, the coverage account was fully replenished by the end of the actual debt service period.

As reported by the State on June 25, 2009, the estimate of SSTRs for the semi-annual debt service period ending January 1, 2010, will not be sufficient to pay at least 100% of the estimated required semi-annual payments for the same period. Finance had estimated that SSTRs for the current period will be approximately $566,000,000, compared to estimated requirements to pay debt service and other expenses of $596,796,000, as estimated by the Treasurer. Actual sales tax receipts from May 2009 through August 2009 have averaged approximately 6% below the 2009-10 May Revision projections. To the extent that actual SSTRs continue to fall short of the State’s 2009-10 May Revision revenue estimate, the shortfall will increase.

The State restructured the ERBs to take account of the reduced levels of SSTRs by reducing annual debt service requirements, so as to restore positive coverage levels and reduce the likelihood of future draws on the coverage account. An ERB refunding bond issuance in the amount of $3,435,615,000.00 was issued on November 5, 2009.

Tobacco Settlement Revenue Bonds. In 1998, the State signed a settlement agreement (the Master Settlement Agreement or MSA) with the four major cigarette manufacturers (the participating manufacturers or PMs). In 2004, two of the four original PMs merged. Under the MSA, the participating manufacturers agreed to make payments to the State in perpetuity, which payments amount to approximately $25 billion (subject to adjustments) over the first 25 years. Under a separate Memorandum of Understanding, half of the payments made by the cigarette manufacturers will be paid to the State and half to local governments (all counties and the cities of San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sari Jose). The specific amount to be received by the State and local governments is subject to adjustment. Details in the MSA allow reduction of the participating manufacturers’ payments for decreases in cigarette shipment volumes by the settling participating manufacturers, payments owed to certain “Previously Settled States” and certain types of offsets for disputed payments, among other things. However, settlement payments are adjusted upward each year by at least 3% for inflation, compounded annually.

Chapter 414, Statutes of 2002, enacted Government Code Sections 63049 to 63049.5 (the Tobacco Securitization Law), which authorized the establishment of a special purpose trust to purchase those assets. The bill also authorized that entity to issue revenue bonds secured by the tobacco settlement revenues received beginning in the 2003-04 fiscal year. An initial sale of 56.57% of the State’s tobacco settlement revenues producing $2.485 billion in proceeds was completed in January 2003 (Series 2003A Bonds). A second sale of the remaining 43.43% of the State’s tobacco settlement revenues, which produced $2.264 billion in proceeds, was completed in September 2003 (Series 2003B Bonds). Chapter 225, Statutes of 2003, amended the Tobacco Securitization Law to require the Governor to request an appropriation from the General Fund in the annual Budget Act to pay debt service and other related costs of the tobacco settlement revenue bonds secured by the second (and only the second) sale of tobacco settlement revenues when such tobacco settlement revenues are insufficient therefor. The California Legislature is not obligated to make any such requested General Fund appropriation.

 

C-11


Table of Contents

In August 2005, the Series 2003B Bonds were refinanced with a series of refunding bonds (Series 2005A Bonds), retaining substantially all of the covenants of the original issue, including the covenant regarding the request for a General Fund appropriation in the event tobacco settlement revenues fall short. In return for providing this covenant, the State was paid a credit enhancement fee of $525 million as part of the refinancing, which was deposited into the General Fund. In March 2007, the state completed a refunding of all of the Series 2003A Bonds. This refunding generated additional proceeds of approximately $1.258 billion which were used (i) to offset the General Fund cost for the initial years of a litigation settlement related to the 2004-05 suspension of the Proposition 98 guarantee and (ii) for other purposes, such as funding capital projects. Some of these moneys were used for General Fund expenses in 2007-08.

Under the MSA, an independent auditor calculates each year whether the PMs have lost more than 2% of the market share they held in 1997 to the non-participating manufacturers (NPMs) and, if so, a nationally recognized firm of economic consultants determines whether the MSA was a significant factor that contributed to the loss in market share. If the nationally recognized economic consultants confirm the MSA was a significant factor, the PMs are then authorized to withhold up to three times the percentage of the market share loss above the 2% threshold for the specified calendar year payment.

The PMs made this assertion of market share loss in 2005, 2006 and 2007 for the calendar year 2003, 2004 and 2005 payments, respectively. Each assertion was confirmed and the PMs were authorized to withhold the specified amount from that year’s scheduled payment. In April 2008, the PMs made this assertion for the 2006 calendar year, and a final decision in favor of the PMs was issued at the end of March 2009. In 2006, 2007 and 2008, two of the three original PMs deposited their respective shares of the 2003, 2004 and 2005 NPM adjustments into the disputed payments account, and such funds were not disbursed to the states with the PMs’ annual payments for those years. As a result, the tobacco settlement revenues due to the State in April 2006 were reduced by $50.9 million, in April 2007 by $44 million, in April 2008 by $33.9 million and in April 2009 by $32.8 million (which represented receipts from 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively). Nevertheless, the amount of tobacco settlement revenues received in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 was in excess of the required debt service payments. In February 2009, the 2005 NPM adjustment was released from the disputed payments account to the States as part of an agreement reached by the states and the PMs relating to a multi-state arbitration for the 2003 NPM adjustment.

Flood Litigation Settlement. In 2006, the State settled a lawsuit (referred to as the Poterno case) arising from liability for past flood damages through a stipulated judgment in the amount of $428 million, which provided that the State would make annual payments of $42.8 million, plus interest, for 10 years; the payments are subject to annual appropriation by the California Legislature. The California Legislature has included the required annual installment in each Budget Act since the settlement was approved. This matter is not treated as a “debt” of the State for any legal or constitutional purposes.

Obligations in Connection with Proposition 1A. The Amended 2009 Budget Act provides for State borrowing, pursuant to Proposition 1A (as defined herein), of approximately $1.935 billion of local property tax revenues. In accordance with Proposition 1A of 2004, the State is required to repay such revenues (plus interest at a rate to be determined by the Director of Finance, and certain other amounts) no later than June 2013. Legislation implementing the borrowing in the Amended 2009 Budget Act provides authority to local governments to sell their right to receive State repayment to a joint powers authority, which would issue bonds backed by the State’s repayment obligation. The repayment obligation will include interest and issuance costs for the joint powers authority bonds.

On November 19, 2009, the California Statewide Communities Development Authority, a joint powers authority, issued $1,895,000,000 of bonds which are secured by the State’s obligation to make payments pursuant to Proposition 1A of 2004.

Cash Flow Borrowings. As part of its cash management program, California has regularly issued short-term obligations to meet cash flow needs. The State has issued revenue anticipation notes (RANs or Notes) in 22 of

 

C-12


Table of Contents

the last 23 fiscal years. In fiscal year 2008-09, the State issued $5.5 billion of RANs, which matured and were paid prior to June 30, 2009. On September 29, 2009, the State issued $8.8 billion of RANs which are scheduled to mature in May and June 2010. If the State determines that additional cash resources are needed for its cash management program during fiscal year 2009-10, the State may seek additional external borrowing. If the State expects it can repay such additional borrowing by June 30, 2010, it would issue additional RANs. The State also may issue Revenue Anticipation Warrants (RAWs) maturing in the current or the succeeding fiscal year. The issuance of RAWs would result in adding cash resources to the unapplied money in the General Fund, which could permit the State to pay its obligations in the current fiscal year, including any RANs issued in fiscal year 2009-10. The State also is authorized to issue Refunding RAWs to refund maturing RAWs. The State issued RAWs to bridge short-term cash flow shortages in 1992, 1993, 1994, 2002 and 2003.

Inter-fund Borrowing. Inter-fund borrowing is used to meet temporary imbalances of receipts and disbursements in the General Fund. In the event the General Fund is or will be exhausted, the Controller is required to notify the Governor and the PMIB (composed of the Director of Finance, the Treasurer and the Controller). The Governor may then order the Controller to direct the transfer of all or any part of the moneys not needed in special funds to the General Fund, as determined by the PMIB. All money so transferred must be returned to the special fund from which it was transferred as soon as there is sufficient money in the General Fund to do so. Transfers cannot be made which will interfere with the objective for which such special fund was created, or from certain specific funds. In general, when moneys transferred to the General Fund in any fiscal year from any special fund pursuant to the inter-fund borrowing mechanism exceed 10% of the total additions to such special fund as shown in the statement of operations of the preceding fiscal year as set forth in the Budgetary/Legal Basis Annual Report of the Controller, interest must be paid on such excess at a rate determined by the PMIB to be the current earning rate of the PMIA. This provision does not apply to temporary borrowings from the BSA or other accounts within the General Fund.

Sources of Tax Revenues.

In fiscal year 2007-08, approximately 90% of the State’s General Fund revenues and transfers were derived from personal income taxes, corporation taxes and sales and use taxes. The following are brief summaries of the major sources of tax revenues in California.

Personal Income Tax. The California personal income tax, which accounted for 53% of General Fund revenues and transfers in fiscal year 2007-08, is closely modeled after the federal income tax law. It is imposed on net taxable income (gross income less exclusions and deductions), with rates ranging from 1% to 9.3%. For tax years 2009 and 2010, the rates will range from 1.25% to 9.55%. The personal income tax is adjusted annually by the change in the consumer price index to prevent taxpayers from being pushed into higher tax brackets without a real increase in income. Personal, dependent and other credits are allowed against the gross tax liability. In addition, taxpayers may be subject to an alternative minimum tax (AMT), which is much like the federal AMT. The personal income tax structure is considered to be highly progressive. For example, the California Franchise Tax Board indicates that the top 1% of taxpayers paid 48.1% of the total personal income tax in tax year 2007.

Proposition 63, approved by the voters in the November 2004 election, imposes a 1% surcharge on taxable income over $1 million in addition to the 9.3% rate (9.55% for tax years 2009 and 2010). The surcharge became effective January 1, 2005. The proceeds of the tax surcharge are required to be used to expand county mental health programs.

Taxes on capital gains realizations, which are largely linked to stock market performance, can add a significant dimension of volatility to personal income tax receipts. Capital gains tax receipts accounted for as much as 14.8% and as little as 4.5% of General Fund revenues over the past 10 years. The Amended 2009 Budget Act assumes that capital gains will account for 5.5% of General Fund revenues and transfers in fiscal year 2008-09 and 3.6% in fiscal year 2009-10.

 

C-13


Table of Contents

Sales and Use Tax. The sales and use tax (referred to herein as the sales tax), which accounted for 26% of General Fund revenues and transfers in fiscal year 2007-08, is imposed upon retailers for the privilege of selling tangible personal property in California. Most retail sales and leases are subject to the tax. However, exemptions have been provided for certain essentials such as food for home consumption, prescription drugs, gas delivered through mains and electricity. Other exemptions provide relief for a variety of sales ranging from custom computer software to aircraft.

The California use tax is imposed at the same rates as the regular sales tax on consumers of tangible personal property that is used, consumed, or stored in this State. Use tax applies to purchases from out-of-state vendors that are not required to collect tax on their sales. Use tax also applies to most leases of tangible personal property.

Corporation Tax. The corporation tax accounted for 12% of General Fund revenues and transfers in fiscal year 2007-08. Corporation tax revenues are derived from the following taxes: (1) the franchise tax and the corporate income tax, which are levied at an 8.84% rate on profits; (2) an additional 2% tax on the net income of banks and other financial corporations; (3) the AMT, which is imposed at a rate of 6.65%; (4) a minimum franchise tax of up to $800 imposed on certain corporations subject to the franchise tax; (5) a 1.5% tax on profits of sub-Chapter S corporations; and (6) fees paid by limited liability companies, which account for approximately 2.8% of corporation tax revenue.

Insurance Tax. The majority of insurance written in California is subject to a 2.35% gross premium tax. For insurers, this premium tax takes the place of all other State and local taxes except those on real property and motor vehicles. Exceptions to the 2.35% rate are certain pension and profit-sharing plans which are taxed at the lesser rate of 0.5%, surplus lines and nonadmitted insurance at 3% and ocean marine insurers at 5% of underwriting profits. The Board of Equalization ruled in December 2006 that the premium tax insurers pay should be calculated on a cash basis rather than the accrual method required by the Department of Insurance. This ruling is expected to result in a total loss of $349 million spread over several years; the effect is estimated to be $15 million in fiscal year 2008-09, $212 million in fiscal year 2009-10 and $121 million in fiscal year 2010-11.

Estate Tax; Other Taxes. The State estate tax is based on the State death tax credit allowed against the federal estate tax. The California estate tax is designed to pick up the maximum credit allowed against the federal estate tax return. The federal Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act) phases out the federal estate tax by 2010. As a consequence, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act resulted in the reduction of the State estate tax revenues by 25% in calendar year 2002, 50% in calendar year 2003, and 75% in calendar year 2004, and the elimination of the State estate tax beginning in calendar year 2005. The provisions of this federal act sunset after 2010. At that time, the federal estate tax will be reinstated along with the State’s estate tax, unless future federal legislation is enacted to make the provisions permanent.

Other General Fund major taxes and licenses include inheritance and gift taxes, cigarette taxes, alcoholic beverage taxes, horse racing license fees and trailer coach license fees.

Special Fund Revenues. The California Constitution and statutes specify the uses of certain revenues. Such receipts are accounted for in various special funds. In general, special fund revenues are composed of three categories of income: (1) receipts from tax levies that are allocated to specified functions, such as motor vehicle taxes and fees and certain taxes on tobacco products; (2) charges for special services to specific functions, including such items as business and professional license fees; and (3) rental royalties and other receipts designated for particular purposes (e.g., oil and gas royalties). Motor vehicle related taxes and fees accounted for 34% of all special fund revenues in fiscal year 2007-08. Principal sources of this income are motor vehicle fuel taxes, registration and weight fees and vehicle license fees. During fiscal year 2007-08, approximately $8.6 billion was derived from the ownership or operation of motor vehicles. Approximately $3.4 billion of this revenue was returned to local governments. The remainder was available for various state programs related to transportation and services to vehicle owners.

 

C-14


Table of Contents

Taxes on Tobacco Products. As a result of Proposition 99, approved by the voters in 1988, and Proposition 10, approved by the voters in 1998, the State imposes an excise tax on cigarettes of $0.87 per pack and equivalent rates on other tobacco products. Tobacco product excise tax revenues are earmarked as follows: (1) $0.50 is deposited in the California Children and Families First Trust Fund and are allocated primarily for early childhood development programs; (2) $0.25 is allocated to the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Surtax Fund, which moneys are appropriated for anti-tobacco education and research, indigent health services and environmental and recreation programs; (3) $0.10 is allocated to the State’s General Fund; and (4) the remaining $0.02 is deposited into the Breast Cancer Fund.

Constitutional Provisions Affecting Revenues and Appropriations.

The following are brief summaries of the major constitutional and legislative actions that have affected tax levying and collections by State and local governments in California:

Article XIIIA. In 1978, California voters approved Proposition 13, which enacted Article XIIIA of the California Constitution (Article XIIIA) and which, as amended, generally caps the maximum real property tax that may be imposed on real property to 1%, caps annual increases in assessed property values at 2%, permits reassessment to market value only on sale (subject to certain exemptions), and requires local governments to obtain the approval of two-thirds of the electorate to impose special taxes (taxes imposed for specific purposes). Article XIIIA also gave the California Legislature responsibility for allocating the remaining proceeds of the property tax.

Article XIIIB. In 1979, California voters approved Proposition 4, the so-called “Gann Initiative,” which added Article XIIIB to the California Constitution (Article XIIIB). Article XIIIB was amended by the voters in June 1990 through their approval of Proposition 111. Article XIIIB limits the annual appropriations of the State and of any city, county, school district, authority or other political subdivision of the State to the level of the appropriations limit for the prior fiscal year, as adjusted annually for changes in the cost of living, population and cost of services rendered by the governmental entity. The “base year” for establishing such appropriation limit is fiscal year 1978-79. Increases in appropriations by a governmental entity are also permitted (i) if financial responsibility for providing services is transferred to the governmental entity, or (ii) for emergencies, so long as the appropriations limits for the three years following the emergency are reduced to prevent any aggregate increase above the Constitutional limit. Decreases are required where responsibility for providing services is transferred from the government entity.

Appropriations of an entity of local government subject to Article XIIIB include generally any authorization to expend during the fiscal year the proceeds of taxes levied by the State or other entity of local government, exclusive of certain State subventions, refunds of taxes, benefit payments from retirement, unemployment insurance and disability insurance funds. Appropriations subject to limitation pursuant to Article XIIIB do not include debt service on indebtedness existing or legally authorized as of January 1, 1979, on bonded indebtedness thereafter approved according to law by a vote of the electors of the issuing entity voting in an election for such purpose, appropriations required to comply with mandates of courts or the federal government, appropriations for qualified capital outlay projects and appropriations by the State of revenues derived from any increase in gasoline taxes and motor vehicle weight fees above January 1, 1990, levels. “Proceeds of taxes” include, but are not limited to, all tax revenues and the proceeds to any entity of government from (i) regulatory licenses, user charges and user fees to the extent such proceeds exceed the cost of providing the service or regulation, (ii) the investment of tax revenues and (iii) certain State subventions received by local governments. Article XIIIB includes a requirement that if an entity’s revenues in any year exceed the amount permitted to be spent, the excess must be returned by revising tax rates or fee schedules over the subsequent two fiscal years.

Proposition 62. In 1986, California voters approved Proposition 62 (Proposition 62), which requires a super-majority approval of local government taxes. Two-thirds of the local entity’s legislative body and a majority of its electorate must approve any tax for general governmental purposes, and two-thirds of the electorate must approve any special tax for specific purposes.

 

C-15


Table of Contents

Proposition 98. In 1988, California voters approved Proposition 98 (Proposition 98) as an amendment to the California Constitution, which, as modified by Proposition 111, guarantees K-12 schools and community colleges a minimum share of General Fund revenues. Proposition 98 permits the California Legislature, by a two-thirds vote in both houses and with the Governor’s concurrence, to suspend the minimum funding formula for a one-year period. The fiscal year 2004-05 budget suspended the level of Proposition 98 spending by setting a statutory funding target approximately $2 billion lower than the Constitutional guarantee. This suspended amount was fully paid in fiscal year 2005-06. However, subsequent growth in General Fund revenues increased the fiscal year 2004-05 Proposition 98 amount by an additional $1.6 billion, bringing the total value of the legislative suspension to $3.6 billion. Because the Proposition 98 minimum guarantee is calculated based on prior-year funding, the fiscal year 2005-06 funding level was also affected by the increased revenues and was $1.1 billion less than the statutory target levels. This suspended amount is added to the existing maintenance factor, or the difference between Proposition 98 guarantees and actual appropriations. The unpaid additional funding requirements were the subject of a lawsuit by the California Teachers Association, which has been settled. The State agreed to retire the $2.8 billion obligation with a $300 million payment in fiscal year 2007-08 and further annual payments of $450 million beginning in fiscal year 2008-09 until the entire obligation is repaid. The total estimated maintenance factor balance was $65.5 million at the end of fiscal year 2007-08, which maintenance factor balance is required to be restored in future years as economic conditions improve.

Article XIIIC and Article XIIID. In 1996, California voters approved Proposition 218, entitled the Right to Vote on Taxes Act (Proposition 218), which enacted Article XIIIC (Article XIIIC) and Article XIIID (Article XIIID) to the California Constitution. Article XIIIC and Article XIIID contain a number of provisions affecting the ability of local agencies to levy and collect both existing and future taxes, assessments, fees and charges. The interpretation and application of certain provisions of Proposition 218 will ultimately be determined by the courts with respect to some of the matters discussed below. It is not possible at this time to predict with certainty the future effect of such interpretations.

Article XIIIC requires that all new local taxes be submitted to the electorate before they become effective. Taxes for general governmental purposes require a majority vote and taxes for specific purposes, even if deposited in a general fund, require a two-thirds vote. Article XIIIC further provides that any general purpose tax imposed, extended or increased without voter approval after December 31, 1994, may continue to be imposed only if approved by a majority vote in an election which must be held within two years of November 5, 1996. Article XIIIC also expressly extends the initiative power to give voters the power to reduce or repeal local taxes, assessments, fees and charges, regardless of the date such taxes, assessments, fees and charges were imposed. Article XIIIC expands the initiative power to include reducing or repealing assessments, fees and charges, which had previously been considered administrative rather than legislative matters and therefore beyond the initiative power. This extension of the initiative power is not limited by the terms of Article XIIIC to fees imposed after November 6, 1996, and, absent other legal authority, could result in the retroactive reduction in any existing taxes, assessments, fees or charges. Assessments, fees and charges are not defined in Article XIIIC, and it is unclear whether these terms are intended to have the same meanings for purposes of Article XIIIC as for Article XIIID described below. If not, the scope of the initiative power under Article XIIIC potentially could include any general fund local tax, assessment or fee not received from or imposed by the federal or State government or derived from investment income.

Article XIIID also added several new provisions relating to how local agencies may levy and maintain assessments for municipal services and programs. These provisions include, among other things, (i) a prohibition against assessments which exceed the reasonable cost of the proportional special benefit conferred on a parcel, (ii) a requirement that the assessment must confer a special benefit, as defined in Article XIIID, over and above any general benefits conferred, and (iii) a majority protest procedure which involves the mailing of a notice and a ballot to the record owner of each affected parcel, a public hearing and the tabulation of ballots weighted according to the proportional financial obligation of the affected party. Assessment is defined in Article XIIID to mean any levy or charge on real property for a special benefit conferred on the real property.

 

C-16


Table of Contents

Proposition 1A. On November 2, 2004, California voters approved Proposition 1A (Proposition 1A), which amended the California Constitution to reduce the State’s authority over major local government revenue sources. Under Proposition 1A, the State may not (i) reduce local sales tax rates or alter the method of allocating the revenue generated by such taxes, (ii) shift property taxes from local governments to schools or community colleges, (iii) change how property tax revenues are shared among local governments without two-third approval of both houses of the California Legislature, or (iv) decrease vehicle license fee revenues without providing local governments with equal replacement funding. Proposition 1A permits the State to shift a limited amount of local government property tax revenue to schools and community colleges if certain conditions are met, including: (a) a proclamation by the Governor that the shift is needed due to a severe financial hardship of the State and (b) approval of the shift by the California Legislature with a two-thirds vote of both houses. In the event of such a shift, the State is required to repay local governments for their property tax losses, with interest, within three years. Proposition 1A allows the State to approve voluntary exchanges of local sales tax and property tax revenues among local governments within a county. Proposition 1A also amends the California Constitution to require the State to suspend certain State laws creating mandates in any year that the State does not fully reimburse local governments for their costs to comply with the mandates; provided, however, that such provision does not apply to mandates relating to schools or community colleges or to mandates relating to employee rights.

The purpose of Proposition 1A is to increase and stabilize local government revenues. Proposition 1A could also, however, result in decreased resources being available for State programs. Such a decrease, in turn, could affect actions taken by the State to resolve budget difficulties, including increasing State taxes, decreasing spending on certain State programs or even suspending or otherwise circumventing Proposition 1A in order to appropriate local government revenues. See “State Indebtedness — Obligations In Connection with Proposition 1A” above.

Future Initiatives. Article XIIIB, Article XIIIC, Article XIIID, Proposition 62, Proposition 98 and Proposition 1A were each adopted as measures that qualified for the ballot pursuant to the State’s Constitutional initiative process. From time to time other initiative measures could be adopted, affecting the ability of the State to increase or apply revenues and to make or increase appropriations.

Litigation.

The State is continually a party to numerous legal proceedings, many of which could have an adverse effect on the State’s financial condition. Pending litigation currently includes, but is not limited to, cases involving issues related to taxes, environmental matters, health care, tribal gaming, transportation, education, and the State’s prison system, all of which, if decided adversely to California, could result in significant General Fund expenditures or otherwise affect the ability of the State to raise revenues.

Local Governments.

The primary units of local government in California are the 58 counties (the Counties), which range in population from approximately 1,100 in Alpine County to approximately 10 million in Los Angeles County. Counties are responsible for providing many basic services within the State, including indigent health care, welfare, jails and public safety in unincorporated areas. There are also 480 incorporated cities in California and thousands of special districts formed for education, utilities and other services. Local government revenues have been constrained since Proposition 13, which added Article XIIIA to the State Constitution, was approved by California voters in 1978. Proposition 13 reduced and limited the future growth of property taxes and limited the ability of local governments to impose “special taxes” (i.e., taxes devoted to a specific purpose) without two-thirds voter approval. Proposition 218, which enacted additional Constitutional amendments in 1996, further limited the ability of local governments to raise taxes, fees and other exactions. See “Constitutional Provisions Affecting Revenues and Appropriations — Article XIIIA” and — “Article XIIIC and Article XIIID” above.

 

C-17


Table of Contents

Counties, in particular, have had fewer options to raise revenues than many other local government entities, while they have been required to maintain many services. In the aftermath of the approval of Proposition 13, the State provided aid to local governments from the General Fund to make up some of the loss of property tax moneys, including assuming principal responsibility for funding K-12 schools and community colleges. During the recession of the early 1990s, the California Legislature reduced the post-Proposition 13 aid to local government entities, other than K-12 schools and community colleges, by requiring cities and counties to transfer some of their property tax revenues to school districts. However, the California Legislature also provided additional funding sources, such as sales taxes, and reduced certain mandates for local services funded by cities and counties.

The 2004 Budget Act, related legislation and the enactment of Proposition 1A in 2004 dramatically changed the state-local fiscal relationship. These constitutional and statutory changes implemented an agreement negotiated between the Governor and local government officials (the state-local agreement) in connection with the 2004 Budget Act. One change related to the reduction of the vehicle license fee (VLF) rate from 2% to 0.65% of the market value of the applicable vehicle. In order to protect local governments, which had previously received all VLF revenues, the 1.35% reduction in VLF revenue to cities and counties from this rate change was offset by an increase in the amount of property tax revenues received by the cities and counties. This worked to the benefit of local governments, because the offset amounts increased annually in proportion to the growth in secured real property tax revenues, which had historically grown at a higher rate than VLF revenues. This arrangement continues without change in the 2009 Budget Act.

Pursuant to statutory changes made in conjunction with the 2009 Budget Act, the VLF rate increased from 0.65% to 1.15% effective May 19, 2009. Of this 0.50% increase, 0.35% flows to the General Fund and 0.15% supports various law enforcement programs previously funded by the General Fund. This increased VLF rate will be effective through the 2010-11 fiscal year. See also “State Indebtedness — Obligations In Connection with Proposition 1A” and “Constitutional Provisions Affecting Revenues and Appropriations — Proposition 1A.”

Economic, Political, Social and Environmental Conditions.

Changes in economic, political, social or environmental conditions on a local, State, federal and/or international level may adversely affect California’s financial condition, as well as investment risk generally. Such conditional changes may include (but are not limited to) fluctuations in business production, consumer prices or financial markets, unemployment rates, technological advancements, shortages or surpluses in natural resources or energy supplies, changes in law, social unrest, fluctuations in the crime rate, political conflict, acts of war or terrorism, environmental damage and natural disasters.

Connecticut

The following information relates specifically to the Columbia Connecticut International Municipal Bond Fund and the Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund (either, the “Fund”). This summary does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all relevant facts for the Fund. Although the Fund has no reason to believe that the information summarized below is not correct in all material respects, such information has not been independently verified for accuracy or thoroughness. Rather, this information has been obtained from official statements, prospectuses and other disclosure provided in connection with various securities offerings of the State of Connecticut (“Connecticut” or the “State”) and local agencies in Connecticut available as of the date of this Statement of Additional Information. The Fund assumes that all such material was prepared and published in a manner consistent with current standards of disclosure. Further, estimates and projections contained in the following information should not be construed as statements of fact. They are based on assumptions that may be affected by numerous factors and there can be no assurance that such estimates and projections will be realized or achieved.

 

C-18


Table of Contents

The Fund is more susceptible to factors adversely affecting issuers of Connecticut municipal securities than comparable municipal bond funds that do not focus on investments in Connecticut issuers.

Introduction. The State, together with the nation as a whole, is facing economic and fiscal challenges brought on by the current recession. These challenges for the State include fiscal year deficits and falling employment, among other issues. The State Office of Policy and Management monitors such matters and generally issues a report periodically estimating the current fiscal year deficit. The State Comptroller issues a similar report periodically. From time to time the legislature’s Office of Fiscal Analysis also issues reports covering these matters. The most current such information is described below under “State General Fund,” which should be considered together with the other information set forth herein.

The State’s current and projected fiscal and economic condition, as described herein, is subject to change based on a number of factors. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (a) developments with respect to the national economy as a whole, (b) developments with respect to the financial services sector of the economy, (c) developments in the world economy, and in particular commodity prices such as oil, (d) federal fiscal and economic policies, including fiscal stimulus efforts in general and the effect of such stimulus efforts in the State and the amount of federal aid to the State, (e) the extent to which the federal stimulus legislation, and in particular The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the “ARRA”), as enacted and implemented, provides less federal aid to the State than was anticipated in the adopted biennial budget, and the resulting need to implement other revenue enhancements or expenditure reductions, and (f) the effect of the State’s constitutional balanced budget requirement and spending cap provisions on the adoption of the biennial budget and the effect spending constraints might have on the State’s economy. Such factors are continually changing, and no assurances can be given with respect to how such factors or other factors will materialize in the future or what effect they will have on the State’s fiscal and economic condition.

Connecticut’s economic performance is measured by personal income, which has been among the highest in the nation, and gross state product (the market value of all final goods and services produced by labor and property located within the State), which demonstrated slower growth in the early 2000s, but expanded at a healthy pace in 2004, surpassing the New England and national growth rates. Since then, Connecticut’s annual growth in gross state product has performed better than the New England region, but mostly slower than the nation. Employment had gained approximately 66,800 jobs by late 2007 since it bottomed out in July of 2003, but in 2008 Connecticut lost jobs.

After enjoying an extraordinary boom during the late 1990s, Connecticut, as well as the rest of the northeast and the nation, experienced an economic slowdown during the recession of the early 2000s. The unemployment rate in the State reached its low of 2.3% in 2000, compared to New England’s average of 2.8% and the national average of 4.0%. After climbing to a high of 5.5% in 2003, Connecticut’s unemployment rate declined to 4.4% for 2006. The current recession brought the unemployment rate up to 5.1% for the first six months of 2008, compared to the New England average of 4.8% and the national average of 5.1% for the same period.

General Fund. The State finances most of its operations through its General Fund. However, certain State functions, such as the State’s transportation budget, are financed through other State funds. General Fund revenues are derived primarily from the collection of State taxes, including the personal income tax, the sales and use tax and the corporation business tax. Miscellaneous fees, receipts, transfers and unrestricted federal grants account for most of the other General Fund revenue. The State, as of the forecast date, expected to derive approximately 76 percent and 72 percent, respectively, of its General Fund revenues from taxes during the 2007-08 fiscal year and the 2008-09 fiscal year.

Budget for Fiscal Years 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. Although the General Assembly did not pass the biennial budget for fiscal years 2007-08 and 2008-09 prior to its adjournment date of June 6, 2007, in a subsequent special session, the General Assembly passed, and the Governor signed into law on June 26, 2007, the biennial budget for fiscal years 2007-08 and 2008-09. The budget for fiscal year 2007-08 included General Fund revenues of $16,315.6 million and net appropriations of $16,314.9 million, resulting in a projected surplus

 

C-19


Table of Contents

of $0.7 million The budget for fiscal year 2008-09 included General Fund revenues of $17,073.1 million and net appropriations of $17,072.3 million, resulting in a projected surplus of $0.8 million. Pursuant to Public Act No. 07-1 of the September Special Session of the General Assembly, the General Assembly made an additional appropriation of $0.7 million for clean contracting standards, thereby reducing the projected General Fund surplus for the 2008-09 fiscal year to $0.1 million.

The General Assembly also included in the biennial budget (i) the appropriation of $613.7 million of the anticipated fiscal year 2006-07 General Fund surplus funds to pay for various spending items, including $300 million to fund a portion of the State’s contribution to the Teachers’ Retirement Fund and $85 million for debt retirement, (ii) a reduction of lapses in the amount of $96.6 million and (iii) a transfer of $80 million of the anticipated fiscal year 2006-07 General Fund surplus to the budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, resulting in a net reduction in the anticipated 2006-07 surplus of $790.3 million. According to estimates of the Office of Fiscal Analysis, approximately $471.9 million of the appropriations were for one-time purposes and approximately $318.4 million of the appropriations were for on-going purposes.

The budget was $690.4 million above the expenditure cap in fiscal year 2007-08 and $28.2 million below the expenditure cap in fiscal year 2008-09. In accordance with the provisions of Article XXVIII of the Amendments to the Constitution, the Governor issued a declaration to exceed the State’s expenditure cap in fiscal year 2007-08. This declaration was ratified by a three-fifths vote of each house of the General Assembly.

Fiscal Year 2007-2008 Operations. Pursuant to the Comptroller’s financial statements provided on December 31, 2008, as of June 30, 2008, General Fund revenues were $16,418.8 million, General Fund expenditures and net miscellaneous adjustments were $16,319.4 million and the General Fund balance for the 2007-08 fiscal year was a surplus of $99.4 million The entire surplus was reserved for fiscal year 2008-09 spending.

Governor’s Proposed Midterm Budget Adjustments. Per Section 4-71 of the Connecticut General Statutes, the Governor is required to submit a status report to the General Assembly on the biennial budget enacted in the previous year. The status report must include any recommendations for adjustments and revisions to the enacted budget.

On February 6, 2008 the Governor submitted to the General Assembly a status report including detailed projections of expenditures and revenues and proposed Midterm Budget Adjustments for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 fiscal years. The General Assembly convened on February 6, 2008 to consider the Governor’s proposed Midterm Budget Adjustments and adjourned on May 7, 2008. The legislature did not make any midterm budget adjustments for the 2008-09 fiscal year in the legislative session which ended May 7, 2008. However, in subsequent special sessions, $79 million was appropriated for energy relief programs in fiscal year 2008-09 and the 2007-08 surplus of $83.4 million, plus the transfer of $16 million pursuant to Section 91 of Public Act No. 07-1 of the June Special Session, was transferred for use in fiscal year 2008-09. In addition, the scheduled increase on July 1, 2008 in the oil companies tax from 7.0% to 7.5% was eliminated.

Fiscal Year 2008-2009 Operations. Pursuant to Section 4-66 of the Connecticut General Statutes, the Office of Policy and Management provides estimates to the Comptroller by the twentieth day of each month of revenues and expenditures for the current fiscal year for use by the Comptroller in preparing the Comptroller’s monthly report. In the monthly estimates provided by the Office of Policy and Management on August 20, 2008 (as of the period ending July 31, 2008), September 22, 2008 (as of the period ending August 31, 2008), October 20, 2008 (as of the period ending September 30, 2008), November 20, 2008 (as of the period ending October 31, 2008) and December 20, 2008 (as of the period ending November 30, 2008), each for the General Fund for the 2008-09 fiscal year, the General Fund was estimated to have a deficit of $145.7 million, $302.4 million, $107.9 million, $356.3 million and $193.0 million, respectively. In the monthly estimate provided by the Office of Policy and Management on January 20, 2009 for the General Fund for the 2008-09 fiscal year, as of the period ending December 31, 2008, General Fund revenues were estimated at $16,098.0 million, General Fund expenditures and

 

C-20


Table of Contents

miscellaneous adjustments were estimated at $17,019.7 million and the General Fund was estimated to have a deficit of $921.7 million These revenue estimates include an estimated $40 million from tax amnesty program and $12 million from the escheat of unclaimed bottler deposits and transfers totaling $71.2 million from various funds to the General Fund per Public Act No. 08-1 of the November 24, Special Session and Public Act No. 09-1. The expenditure estimates included three allotment rescissions in 2008 totaling $157 million and two mitigation plans totaling $69.8 million per Public Act No. 08-1 of the November 24, 2008 Special Session and Public Act No. 09-1. The revenue estimates as of December 31, 2008 did not take into account any economic effect as a result of the changes in the financial and credit markets occurring after December 31, 2008 or during the remainder of the fiscal year. No assurances can be given that future report estimates will match the Office of Policy and Management’s prior estimates.

By statute, the State’s fiscal position is reported monthly by the Comptroller. In her monthly reports dated September 2, 2008, October 1, 2008 and November 3, 2008, the Comptroller generally agreed with the Office of Policy and Management’s projections as of the periods ending July 31, 2008, August 31, 2008 and September 30, 2008, respectively. In her monthly report dated December 1, 2008, the Comptroller’s estimate of the General Fund deficit for the 2008-09 fiscal year was $50 million higher than the Office of Policy and Management’s projection for the same period. In her monthly report dated January 2, 2009, the Comptroller’s estimate of the General Fund deficit for the 2008-09 fiscal year was $150 million higher than the Office of Policy and Management’s projections for the same period. In her monthly report dated February 2, 2009 for the period ending December 31, 2008, the Comptroller’s estimate of the General Fund deficit for the 2008-09 fiscal year was $1.1 billion, which amount was $172.9 million higher than the estimate of the Office of Policy and Management.

Pursuant to Section 4-85 of the Connecticut General Statutes, whenever the cumulative monthly financial statement issued by the Comptroller indicates a projected General Fund deficit greater than one percent of the total General Fund appropriations, the Governor is required within thirty days to file a report with the joint standing committees of the General Assembly on appropriations and on finance, revenue and bonding. The report must include a plan which the Governor must implement to modify agency allotments to the extent necessary to prevent a deficit. Should such plan result in a reduction of more than five percent of total appropriations, approval of the General Assembly would be required. Since July 2008, the Governor has exercised her authority under Section 4-85 of the Connecticut General Statutes in rescinding allotments totaling $157 million in General Fund expenditures. In addition, the Governor has proposed two deficit mitigation packages to address the then projected deficits that exceeded her allotment rescission authority. Public Act No. 08-1 of the November 24, 2008 Special Session and Public Act No. 09-1 were enacted by the General Assembly and resulted in an estimated $193.6 million in deficit mitigation. Even with these changes, on January 20, 2009, the Office of Policy and Management projected a $921.7 million deficit in the General Fund for the 2008-09 fiscal year.

The above projections are only estimates and the information in the monthly letters of the Office of Policy and Management to the Comptroller and in the Comptroller’s monthly reports contain only estimates and no assurances can be given that future events will materialize as estimated or that subsequent estimates, adjustments or audit or actions of the General Assembly will not indicate changes in the final result of the fiscal year 2008-09 operations of the General Fund.

Pursuant to the Comptroller’s unaudited preliminary financial results dated September 1, 2009, the Comptroller estimated the General Fund revenues for the 2008-09 fiscal year were $15,700.8 million, General Fund expenditures and miscellaneous adjustments were $16,626.7 million and the General Fund balance for the 2008-09 fiscal year was estimated to have a deficit of $925.9 million. The Comptroller indicated in her letter that under House Bill No. 6802, the General Assembly approved additional carry forward authority which is accounted for as part of the 2008-09 fiscal year deficit and therefore increases the deficit. Accordingly, the 2008-09 fiscal year deficit would increase to $947.6 million upon the act becoming law. House Bill No. 6802 became law after the date of the Comptroller’s September 1, 2009 results. Pursuant to Public Act No. 09-2 of the June Special Session, for the purpose of funding the deficit in the General Fund for the 2008-09 fiscal year, the

 

C-21


Table of Contents

Treasurer is authorized to issue notes of the State in an amount not to exceed the amount of such deficit and in such additional amounts as the Treasurer shall determine to pay the costs of issuance of any such notes and interest payable or accrued on such notes through June 30, 2011.

The above projections are only estimates and the information in the Comptroller’s report contains only estimates and no assurances can be given that future events will materialize as estimated or that subsequent estimates, adjustments or audit or actions of the General Assembly will not indicate changes in the final result of the fiscal year 2008-09 operations of the General Fund.

Budget for Fiscal Years 2009-2010 and 2010-2011. On June 3, 2009, the General Assembly adjourned its regular 2009 session without adopting a fiscal 2009-2011 biennial budget. Prior to adjournment, the General Assembly passed resolutions calling for a special session to take up matters related to adoption of a budget. The special session was immediately convened at the conclusion of the regular session. During the special session, the General Assembly passed a General Fund budget for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 fiscal years which was subsequently vetoed by the Governor.

The State continued to run its operations pursuant to executive orders issued by the Governor. Authorization to pay debt service on the State’s general obligation bonds remained unaffected. The executive orders directed all department heads and executive branch employees to limit purchases of goods and services and directed all department heads to utilize personnel and other resources in an effective and efficient manner, giving priority to programs that provide direct care services, administer justice and protect the public health and safety. The executive orders covered the months of July, August and the portion of September until the approval of an appropriation act for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2009.

In a special session, the General Assembly passed the biennial budget for fiscal years 2009-10 and 2010-11 which subsequently became law on September 8, 2009. The enacted budget, Public Act No. 09-3 of June 2009 Special Session, for fiscal year 2009-10 included General Fund revenues of $17,375.4 million and net appropriations of $17,374.6 million, resulting in a projected surplus of $0.8 million. The budget for fiscal year 2010-11 included General Fund revenues of $17,591.9 million and net appropriations of $17,591.0 million, resulting in a projected surplus of $0.9 million.

The enacted biennial budget raises net revenues from three major resources: 1) grants from the ARRA, 2) transfers from other State funds to the State’s General Fund and securitizations, and 3) net increases in taxes and miscellaneous fees. Federal grants from the ARRA for human services, education, and other economic related stimulus programs total $878.9 million in fiscal year 2009-10 and $594.8 million in fiscal year 2010-11. Major revenues from transfers of other State funds to the State’s General Fund and securitizations include (i) transferring Budget Reserve Funds of $1,039.7 million in fiscal year 2009-10 and $342.0 million in fiscal year 2010-11, and (ii) securitizing $1,290.7 million in fiscal year 2010-11 as amended by Public Act No. 09-7 of the September 2009 Special Session. The significant tax changes include: (i) an increase in the highest income tax rate to 6.5% from 5% for those with taxable incomes over $1 million for joint filers, $800,000 for heads of households, and $500,000 for single filers and married people filing separately, raising approximately $594.0 million in fiscal year 2009-10 and $400.0 million in fiscal year 2010-11; (ii) an imposition of a 10% corporation tax surcharge for the 2009, 2010, and 2011 income years on companies that have (1) $100 million or more in annual gross income in those years and (2) tax liability that exceeds the $250 minimum, raising approximately $74.1 million in fiscal year 2009-10 and $41.1 million in fiscal year 2010-11; (iii) an increase in the cigarette tax rate from $2.00 per pack to $3.00 per pack, raising approximately $94.9 million in fiscal year 2009-10 and $112.4 million in fiscal year 2010-11; (iv) changes in various fees, raising approximately a net total of $108.5 million in fiscal year 2009-10 and $105.9 million in fiscal year 2010-11, and (v) cuts in taxes, including (1) a reduction in the sales and use tax rate to 5.5% from 6%, and (2) a reduction in the estate and gift tax. The reduction of the sales and use tax rate effective January 1, 2010 is expected to result in a revenue loss of approximately $129.5 million in fiscal year 2009-10 and $268.0 million in fiscal year 2010-11. However, if any

 

C-22


Table of Contents

cumulative monthly financial statement issued by the Comptroller before January 1, 2010 indicated that the estimated gross tax revenue to the General Fund to the end of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010 was at least 1% less than the adopted gross tax revenue to the General Fund for fiscal year 2009-10, the tax rate will remain at 6%. If any cumulative monthly financial statement issued after January 1, 2010, and on or before June 30, 2010, indicates that the estimated gross tax revenue to the General Fund to the end of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010 is at least 1% less than the adopted gross tax revenue to the General Fund, the tax rate will remain at 6%. On the estate and gift taxes, the enacted law will (i) increase the threshold for the value of an estate or gift subject to the estate and gift taxes from $2 million to $3.5 million; (ii) reduce the marginal tax rates by 25%; and (iii) eliminate the tax cliff. These three measures were estimated to reduce revenues by approximately $5.9 million in fiscal year 2009-10 and $70.3 million in fiscal year 2010-11.

The significant changes in appropriations are from State employee personal services reductions, entitlement programs savings, and education grants reductions. Personal services reductions from concessions with a coalition of employee collective bargaining units including wage freezes and a Retirement Incentive Plan are expected to save approximately $191.0 million in fiscal year 2009-10 and $193.7 million in fiscal year 2010-11. Savings from entitlement programs include (i) eliminating nursing home rate increases in reimbursement levels under Medicaid, saving approximately $113.2 million in fiscal year 2009-10 and $162.2 million in fiscal year 2010-11, (ii) reducing managed care organization capitation rates by 6% under both HUSKY A and HUSKY B, saving approximately $50.1 million in fiscal year 2009-10 and $51.8 million in fiscal year 2010-11, and (iii) managing services for aged, blind and disabled individuals who are currently receiving care under the Medicaid fee-for-service program, saving approximately $27.8 million in fiscal year 2009-10 and $80.0 million in fiscal year 2010-11. Education reductions include cuts of grants to (i) the Excess Cost program that reimburses funds to towns, saving approximately $13.4 million each for both fiscal years 2009-10 and 2010-11, (ii) the Priority School District program that assists the neediest communities and funds the School Readiness program, reducing $6.9 million each for both fiscal years 2009-10 and 2010-11, and (iii) the Reading Success program designed to improve kindergarten through grade three reading, saving the State $2.4 million each for both fiscal years 2009-10 and 2010-11.

In addition, the budget for fiscal year 2010-11 requires the Treasurer and the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management to jointly develop a financing plan that will result in net proceeds of up to $1,290.7 million to be used as general revenues of the State during such fiscal year, which may include securitizations as discussed above. The budget also requires the Treasurer and the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management to jointly develop a plan to sell assets of the State that will result in net proceeds of up to $15 million to be used as general revenues of the State during the 2009-10 fiscal year and $45 million to be used as general revenues of the State during the 2010-11 fiscal year. In addition, the budget for fiscal year 2009-10 requires a reduction of $473.3 million in expenses from budgeted amounts. The budget for fiscal year 2010-11 requires a reduction of $515.2 million of expenses from budgeted amounts.

The budget was $852.4 million below the expenditure cap in fiscal year 2009-10 and $587.0 million below the expenditure cap in fiscal year 2010-11.

Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Operations. Pursuant to Section 4-66 of the Connecticut General Statutes, the Office of Policy and Management provides estimates to the Comptroller by the twentieth day of each month of revenues and expenditures for the current fiscal year for use by the Comptroller in preparing the Comptroller’s monthly report. In the monthly estimates provided by the Office of Policy and Management on October 20, 2009 for the General Fund for the 2009-10 fiscal year, as of the period ending September 30, 2009, General Fund revenues were estimated at $17,203.3 million, General Fund expenditures and miscellaneous adjustments were estimated at $17,591.8 million and the General Fund was estimated to have a deficit of $388.5 million. No assurances can be given that future report estimates will match the Office of Policy and Management’s prior estimates.

By statute, the State’s fiscal position is reported monthly by the Comptroller. In her monthly report dated October 1, 2009 for the period ending August 31, 2009, the Comptroller indicated that although many of the

 

C-23


Table of Contents

revenue enhancements associated with the budget had not yet appeared within the revenue collection figures, the first quarter revenue trends raised concerns. She indicated that if the first quarter trends continued unabated, even after fully incorporating the projected revenue gains enacted as part of the budget, the revenue shortfall in the General Fund for the 2009-10 fiscal year would exceed $500 million. She further indicated that because it was early in the fiscal year, there was sufficient time for a reversal in the trend to mitigate the shortfall. The Comptroller did not address any increased expenditures, which the Office of Policy and Management projected to be an additional $212.5 million in its October 20, 2009 report.

In the Comptroller’s monthly report dated November 1, 2009, the Comptroller estimated a General Fund deficit for the 2009-10 fiscal year of $624 million as of the period ending September 30, 2009. No assurances can be given that future report estimates will match the Office of Policy and Management’s estimates or the Comptroller’s prior estimates.

The Governor may generally reduce budget allotment requests within certain prescribed limits and has done so for the current fiscal year. Additionally, as described above, pursuant to Section 4-85 of the Connecticut General Statutes, whenever the cumulative monthly financial statement issued by the Comptroller indicates a projected General Fund deficit greater than one percent of the total General Fund appropriations, the Governor is required within thirty days to file a report with the joint standing committees of the General Assembly on appropriations and on finance, revenue and bonding. The report must include a plan which the Governor must implement to modify agency allotments to the extent necessary to prevent a deficit. The Governor is required to file such report as a result of the deficit projection included in the Comptroller’s November 1, 2009 report.

The above projections are only estimates and the information in the monthly letters of the Office of Policy and Management to the Comptroller and in the Comptroller’s monthly reports contain only estimates and no assurances can be given that future events will materialize as estimated or that subsequent estimates, adjustments or audit or actions of the General Assembly will not indicate changes in the final result of the fiscal year 2009-10 operations of the General Fund.

STATE DEBT

Types of State Debt. Pursuant to various public and special acts the State has authorized a variety of types of debt. These types fall generally into the following categories: direct general obligation debt, which is payable from the State’s General Fund; special tax obligation debt, which is payable from specified taxes and other funds which are maintained outside the State’s General Fund; and special obligation and revenue debt, which is payable from specified revenues or other funds which are maintained outside the State’s General Fund. In addition, the State has a number of programs under which the State provides annual appropriation support for, or is contingently liable on, the debt of certain State quasi-public agencies and political subdivisions.

State Direct General Obligation Debt. Statutory Authorization and Security Provisions. In general, the State issues general obligation bonds pursuant to specific statutory bond acts and Section 3-20 of the General Statutes, the State general obligation bond procedure act. That act provides that such bonds shall be general obligations of the State and that the full faith and credit of the State of Connecticut are pledged for the payment of the principal of and interest on such bonds as the same become due. Such act further provides that, as a part of the contract of the State with the owners of such bonds, appropriation of all amounts necessary for the punctual payment of such principal and interest will be made, and the Treasurer will pay such principal and interest as the same become due.

There are no State constitutional provisions precluding the exercise of State power by statute to impose any taxes, including taxes on taxable property in the State or on income, in order to pay debt service on bonded debt now or hereafter incurred. The constitutional limit on increases in General Fund expenditures for any fiscal year does not include expenditures for the payment of bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness. There are also no constitutional or statutory provisions requiring or precluding the enactment of liens on or pledges of State General Fund revenues or taxes, or the establishment of priorities for payment of debt service on the State’s

 

C-24


Table of Contents

general obligation bonds. There are no express statutory provisions establishing any priorities in favor of general obligation bondholders over other valid claims against the State.

Statutory Debt Limit. Section 3-21 of the General Statutes provides that no bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness for borrowed money payable from General Fund tax receipts of the State may be authorized by the General Assembly or issued unless they do not cause the aggregate amount of (1) the total amount of bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness payable from General Fund tax receipts authorized by the General Assembly but which have not been issued and (2) the total amount of such indebtedness which has been issued and remains outstanding, to exceed 1.6 times the total estimated General Fund tax receipts of the State for the fiscal year in which any such authorization will become effective or in which such indebtedness is issued, as estimated for such fiscal year by the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of finance, revenue and bonding. However, in computing the aggregate amount of indebtedness at any time, revenue anticipation notes having a maturity of one year or less, refunded indebtedness, bond anticipation notes, borrowings payable solely from the revenues of a particular project, the balances of debt retirement funds associated with indebtedness subject to the debt limit as certified by the Treasurer, the amount of federal grants certified by the Secretary of OPM as receivable to meet the principal of certain indebtedness, all authorized and issued indebtedness to fund any budget deficits of the State for any fiscal year ending on or before June 30, 1991 and for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2002 and June 30, 2003, all authorized debt to fund the Connecticut Development Authority’s tax increment bond program, any indebtedness represented by agreements entered into pursuant to certain provisions of the General Statutes, provided the indebtedness in connection with which such agreements were entered into shall be included in such aggregate amount of indebtedness, any indebtedness issued for the purpose of meeting cash flow needs, and any indebtedness issued for the purpose of covering emergency needs in times of natural disaster are excluded or deducted. For purposes of the debt limit statute, all bonds and notes issued or guaranteed by the State and payable from General Fund tax receipts are counted against the limit, except for the exclusions or deductions described above. In addition, the amount of authorized but unissued debt for the UConn 2000 program is limited to the amount permitted to be issued under the cap.

Under the General Statutes, the Treasurer is required to compute the aggregate amount of indebtedness as of January 1 and July 1 each year and to certify the results of such computation to the Governor and the General Assembly. If the aggregate amount of indebtedness reaches 90% of the statutory debt limit, the Governor must review each bond act for which no bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness have been issued, and recommend to the General Assembly priorities for repealing authorizations for remaining projects.

Certain Short-Term Borrowings. The General Statutes authorize the Treasurer, subject to the approval of the Governor, to borrow such funds, from time to time, as may be necessary, and to issue obligations of the State therefor, which must be redeemed by the Treasurer whenever, in the opinion of the Treasurer, there are funds in the treasury available for such purpose. The State has established programs of temporary note issuances from time to time to cover periodic cash flow requirements. On June 18, 2009, pursuant to the Treasurer’s request and the Governor’s approval to borrow funds on a temporary basis from time to time on behalf of the State, the Treasurer arranged with a group of banks a 364-day revolving credit facility in the amount of $580 million.

OTHER FUNDS, DEBT AND LIABILITIES

The State conducts certain of its operations through State funds other than the State General Fund and, pursuant to legislation, may issue debt secured by the special taxes or revenues pledged to certain of such funds. In addition, the State is contingently liable or has limited liability, from the resources of the State’s General Fund, for payment of debt service on certain obligations of quasi-public State agencies and municipalities of the State. The State has also made commitments to municipalities to make future grant payments for school construction projects, payable over a period of years. In addition, the State has committed to apply moneys for debt service on loans to finance child care facilities and has certain other contingent liabilities for future payments.

 

C-25


Table of Contents

Transportation Fund and Debt. In 1984 the State adopted legislation establishing a transportation infrastructure program and authorizing special tax obligation (“STO”) bonds to finance the program. The infrastructure program is a continuous program for planning, construction and improvement of State highways and bridges, projects on the interstate highway system, alternate highway projects in the interstate highway substitution program, waterway facilities, mass transportation and transit facilities, aeronautic facilities (excluding Bradley International Airport), the highway safety program, maintenance garages and administrative facilities of the Department of Transportation, payment of the State’s share of the costs of the local bridge program established under the act, and payment of State contributions to the local bridge revolving fund established under the act. The infrastructure program is administered by the Department of Transportation.

The cost of the infrastructure program for State fiscal years 1985-2012, which will be met from federal, State and local funds, is currently estimated at $23.5 billion. The State’s share of such cost, estimated at $9.5 billion, is to be funded from transportation related taxes, fees and revenues deposited in the Special Transportation Fund, as described below, and from the proceeds of STO bonds. The portion of State program costs not financed by STO bonds is estimated at $0.6 billion and includes the expenses of the infrastructure program that either are not sufficiently large or do not have a sufficiently long life expectancy to justify the issuance of long-term bonds. Such expenses currently include liquid resurfacing, minor bridge repairs, highway maintenance activities, safety improvements and other minor transportation improvements.

The State’s share of the cost of the Infrastructure Program for State fiscal years 1985-2012 to be financed by STO bonds currently is estimated at $8.9 billion. The actual amount may exceed $8.9 billion to finance reserves and cost of issuance amounts. The issuance of such STO bonds has eliminated the need for the authorization of additional general obligation bonds of the State for surface transportation purposes. STO bonds may also be issued for the purpose of refunding general obligation bonds of the State issued for transportation infrastructure purposes.

During fiscal years 1985-2007, $18.3 billion of the total infrastructure program was approved by the appropriate governmental authorities. The remaining $5.2 billion is required for fiscal years 2008-2012. The $5.2 billion of such infrastructure costs is anticipated to be funded with proceeds of $1.8 billion from the anticipated issuance of new STO bonds, $63 million in anticipated revenues, and $3.3 billion in anticipated federal funds.

The State has established the Special Transportation Fund for the purpose of budgeting and accounting for all transportation related taxes, fees and revenues credited to such Fund and securing the STO bonds. STO bonds are payable solely from revenues of the Special Transportation Fund. The aggregate of certain motor fuel taxes, motor vehicle receipts, motor vehicle related licenses, permits and fees, and portions of the oil companies tax and sales tax on motor vehicles and other transportation related revenue sources, including enacted adjustments to all the foregoing sources, are intended to cover the cost of the State’s share of the infrastructure program, including debt service requirements. After providing for debt service requirements, the balance of the receipts from such revenue sources may be applied to the payment of general obligation bonds of the State issued for transportation purposes and for the payment of annually budgeted expenses of the Department of Transportation and the Department of Motor Vehicles.

It is anticipated that additional STO bonds will be authorized by the General Assembly annually in an amount necessary to finance and to complete the infrastructure program. Such additional bonds may be issued on an equal rank with the outstanding bonds provided certain pledged revenue coverage requirements of the STO indentures controlling the issuance of such bonds are met. The State expects to continue to offer bonds for this program.

In addition to STO Bonds, the State has issued direct general obligation bonds for transportation purposes and the debt service on these bonds may be paid from resources of the Special Transportation Fund provided there is sufficient funding first to pay all STO debt service. For the year ended June 30, 2008 the Special Transportation Fund paid $3.1 million of State direct general obligation transportation debt service payments.

 

C-26


Table of Contents

The amount budgeted by the Special Transportation Fund for State direct general obligation transportation debt service payments for fiscal year 2008-09 was $2.0 million

During the past several years the Fund’s revenues and expenses have undergone a variety of legislative changes. In 2003 legislation provided for a one-time transfer of $52 million from the Fund to the State’s General Fund. In 2004 legislation increased the tax on gasohol and raised various motor vehicle fees resulting in an $18.6 million benefit to the Fund. In 2005 legislation increased the scheduled transfers to the Fund from the State’s General Fund from Oil Companies Tax revenue by $22.5 million in fiscal year 2006, $30 million in fiscal year 2007, $53 million in fiscal year 2008, $79.9 million in each of fiscal years 2009-2013, and $98 million thereafter. In 2006, legislation again increased the scheduled transfers to the Fund from the State’s General Fund from Oil Companies Tax revenue by $80 million in each of fiscal years 2007-2010 and by $100 million in fiscal year 2011 and thereafter. In July 2007 legislation increased the motor fuels tax on each gallon of diesel fuel from $0.26 to $0.37 and correspondingly exempted diesel fuel from the petroleum products gross earnings tax.

A fifteen member Transportation Strategy Board (“TSB”) was established in 2001 to propose a transportation strategy, an implementation cost estimate and funding approaches to the Governor and General Assembly. The TSB’s strategic goals are: 1) improve personal mobility within and through Connecticut; 2) improve the movement of goods and freight within and through Connecticut; 3) integrate transportation with economic, land use, environmental and quality of life issues; 4) develop policies and procedures that will integrate the state economy with regional, national and global economies; and 5) identify policies and sources that provide an adequate and reliable flow of funding necessary for a quality multi-modal transportation system. The TSB presented the initial transportation strategy to the Governor and General Assembly on January 6, 2003. In January 2007, as required in Public Act No. 06-136, the TSB again presented “Connecticut’s Transportation Strategy” to the Governor and General Assembly.

In order to implement the strategy-related projects submitted by TSB, legislation was passed in 2005 that established fixed transfers from the Special Transportation Fund to the TSB project accounts in the amounts of $25.3 million in fiscal year 2005-06, $20.3 million in fiscal year 2006-07, $15.3 million in each of fiscal years 2007-08 through 2014-15 and $0.3 million in fiscal year 2015-16 and thereafter. In September 2007 legislation authorized the transfer of $5.5 million on deposit in the Special Transportation Fund to the TSB’s project account for various transportation related studies.

Public Acts in 2005 and 2006 authorized the issuance of more than $2.1 billion of special tax obligation bonds for the ten-year period from 2005 to 2014 for transportation system improvements, many of which are TSB-recommended projects. As of February 1, 2009 $2.0 billion of the borrowing authorized is effective with the remaining $100 million becoming effective in fiscal year 2009-10. Legislation passed in 2006 also authorized the issuance of $1.3 billion in bonds in anticipation of future federal transportation funds. Pursuant to Public Act No. 09-2 of the September 2009 Special Session, the General Assembly has authorized special tax obligation bonds of $579.2 million in fiscal year 2009-10 and $265.4 million in fiscal year 2010-11. In November 2009, the State issued $195,970,000 Special Tax Obligation Bonds Transportation Infrastructure Purposes, 2009 Series A, $304,030,000 Special Tax Obligation Bonds Transportation Infrastructure Purposes, 2009 Series B (Taxable Build America Bonds - Direct Pay), and $49,775,000 Special Tax Obligation Refunding Bonds Transportation Infrastructure Purposes, 2009 Series C.

Other Special Revenue Funds and Debt

Bradley Airport. Bradley International Airport, located in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, is owned by the State and operated by the Bureau of Aviation and Ports in the State’s Department of Transportation. The General Assembly has authorized the issuance of revenue bonds for improvements at Bradley International Airport, payable from all or a portion of the revenues generated at the airport. Legislation passed in 2001 removed a $294 million bond issuance cap for Bradley Airport but retained the requirement for State Bond Commission approval of any new bond issue. As of February 1, 2009, there were $198.9 million of Bradley International Airport Revenue Bonds outstanding.

 

C-27


Table of Contents

The 2001 legislation also established a board of directors to oversee the operation and development of Bradley Airport. The seven-member board includes five appointed members and the Commissioners of Transportation and Economic and Community Development. The Bradley board is charged with a wide range of duties and responsibilities, including developing an organizational and management structure, approving the annual capital and operating budget, master plan, and community relations policies of the airport, and ensuring customer service standards and performance assessments.

Additional special obligation bonds to finance self-sustaining special facilities at Bradley International Airport payable solely from the revenues derived from such special facilities were authorized in 1993. In March 2000 the State issued $53.8 million of Bradley International Airport Special Obligation Parking Revenue Bonds to finance the construction of a five story parking garage facility at the airport and, as of February 1, 2009, $44.7 million of such bonds were outstanding.

The board of directors of Bradley Airport and the State Bond Commission approved a transaction authorizing the State Treasurer to refund Bradley International Airport General Airport Revenue Bonds, Series 2001A (AMT) for expected delivery in 2011 or thereafter and to enter into a forward starting interest rate swap transaction for the purpose of locking in current market savings. Pursuant to such authorization the State entered into certain swap agreements in April 2006.

Clean Water Fund. The General Assembly has authorized the issue of up to $1,753.4 million of revenue bonds, of which $1,209.28 million have been issued, for the purpose of funding various State and federally mandated water pollution control and drinking water projects. The revenue bonds are payable solely from the revenues or other receipts, funds or moneys pledged therefor. The proceeds of the revenue bonds are loaned primarily to Connecticut municipalities to finance water pollution control and drinking water improvements, and the loan repayments by the municipalities secure the bonds. The loans are evidenced by interim funding obligations and project loan obligations of the municipalities, pursuant to which either the full faith and credit of each such municipality is pledged, or the revenues and other funds of a municipal sewer system are pledged. The General Assembly has authorized the issue of up to $1,833.4 million of revenue bonds, of which $1,408.7 million has been issued, for the purpose of funding various State and federally mandated water pollution control and drinking water projects. As of October 1, 2009 $853.9 million of revenue bonds were outstanding (including refunding bonds).

Unemployment Compensation. The State pays unemployment compensation benefits from the State’s Unemployment Compensation Fund, which is funded by unemployment compensation taxes collected from employers. In 1993, the State responded to a deficit in the Fund by, among other things, issuing three series of special obligation bonds totaling $1,020.7 million to repay certain federal borrowings and to fund certain reserves. All of these bonds were defeased in June 2001. To fund future shortfalls, the State has reserved the authority to issue bonds in an aggregate amount outstanding at any time not in excess of $1,000 million, plus amounts for certain reserves and costs of issuance. The State has not incurred any additional borrowing since 1993 other than borrowings from the Federal Unemployment Trust Fund for cash flow purposes, which have been repaid prior to September 30 in each case and which therefore have not been subject to federal interest charges.

Second Injury Fund. The Second Injury Fund is a State-run workers’ compensation insurance fund which pays lost wages and medical benefits to qualified injured workers. The State established the Second Injury Fund in 1945 to encourage the hiring of persons with pre-existing physical impairments, such as veterans, and to provide relief to employers when an injured worker, who already had a pre-existing injury or condition, was hurt on the job and the second injury was made worse by the existence of the first injury. In 1995 and 1996, the State enacted legislation to close the Second Injury Fund to future second injury claims. Those laws authorized the issuance of an amount not to exceed $750 million in revenue bonds and notes outstanding at any one time to provide funds for paying past claims. No bonds are currently outstanding. The State’s management objective is to pay additional claims and settlements from current income and, if necessary, short term borrowings.

 

C-28


Table of Contents

Rate Reduction Bonds. The General Assembly authorized the issuance of special obligation bonds to sustain funding of the conservation and load management and the renewable energy investment programs established under the general statutes. The State issued $205.3 million of Special Obligation Rate Reduction Bonds (2004 Series A) in June 2004. These bonds were defeased on June 5, 2008. The bonds were secured by certain revenues collected through a non-bypassable charge imposed upon each customer of the electric utilities within the State. Such revenues are property of the State and are pledged towards payment of debt service on the bonds and related costs, which pledge is a first priority lien on such revenues. The net proceeds of the bonds were deposited in the General Fund.

Contingent Liability Debt. The General Assembly has the power to impose limited or contingent liabilities upon the State in such a manner as it may deem appropriate and as may serve a public purpose. This power has been used to support the efforts of quasi-public agencies, municipalities and other authorities formed to carry out essential public and governmental functions by authorizing these entities to issue indebtedness backed, partially or fully, by General Fund resources of the State. Not all entities that are authorized to issue such indebtedness have done so, and the description below of the State’s limited or contingent liability is restricted only to specific indebtedness backed by the State.

Special Capital Reserve Funds. The primary vehicle through which the State has undertaken contingent or limited liability is the special capital reserve fund. A special capital reserve fund, if established, provides additional security for bonds issued by the entity authorized to establish such a reserve fund. Subject to exceptions in the legislation authorizing the establishment of a particular special capital reserve fund, monies held in and credited to a special capital reserve fund are intended to be used solely for the payment of the principal of bonds secured by such special capital reserve fund, the purchase of such bonds, the payment of interest on such bonds or the payment of any redemption premium required to be paid when such bonds are redeemed prior to maturity. The special capital reserve fund is frequently funded with bond proceeds to a specified amount (the minimum of which is often the maximum annual principal and interest payments due on the bonds). The State undertakes the obligation to restore a special capital reserve fund to its minimum level. The method for determining such required minimum capital reserve is set out in the legislation authorizing the special capital reserve fund. If the special capital reserve fund should fall below the required minimum capital reserve amount, an official of the authority or municipality which established the special capital reserve fund must certify to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management or the State Treasurer or both the amount necessary to restore such special capital reserve fund to the required minimum capital reserve amount. On or before December 1, annually, the amount specified in the certificate is deemed to be appropriated from the State’s General Fund and must be allotted and paid to the entity that established the special capital reserve fund. On an annual basis, the State’s liability under any special capital reserve fund mechanism is limited to its obligation to restore that fund to its minimum capital reserve amount.

Quasi-Public Agencies. The State has established by legislation several quasi-public agencies. These quasi-public agencies are not departments, institutions or agencies of the State. They are, however, bodies politic and corporate that constitute public instrumentalities and political subdivisions of the State and whose exercise of authority granted to them is deemed to be the performance of an essential public and governmental function. These organizations provide a wide range of services that might otherwise be provided directly by the State. Among the public authorities are: the Connecticut Development Authority, the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority, the Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority, the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority and the Capital City Economic Development Authority. Each of these public authorities is authorized to issue bonds in its own name to facilitate its activities and each has issued bonds secured by a special capital reserve fund, or other contractual arrangement, for which the State has limited contingent liability.

Assistance to Municipalities. In addition to the limited or contingent liabilities that the State has undertaken in connection with the activities of its quasi-public agencies, the State has undertaken certain limited or contingent liabilities to assist municipalities. The State currently has limited or contingent liabilities outstanding

 

C-29


Table of Contents

in connection with bonds or other obligations issued by the City of Waterbury and the Southeastern Connecticut Water Authority. The State previously was obligated pursuant to the establishment of a special capital reserve fund to secure certain bonds issued by the City of Bridgeport to fund its past budget deficits; however such bonds were refunded by the city in 1996. The State previously had guaranteed debt service on bonds of the City of West Haven, but an irrevocable escrow has been established to pay such bonds. Legislation also authorized distressed municipalities, in certain circumstances and subject to various conditions, to issue deficit funding obligations secured by a special capital reserve fund. There are no such obligations currently outstanding.

School Construction Grant Commitments. The State is obligated to various cities, towns and regional school districts under a grant-in-aid public school building program to fund certain of the costs of construction and alteration of school buildings or to support part of the debt service payments on municipal debt issued to fund the State’s share of such school building projects. For certain school projects approved by the General Assembly, cities, towns and districts are ranked according to their adjusted equalized net grand list per capita and based on such rankings a percentage is assigned which determines the amount of grant money a town or regional school district is eligible to receive for a project or type of project authorized by the legislature and approved by the Commissioner of Education.

For school construction projects approved during the 1997 legislative session and thereafter, the State pays the costs of its share of construction projects on a progress payment basis during the construction period. Each year the legislature authorizes grant commitments which vary in amounts from year to year. The State has authorized new school construction grant commitments of approximately $400 million which take effect in the 2009-10 fiscal year. As of June 30, 2009, the Commissioner estimates that current grant obligations under the grant program established in 1997 are approximately $2,450 million, which includes approximately $6,900 million of grants approved as of such date less payments already made of $4,450 million.

Prior to 1997 the grant program was conducted differently. For certain school projects grants for construction costs are paid to the cities, towns and districts in installments which correspond to the number and time of principal payments due on municipal bonds, or temporary notes renewed for a third or subsequent year, issued to finance project costs. If a project is fully paid from sources other than borrowing, such grants are paid in five annual installments. Grants in support of interest payments correspond to the number and time of such interest payments. As of June 30, 2009, under the grant program prior to 1997 the State is obligated to various cities, towns and regional school districts for approximately $314 million in aggregate principal installment payments and $57 million aggregate interest subsidies, for a total of $371 million. Funding for these payments may come from future State direct general obligation bond sales. No new grant commitment can be authorized under this program.

The legislature has authorized bonds for both grant programs based on the amount of grants that the Commissioner of Education estimates will be paid during each fiscal year. Since there is generally a lapse of one or more years from the time grant commitments are approved to the time grant payments are required to be made, the amount of unpaid grant commitments will be significantly greater than the amount of bonds authorized to fund the grant commitments.

Child Care Facilities Debt Service Commitments. Legislation enacted in 1997 authorized the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA) to issue bonds and loan the proceeds to various entities to finance child care facilities. The Department of Social Services may enter into commitments to apply monies for each such entity to pay the debt service on the loans in amounts sufficient to cover a portion of the debt service on CHEFA’s bonds. Legislation enacted in 1999 provided for the obligation of the Department of Social Services to make debt service payments to be made by the State Treasurer. Any obligation by the Department of Social Services or the State Treasurer to pay is subject to annual appropriation. CHEFA first issued special obligation bonds under this program in 1998. As of February 1, 2009 CHEFA had approximately $69.6 million bonds outstanding under this program with annual debt service of approximately $5.4 million, of which the Department of Social Services is committed to pay approximately $4.5 million. The remaining portion of debt service is to be

 

C-30


Table of Contents

paid from Department of Education and Department of Social Services intercepts of revenues from providers. Two other Child Care Facilities programs also authorize the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services to enter into guaranties of loans made to entities to finance the development of child care and child development centers or programs. CHEFA is administering this program on behalf of the Department, and is currently limiting the aggregate amount of guaranties to the balance of monies in the reserve funds for the respective programs.

Other Contingent Liabilities. The Connecticut Lottery Corporation (the “Corporation”) was created in 1996 as a public instrumentality of the State to operate the State’s lottery pursuant to the Connecticut Lottery Corporation Act (the “CLC Act”). The State and the Corporation purchase annuities under group contracts with insurance companies which provide payments corresponding to the obligation for payments to lottery prize winners. The State has transferred to the Corporation all annuities purchased by it and the Corporation has assumed responsibility for the collection of revenue generated from the lottery and for the payment of all lottery prizes. Under the CLC Act, the termination of the Corporation would not affect any outstanding contractual obligation of the Corporation and the State would succeed to the obligations of the Corporation under any such contract. As of June 30, 2008 the current and long term liabilities of the Corporation total $291 million.

PENSION AND RETIREMENT SYSTEMS

State Employees’ Retirement Fund. The State Employees’ Retirement Fund is one of the systems maintained by the State with approximately 53,196 active members, 1,592 inactive (vested) members and 38,093 retired members as of June 30, 2008. Generally, employees hired before July 1, 1984 participate in the Tier I plan, which includes employee contributions. As of July 1, 2008 approximately 13% of the total work force was covered under the Tier I Plan. Other employees generally participate in the Tier II plan, which is non-contributory and provides somewhat lesser benefits. As of July 1, 2008, approximately 42% of the total workforce was covered under the Tier II plan. Employees hired after July 1, 1997 participate in the Tier IIA plan, which requires contributions from its employee members. As of July 1, 2008, approximately 45% of the total work force was covered under the Tier IIA Plan. Since fiscal year 1978-79, payments into the State Employees’ Retirement Fund and investment income in each fiscal year, with the exception of fiscal year 2003-04, have been sufficient to meet benefits paid from the fund in such year. Payments into the fund are made from employee contributions, General and Special Transportation Fund appropriations and grant reimbursements from Federal and other funds. State contributions to the fund are made monthly on the basis of transfers submitted by the Office of the State Comptroller.

Full actuarial valuations are performed as of June 30th of each even-numbered year. The most recent actuarial valuation of November 2008 indicated that, as of June 30, 2007, the State Employees’ Retirement Fund had assets with an actuarial value of $9,585 0 million and as of June 30, 2008, the State Employees’ Retirement Fund had assets with an actuarial value of $9,990.2 million. The actuarial valuation was based upon an 8.25% earnings assumption and the effect of phasing in an approximately 4.8% negative return on plan assets for the 2007-08 fiscal year. The Treasurer has realized an annualized net return of 6.06% on investment assets in the State Employees’ Retirement Fund over the past ten years (fiscal year 1998-99 through fiscal year 2007-08) and an annualized net return of 9.43% over the past five years (fiscal year 2003-04 through fiscal year 2007-08). The November 2008 actuarial valuation indicated that as of June 30, 2008 the State Employees’ Retirement Fund had a funded ratio of 51.9% on a projected basis. As of June 30, 2008 the market value of the fund’s investment assets, as reported in the actuarial valuation, was $9,329,175,038. The market value of the fund’s investment assets is continually subject to change based on a variety of factors, including changes in the financial and credit markets and general economic conditions, and the current market value of the fund’s investment assets is lower than it was at June 30, 2008. As of June 30, 2009, the market value of the fund’s investment assets was $7,320,843,712.

The November 2008 actuarial valuation determined the following employer contribution requirements, based on a projected unit credit actuarial cost method and level percent-of-payroll contributions, which contributions are sufficient to meet Governmental Accounting Standards Board (“GASB”) standards: (i) $897.4

 

C-31


Table of Contents

million for fiscal year 2009-10, and (ii) $944.1 million for fiscal year 2010-11. The annual contribution requirements for fiscal years 2009-10 and 2010-11 include amounts which may be required pursuant to the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Longley v. State Employees Retirement Commission, which requires that the plaintiffs’ final pro-rated longevity payment be included in the earnings calculations for purposes of calculating their retirement incomes. The State met 99.25% of its annual contribution requirement for fiscal year 2007-08. To meet the State’s annual contribution requirements for fiscal year 2008-09, $575.8 million was appropriated from the General Fund and the Special Transportation Fund. The Office of Policy and Management projects that contributions to the fund for fiscal year 2008-09 from grant reimbursements from federal and other funds will be sufficient to meet the balance of the required annual contribution.

Teachers’ Retirement Fund. The Teachers’ Retirement Fund, administered by the Teachers’ Retirement Board, provides benefits for any teacher, principal, supervisor, superintendent or other eligible employee in the public school systems of the State, with certain exceptions. While establishing salary schedules for teachers, municipalities do not provide contributions to the maintenance of the fund. As of June 30, 2008, there were 61,421 active and former employees with accrued and accruing benefits and 28,609 retired members.

Since fiscal year 1978-79, payments into the Teachers’ Retirement Fund and investment income in each fiscal year, with the exception of fiscal years 2003-04 and 2004-05, have been sufficient to meet benefits paid from the fund in such year. Contributions to the fund are made by employees and by General Fund appropriations from the State. State contributions to the fund are made quarterly on the basis of certifications submitted by the Teachers’ Retirement Board and are funded with annual appropriations from the General Fund.

Actuarial valuations are performed as of June 30th of each even-numbered year. The most recent actuarial valuation dated November 12, 2008 indicated that, as of June 30, 2008, the Teachers’ Retirement Fund had assets, inclusive of the cost-of-living adjustment reserve account, with an actuarial value of $15,271.0 million. The actuarial valuation was based upon an 8.50% earnings assumption. The Treasurer has realized an annualized net return of 6.13% on investment assets in the Teachers’ Retirement Fund over the past ten years (fiscal year 1998-99 through fiscal year 2007-08) and an annualized net return of 9.56% over the past five years (fiscal year 2003-04 through fiscal year 2007-08). The November 2008 actuarial valuation indicated that as of June 30, 2008 the Teachers’ Retirement Fund had a funded ratio of 70.1% on a projected basis. As of June 30, 2008, the market value of the fund’s investment assets, as reported in the actuarial valuation, was $14,551,467,434. The market value of the fund’s investment assets is continually subject to change based on a variety of factors, including changes in the financial and credit markets and general economic conditions and the current market value of the fund’s investment assets is lower than it was at June 30, 2008. As of June 30, 2009, the market value of the fund’s investment assets was $11,396,681,762.

The actuarial valuation dated November 29, 2006 determined the following employer contribution requirements, based on an individual entry-age actuarial cost method and level percent-of-payroll contributions, which contributions are sufficient to meet GASB standards: (i) $518.6 million for fiscal year 2007-08, and (ii) $539.3 million for fiscal year 2008-09. The State met its annual contribution requirement for fiscal year 2007-08. To meet the State’s annual contribution requirement for fiscal year 2008-09, $539.3 million has been appropriated. The actuarial valuation dated November 12, 2008 determined the following employer contribution requirements, which are sufficient to meet GASB standards: (i) $559.2 million for fiscal year 2009-10, and (ii) $581.6 million for fiscal year 2010-11.

Public Act No. 07-186 authorized the issuance of general obligation bonds (“TRF Bonds”) of the State in amounts sufficient to fund a $2.0 billion deposit to the Teachers’ Retirement Fund plus amounts required for costs of issuance and up to two years of capitalized interest. The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and the State Treasurer subsequently determined that issuance of such bonds would be in the best interests of the State, and in April 2008 the State issued $2,276,578,270.75 of such bonds.

 

C-32


Table of Contents

Section 8 of Public Act No. 07-186 provides that, in each fiscal year that any TRF Bonds (or any refunding bonds) are outstanding, an amount equal to the annual required contribution to the Teachers’ Retirement Fund is deemed to be appropriated from the General Fund, and such amount must be deposited in the fund in such fiscal year. The amounts of the annual required contributions for each biennial budget are based on the actuarial valuation required to be completed by the December 1 prior to the beginning of the next biennial budget. Under Section 8 the State has pledged to and agreed with the holders of any TRF Bonds that, so long as the actuarial evaluation of the Teachers’ Retirement Fund is completed and the certification of the annual contribution amounts is made as required by Section 8, no public or special act of the General Assembly shall diminish such required contribution until such bonds, together with interest thereon, are fully met and discharged unless adequate provision is made by law for the protection of the holders of the bonds. Such contributions may be reduced in any biennium, however, if (i) the Governor declares an emergency or the existence of extraordinary circumstances (which may include changes in actuarial methods or accounting standards) in which the provisions of Section 4-85 of the Connecticut General Statutes is invoked, (ii) at least three-fifths of the members of each Chamber of the General Assembly vote to diminish such required contributions during the biennium for which the emergency or extraordinary circumstances are determined, and (iii) the funded ratio of the fund is at least equal to the funded ratio immediately after the sale of the bonds in accordance with the actuarial method used at the time. If such conditions are met, the funding of the annual required actuarial contribution may be diminished, but in no event may such diminution result in a reduction of the funded ratio of the fund by more than 5% from (i) the funded ratio which would otherwise have resulted had the State funded the full required contribution or (ii) the funded ratio immediately after the sale of the bonds, whichever is greater.

The statutory provisions that govern pension benefits payable from the Teachers’ Retirement Fund include certain cost of living adjustments. Public Act No. 07-186 added a provision limiting cost-of-living adjustments for employees hired after July 1, 2007, but also removed a statutory provision that subjected certain annual cost of living adjustments in pension benefits to a limit based on funds available from earnings on fund investments which exceeded an 11.5% return. Such excess earnings were held in the cost-of-living adjustment reserve account until applied to provide for cost of living adjustments. Although there are other statutory limits on the cost of living adjustments, it is anticipated that the removal of the limit based on available earnings that exceeded an 11.5% return will cause an increase in the aggregate actuarial accrued liability of the fund. One preliminary report estimated that these changes could increase the unfunded actuarial accrued liability by approximately $1.0 billion. This preliminary estimate was based on various assumptions and no assurances can be given that subsequent projections or the next actuarial report will not result in a higher estimate.

Other Retirement Systems. The other minor retirement systems funded by the State include the Judges, Family Support Magistrates and Compensation Commissioners Retirement System (the Judicial Retirement System), the General Assembly Pension System, the State Attorneys’ Retirement Fund and the Public Defenders’ Retirement Fund. As of June 30, 2008, there were approximately 225 active members of these plans and approximately 254 retired members. Unclassified employees of the Connecticut State System of Higher Education and the central office staff of the Department of Higher Education are eligible to participate in the Connecticut Alternate Retirement Program. This program is a defined contribution program, and thus the State has no unfunded liability with respect to the program. All member contributions and State appropriations are held in a separate retirement fund by the Treasurer who may invest and reinvest as much of the fund’s assets as are not required for current disbursements, which are composed primarily of benefit payments. Any employee who elects or has elected to participate in the program may elect to receive a refund of all contributions made by the employee into the state employees retirement system in lieu of receiving any pension benefits under said retirement system.

The State is the administrator of the Connecticut Municipal Employees’ Retirement System and the Connecticut Probate Judges and Employees’ Retirement System. As the administrator of these systems the State owes a fiduciary obligation to these systems; however, the State has no direct financial liability to pay benefits under these systems.

 

C-33


Table of Contents

Social Security and Other Post-Employment Benefits. State employees, except for police and members of a retirement system other than the State Employees’ Retirement Fund, whose employment commenced after February 21, 1958 are entitled to Social Security coverage. Certain employees hired prior to that date have also elected to be covered. Pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement, state police hired on or after May 8, 1984 are entitled to Social Security coverage. As of June 30, 2008, approximately 62,828 State employees were entitled to Social Security coverage. The amount expended by the State for Social Security coverage for fiscal year 2007-08 was $298.6 million Of this amount, $221.3 million was paid from the General Fund and $14.4 million was paid from the Special Transportation Fund.

The State provides post-retirement health care and life insurance benefits to all employees who retire from State employment. The State finances the cost of such benefits on a pay-as-you-go basis; as such, the State has not established any fund for the accumulation of assets with which to pay post-retirement health care and life insurance benefits in future years. The State will need to make significant General Fund appropriations for such benefits each fiscal year. For fiscal year 2008-09 $484.2 million was appropriated.

Implementation of GASB Statement No. 45 regarding accounting and financial reporting for post-employment benefits other than pensions requires the State to obtain an analysis of the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of such post-retirement health care and life insurance benefits and to recognize the annual required contribution to fund that actuarial liability in its financial statements commencing with those for fiscal year 2007-08. The State has received an actuarial report dated March 2007 with respect to the State’s liability for post-retirement health care benefits for persons covered under the State Employees Retirement System and other State retirement systems, excluding the Teachers’ Retirement System. The report indicated an OPEB actuarial accrued liability as of April 1, 2006 estimated to range from $11.4 billion to $21.7 billion. The amounts depend upon various assumptions including those with respect to medical cost inflation rates, the establishment of a trust to fund those liabilities, the amount of initial and annual amounts deposited in such a trust and discount rates. The report used discount rates ranging from 4.5% to 8.5%. The amount of the annual required contribution under these various assumptions ranged from $1.0 billion to $1.6 billion for fiscal year 2006-07, based on a projected unit credit actuarial cost method and level percent-of-payroll contributions. Additional assumptions were also tested for sensitivity analysis which produced different results. The annual required contribution included the cost for both current eligible employees and retirees. The State has received an interim actuarial valuation dated February 16, 2009 with respect to the State’s liability for post-retirement health care benefits for persons covered under the State Employees Retirement System and other State retirement systems, excluding the Teachers’ Retirement System, based upon the stated assumptions of the March 2007 actuarial report but reflecting actual increases in the State’s medical and dental costs between April 1, 2006 and June 30, 2008. The report indicates an OPEB actuarial accrued liability as of June 30, 2007 of up to $23.1 billion and a projected actuarial accrued liability as of June 30, 2008 of up to $24.6 billion on an unfunded basis with no valuation assets available to offset the liabilities of the plan. The interim actuarial valuation determined an employer contribution requirement for fiscal year 2007-08 of up to $1.66 billion on an unfunded basis, based on a projected unit credit actuarial cost method and level percent-of-payroll contributions. The State paid $458.4 million for eligible employees and $415.4 million for retirees for health care costs in fiscal year 2006-07. The State paid $480.0 million for eligible employees and $468.8 million for retirees for health care costs in fiscal year 2007-08.

The State makes a General Fund appropriation to the Teachers’ Retirement Fund to cover one-third of retiree health insurance costs plus any portion of the balance of such costs which is not funded from the amounts available in the Teachers’ Retirement Health Insurance Fund. The amount of $24.4 million has been appropriated for such purpose for fiscal year 2008-09. Fund assets do not constitute plan assets for purposes of GASB Statements Nos. 43 and 45 and for actuarial valuation purposes fund assets are not treated as valuation assets available to offset the accrued liability of the plan. It is anticipated that significant General Fund appropriations will be required for each fiscal year to meet retiree health insurance costs. Legislation which became effective July 1, 1998 generally requires the State to subsidize the health insurance costs of retired teachers who are not members of the Teachers’ Retirement Board’s health benefit plan in a manner consistent with its prior practice of subsidizing the health insurance costs of those retired teachers who were members of the Board’s health benefit

 

C-34


Table of Contents

plan. Legislation which became effective July 1, 2008 generally requires the State to subsidize a portion of the health insurance costs of retired teachers who have attained normal retirement age, are ineligible to participate in Medicare Part A and pay to participate in local board of education retiree health benefit plans. Since July 1, 1994, retiree health benefits have been self-insured.

Implementation of GASB Statement No. 45 requires the State to obtain an analysis of the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of such retiree health insurance benefits and to recognize the annual required contribution to fund that actuarial liability in its financial statements commencing with those for fiscal year 2007-08. The Teachers’ Retirement Board has received an actuarial valuation of the State’s liability with respect to post-retirement health care benefits for members of the Teachers’ Retirement Fund. The report indicates an actuarial accrued liability as of June 30, 2008 of $2,318.8 million on an unfunded basis, based upon certain stated assumptions including a 4.5% earnings assumption and a 30 year amortization period and no valuation assets available to offset the liabilities of the plan. The actuarial valuation determined a $116.7 million employer contribution requirement for fiscal year 2008-09 and $121.3 million for fiscal year 2009-10, based on an individual entry-age actuarial cost method and level percent-of-payroll contributions. The State paid $20.7 million for post-retirement health insurance costs for fiscal year 2007-08. The valuation noted that if the plan were prefunded the actuarial accrued liability as of June 30, 2008 would be reduced to $1.52 billion based on a 7.5% earnings assumption, which would result in a $67.9 million employer contribution requirement for fiscal year 2008-09.

Massachusetts

The following information relates specifically to the Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund and the Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund (either, the “Fund”). This summary does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all relevant facts for the Fund. Although the Fund has no reason to believe that the information summarized below is not correct in all material respects, such information has not been independently verified for accuracy or thoroughness. Rather, this information has been obtained from official statements, prospectuses and other disclosure provided in connection with various securities offerings of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (“Massachusetts” or the “Commonwealth”) and local agencies in Massachusetts available as of the date of this Statement of Additional Information. The Fund assumes that all such material was prepared and published in a manner consistent with current standards of disclosure. Further, estimates and projections contained in the following information should not be construed as statements of fact. They are based on assumptions that may be affected by numerous factors and there can be no assurance that such estimates and projections will be realized or achieved.

The Fund is more susceptible to factors adversely affecting issuers of Massachusetts municipal securities than comparable municipal bond funds that do not focus on investments in Massachusetts issuers.

Commonwealth Employment and Income Rates. The unemployment rate for the Commonwealth was 4.8% in 2006, 4.5% in 2007 and 5.3% in 2008. The national unemployment rate was 4.6% in 2006, 4.6% in 2007 and 5.8% in 2008. As of September 2009, the unemployment rate in the Commonwealth was 9.3%, compared with a national rate of 9.8%. Real per capita income in Massachusetts grew at a rate of 3.7% in 2006 and 3.8% in 2007, but did not increase or decrease in 2008. Nationally, real per capita income grew at a rate of 2.8% in 2006 and 2.0% in 2007, but decreased 0.9% in 2008.

Major Obligations. The fiscal viability of the Commonwealth’s authorities and municipalities is linked to that of the Commonwealth. Certain authorities, such as the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (whose rights, powers and duties have been assumed by the new Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT)) and the Massachusetts Water Pollution Abatement Trust benefit from contract assistance agreements with the Commonwealth. Such agreements constitute general obligations of the Commonwealth for which its full faith and credit are pledged. The Commonwealth also guarantees the debt of two authorities, the Massachusetts State

 

C-35


Table of Contents

College Building Authority and the University of Massachusetts Building Authority. Their ratings are based on the Commonwealth guarantee and can be expected to move in tandem with ratings on Commonwealth general obligation debt. The Commonwealth funds several other authorities in part or in whole and their debt ratings may be adversely affected by a negative change in those of the Commonwealth. As of June 2009, the Commonwealth’s general obligation bonds were rated “Aa2” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., “AA/Stable” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and “AA/Stable” by Fitch Ratings. From time to time, the rating agencies may change their ratings.

The fiscal 2010 budget authorized a contract assistance agreement pursuant to which the Commonwealth would make payments to the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority or MassDOT in the amount of $100 million in each fiscal year for the purpose of defraying costs, including debt service on bonds issued by the Turnpike Authority or MassDOT to finance or refinance improvements to the Metropolitan Highway System. The contract, which pledges the full faith and credit of the Commonwealth to such payments, was executed on June 30, 2009 and extends until fiscal 2039. Payments under the new contract are in addition to the payments required by a contract dated February 19, 1999 between the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the Commonwealth for financial assistance.

Certain of the Commonwealth’s tax receipts are pledged to debt service on $686.7 million of special obligation bonds issued in 2004 to finance construction of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, renovation of the Springfield Civic and Convention Center and reimbursement to the City of Worcester for construction of a new civic center. Tax receipts from various car rental surcharges, hotel taxes and sales taxes in business located in and around the facilities are required to be credited to the Convention Center Fund. This fund is not included in the Commonwealth’s budgeted revenues discussed below.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) finances and operates mass transit facilities in eastern Massachusetts. The Commonwealth is obligated to provide the MBTA with a portion of the revenues raised by the Commonwealth’s sales tax, generally the amount raised by a 1% sales tax with an inflation-adjusted floor. (For fiscal 2010 the projected floor is $767.1 million.) This amount is dedicated to the MBTA under a trust fund. The dedicated revenue stream is disbursed to the MBTA without state appropriation to be used to meet the Commonwealth’s debt service contract assistance obligations relating to outstanding MBTA debt and to meet the MBTA’s other operating and debt service needs. The MBTA is authorized to assess a portion of its costs on 175 cities and towns in eastern Massachusetts; the cities and towns are required by law to pay assessments equal to at least $136 million in the aggregate, as adjusted in each year after fiscal 2006 for inflation (with no annual increase to exceed 2.5% per year).

In 2001, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (Turnpike Authority) entered into certain contracts with UBS AG (UBS), giving UBS the right to enter into five separate interest rate swap agreements with the Turnpike Authority with an aggregate notional value of $800 million. UBS has exercised its rights to enter into all five swap agreements and, pursuant to such agreements, the Turnpike Authority is required to make fixed-rate payments to UBS in exchange for variable-rate payments from UBS. It was originally expected that if any UBS swap agreements were exercised, the Turnpike Authority would refund the related fixed-rate bonds with variable-rate bonds, and a commitment for bond insurance was purchased from Ambac Assurance Corporation (Ambac) in 2001 to insure the anticipated refunding. Due to adverse market conditions in the municipal bond market and downgrades in Ambac’s insurer financial strength ratings, as well as the Turnpike Authority’s financial condition and credit ratings, the Turnpike Authority has been unable to refund the bonds related to the UBS swap agreements. Due to a further downgrade in Ambac’s rating on June 24, 2009, UBS provided notice of an asserted termination event. The Turnpike Authority had 30 days to cure the termination event. Prior to the 30-day deadline, the Turnpike Authority obtained sufficiently high ratings on its underlying subordinated Metropolitan Highway System (MHS) bonds to cure the asserted termination event with respect to four of the five interest rate swaps. After several extensions of the deadline by mutual agreement, the Turnpike Authority reached agreement with UBS that one of the ratings currently assigned to the underlying senior MHS bonds was sufficient to cure the asserted termination event with respect to the remaining interest rate swap. Although legislation authorizing a

 

C-36


Table of Contents

Commonwealth guaranty of the Turnpike Authority’s swap obligations expired on November 1, 2009, no guaranty was ultimately required to cure the termination event. Additionally, due to recent market volatility, the Turnpike Authority was required to post collateral in the notional amount of $100 million with respect to a basis swap it entered into in 1999 with JPMorgan Chase Bank (JPMorgan). As of March 26, 2009, the Turnpike Authority’s estimated termination costs for the UBS swaps and the JPMorgan basis swap were $371.3 million and $16.5 million, respectively.

In July 2004, Governor Mitt Romney signed three separate pieces of legislation to reform the Commonwealth’s school building assistance (SBA) program. Prior to that time, financial assistance was provided in the form of annual contract assistance payments to municipalities to subsidize a portion of local debt issues for such purposes. The legislation moved the SBA program off-budget, establishing the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), an independent state authority, to administer and manage the program. The legislation transferred the liabilities associated with the SBA program from the Commonwealth to the MSBA and placed certain limits on the ability of the MSBA to make grants for new projects. The legislation also switched borrowing responsibility from local governments to the MSBA for the state’s share of waiting list projects and future school project costs, although contract assistance payments will continue for previously funded projects.

The legislation dedicated one cent of the Commonwealth’s sales tax excluding certain meals and special financing district sales taxes (the “Dedicated Sales Tax”) to fund the MSBA and to pay for its transferred and future liabilities. Funding was phased in, and provided 78% of the Dedicated Sales Tax or at least $557.4 million in fiscal 2007, 85% of the Dedicated Sales Tax or at least $634.7 million in fiscal 2008 and 90% of the Dedicated Sales Tax or at least $702.3 million in fiscal 2009. The legislation will provide 95% of the Dedicated Sales Tax in fiscal 2010 and 100% of the Dedicated Sales Tax thereafter. In addition to Dedicated Sales Tax revenues, the legislation authorized the Commonwealth to issue $1.0 billion of general obligation bonds to help the MSBA fund, in part, its liabilities. The Commonwealth has issued these bonds. The MSBA is expected to finance a substantial portion of its liabilities through the issuance of revenue bonds.

The sales tax revenues provided to the MBTA and MSBA by the Commonwealth are not included in the tax figures in the following paragraphs. Total tax revenue transferred to the MBTA amounted to $734.0 million in fiscal 2007, $756.0 million in fiscal 2008 and $767.1 million in fiscal 2009, and is estimated to amount to $767.1 million in fiscal 2010. Total tax revenue provided to the MSBA was $557.4 million in fiscal 2007, $634.7 million in fiscal 2008 and $702.3 million in fiscal 2009, and is estimated to be $587.9 million in fiscal 2010.

Commonwealth Budget. Tax revenues for fiscal year 2007 were $18.445 billion and resulted in a deficiency of $307.1 million for the fiscal year. Tax revenues for fiscal year 2008 were $19.489 billion and resulted in a deficiency of $495.2 million for the fiscal year. Tax revenues for fiscal year 2009 were $16.790 billion and resulted in a deficiency of $1.389 billion for the fiscal year. Tax revenues for fiscal year 2010 are projected by the Executive Office for Administration and Finance to be $16.924 billion and to result in a deficiency of $774.5 million for the fiscal year.

The budgeted operating funds of the Commonwealth ended fiscal 2009 with a deficiency of revenues and other sources over expenditures and other uses of $1.389 billion and aggregate ending fund balances in the budgeted operating funds of the Commonwealth of approximately $1.017 billion. Budgeted revenues and other sources for fiscal 2009 totaled approximately $29.217 billion, including tax revenues of $16.790 billion. Commonwealth budgeted expenditures and other uses in fiscal 2009 totaled $30.607 billion. At the end of fiscal 2009, the Stabilization Fund’s ending balance was $841.3 million. The Commonwealth used approximately $1.278 billion from the Stabilization Fund during fiscal 2009.

The budgeted operating funds of the Commonwealth are projected to end fiscal 2010 with a deficiency of revenues and other sources over expenditures and other uses of $774.5 million and aggregate ending fund balances in the budgeted operating funds of the Commonwealth of approximately $738.3 million. Budgeted revenues and other sources for fiscal 2010 are projected to total approximately $29.759 billion, including tax

 

C-37


Table of Contents

revenues of $16.924 billion. Commonwealth budgeted expenditures and other uses in fiscal 2010 are projected to total $30.533 billion. At the end of fiscal 2010, the Stabilization Fund’s ending balance is projected to be $631.3 million. The Commonwealth is projected to use approximately $210 million from the Stabilization Fund during fiscal 2010. The fiscal 2010 budget suspends the statutorily required deposit to the Stabilization Fund for fiscal 2010. All projections were compiled by the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Administration and Finance.

On January 28, 2009, Governor Deval Patrick submitted his budget proposal for fiscal 2010. The Governor’s budget was based upon a gross tax estimate of $19.530 billion. On May 6, 2009, the Secretary of Administration and Finance and the chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means revised the fiscal 2010 revenue estimate to $17.989 billion. On June 4, 2009, the Governor filed a revised version of his fiscal 2010 budget recommendations to accommodate the lower tax revenue estimate. The budget reflects legislation, effective August 1, 2009, to increase the state sales tax from 5% to 6.25%, to lift the sales tax exemption on alcohol, to impose a new tax on direct broadcast satellite services, and to allow cities and towns to raise meals and hotel taxes as other means of generating revenue for the Commonwealth. The Legislature enacted the budget on June 19, 2009, and the Governor approved it on June 29, 2009.

Preliminary tax revenue collections for the first four months of fiscal 2010 totaled $5.085 billion (excluding collections dedicated to MBTA and MSBA). Total tax collections over this period represented a decrease of 6.8% compared to the same period in fiscal 2009. On October 15, 2009, the Secretary of Administration and Finance advised the Governor of a probable deficiency of state tax revenues of approximately $600 million with respect to the appropriations approved to date for fiscal 2010. The Governor filed legislation on October 29, 2009 containing proposed solutions to the shortfall, including $277 million in executive branch spending reductions. The Legislature enacted this legislation on November 19, 2009, although it did not take action on approximately $125 million of the $600 million in proposed budget solutions, and the Governor approved it on November 24, 2009.

Limitations on Tax Revenues. Growth of tax revenues is limited by law in the Commonwealth to the average positive rate of growth in total wages and salaries in the Commonwealth, as reported by the federal government, during the three calendar years immediately preceding the end of such fiscal year. The law also requires that allowable state tax revenues be reduced by the aggregate amount received by local governmental units from any newly authorized or increased local option taxes or excises. Any excess in state tax revenue collections for a given fiscal year over the prescribed limit, as determined by the State Auditor, must be applied as a credit against the then current personal income tax liability of all taxpayers in the Commonwealth in proportion to the personal income tax liability of all taxpayers in the Commonwealth for the immediately preceding tax year. The law does not exclude principal and interest payments on Commonwealth debt obligations from the scope of its tax limit. However, the preamble to the law containing the limitation provides that “although not specifically required by anything contained in this chapter, it is assumed that from allowable state tax revenues as defined herein the Commonwealth will give priority attention to the funding of state financial assistance to local governmental units, obligations under the state governmental pension systems and payment of principal and interest on debt and other obligations of the Commonwealth.” Tax revenues in fiscal 2007 and 2008 were lower than the allowable state tax revenue limit set by state law and, as of March 26, 2009, were projected to be lower than the allowable limit again in fiscal 2009.

Debt Limits and Types of Debt. Legislation enacted in December 1989 imposes a limit on the amount of outstanding “direct” bonds of the Commonwealth. The law set a fiscal 1991 limit of $6.8 billion and provided that the limit for each subsequent fiscal year was to be 105% of the previous fiscal year’s limit. The limit is calculated under the statutory basis of accounting, which differs from GAAP in that the principal amount of outstanding bonds is measured net of discount and costs of issuance. The law further provides that bonds to be refunded from the proceeds of Commonwealth refunding bonds are to be excluded from outstanding “direct” bonds upon the issuance of the refunding bonds. The statutory limit on “direct” bonds during fiscal 2009 was approximately $15.6 billion.

 

C-38


Table of Contents

In January 1990, legislation was enacted to impose a limit on debt service appropriations in Commonwealth budgets beginning in fiscal 1991. The law provides that no more than 10% of the total appropriations in any fiscal year may be expended for payment of interest and principal on general obligation debt of the Commonwealth. The debt service relating to bonds that are excluded from the debt limit on direct debt is not included in the limit on debt service appropriations. The law is subject to amendment or repeal by the Legislature at any time and may be superseded in the annual appropriations act for any year.

The Commonwealth is authorized to issue three types of debt directly — general obligation debt, special obligation debt and federal grant anticipation notes. General obligation debt is secured by the full faith and credit of the Commonwealth. Special obligation debt may be secured by either a pledge of receipts credited to the Highway Fund or by a pledge of receipts credited to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center Fund. Federal grant anticipation notes are secured by a pledge of federal highway construction reimbursements. In addition, certain independent authorities and agencies within the Commonwealth are statutorily authorized to issue debt for which the Commonwealth is either directly, in whole or in part, or indirectly liable.

Local Aid. The Commonwealth makes substantial payments to its cities, towns and regional school districts (Local Aid) to mitigate the impact of local property tax limits on local programs and services. Local Aid payments to cities, towns and regional school districts take the form of both direct and indirect assistance. Direct Local Aid consists of general revenue sharing funds and specific program funds sent directly to local governments and regional school districts as reported on the so-called “cherry sheet” prepared by the Department of Revenue, excluding certain pension funds and non-appropriated funds. In fiscal 2010, approximately 17% of the Commonwealth’s projected budgeted spending is estimated to be allocated to direct Local Aid.

As a result of comprehensive education reform legislation enacted in June 1993, a large portion of general revenue sharing funds are earmarked for public education and are distributed through a formula designed to provide more aid to the Commonwealth’s poorer communities. The legislation requires the Commonwealth to distribute aid to ensure that each district reaches at least a minimum level of spending per public education pupil. Since fiscal 1994, the Commonwealth has fully funded the requirements imposed by this legislation in each of its annual budgets. The fiscal 2010 budget provides for state education aid of $3.870 billion. The fiscal 2010 budget also includes $936 million for unrestricted general government aid.

A statute adopted by voter initiative petition at the November 1990 statewide election regulates the distribution of Local Aid to cities and towns. As enacted in 1992 and subsequently amended, this statute requires that, subject to annual appropriation, no less than 40% of collections from personal income taxes, corporate excise taxes and lottery fund proceeds and 32% of collections from sales and use taxes be distributed to cities and towns. By its terms, the new formula would have provided for a substantial increase in direct Local Aid in fiscal 1992 and subsequent years. Nonetheless, Local Aid payments remain subject to annual appropriation by the Legislature, and the appropriations for Local Aid since the enactment of the initiative law have not met the levels set forth in the initiative law.

Reductions in, failure to fund or delays in the payment of Local Aid may create financial difficulties for certain municipalities or other local government entities. From fiscal 2007 through 2009, expenditures for direct Local Aid, exclusive of school building assistance, were $4.805 billion, $5.041 billion and $4.724 billion, respectively. For fiscal 2010, expenditures for direct Local Aid are projected to total $4.807 billion.

The Commonwealth maintains a $1.000 billion commercial paper program supported by lines and a letter of credit from commercial banks. The program allows for the periodic issuance of commercial paper as either bond anticipation notes or revenue anticipation notes for operating purposes to meet cash flow needs. In particular, the Commonwealth makes Local Aid payments of approximately $1 billion to its cities and towns at the end of each calendar quarter, which often results in short-term cash flow borrowings.

 

C-39


Table of Contents

In November 1980, voters in the Commonwealth approved a statewide tax limitation initiative petition, commonly known as Proposition 2 1/2, to constrain levels of property taxation and to limit the charges and fees imposed on cities and towns by certain governmental entities, including county governments. Proposition 2 1/2 is not a provision of the state constitution and accordingly is subject to amendment or repeal by the Legislature. Proposition 2 1/2, as amended as of March 26, 2009, limits the property taxes that may be levied by any city or town in any fiscal year to the lesser of (i) 2.5% of the full and fair cash valuation of the real estate and personal property therein, or (ii) 2.5% over the previous year’s levy limit plus any growth in the tax base from certain new construction and parcel subdivisions. Proposition 2 1/2 also limits any increase in the charges and fees assessed by certain governmental entities, including county governments, on cities and towns to the sum of (i) 2.5% of the total charges and fees imposed in the preceding fiscal year, and (ii) any increase in charges for services customarily provided locally or services obtained by the city or town at its option. The law contains certain override provisions and, in addition, permits debt service on specific bonds and notes and expenditures for identified capital projects to be excluded from the limits by a majority vote at a general or special election. At the time Proposition 2 1/2 was enacted, many cities and towns had property tax levels in excess of the limit and were therefore required to roll back property taxes with a concurrent loss of revenues. Between fiscal 1981 and fiscal 2008, the aggregate property tax levy grew from $3.347 billion to $10.992 billion, a compound annual growth rate of 4.46%.

Many communities have responded to the limitation imposed by Proposition 2 1/2 through statutorily permitted overrides and exclusions. There are three types of referenda questions (override of levy limit, exclusion of debt service, or exclusion of capital expenditures) that permit communities to exceed the limits of Proposition 2 1/2.

Certain of the Commonwealth’s cities and towns have at times experienced and are currently experiencing serious financial difficulties, which have and may further adversely affect their credit standing. The recurrence of such financial difficulties, or financial difficulties of the Commonwealth, including further reductions of direct Local Aid payments, could adversely affect the market values and marketability of, or result in default in payment on, outstanding obligations issued by the Commonwealth or its public authorities or municipalities. In addition, Massachusetts statutes which limit the taxing authority of the Commonwealth or certain Massachusetts governmental entities may impair the ability of issuers of some Massachusetts obligations to maintain debt service on their obligations.

Medicaid. The Medicaid program provides health care to low-income children and families, certain low-income adults, disabled individuals, and low-income elders. The program, which is administered by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, receives 50% in federal reimbursement on most expenditures and payments for some children’s benefits are 65% federally reimbursable under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. In addition, as a result of enhancements to federal reimbursement under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Commonwealth is eligible for a 61.2% reimbursement rate for fiscal 2010, which is expected to generate a total of $1.28 billion in federal matching funds over and above what would be received at a 50% rate.

Approximately 30% of the Commonwealth’s budget is devoted to Medicaid. It is the largest item in the Commonwealth’s budget and has been one of the fastest-growing budget items. Medicaid spending from fiscal 2005 to fiscal 2009 was estimated to have grown by 7.4% on a compound annual basis. During the same period, Medicaid enrollment was estimated to have increased 4.8% on a compound annual basis. The projected increase in enrollment was largely a result of eligibility expansions authorized in 2006 health care reform legislation.

Health Care Reform Legislation. In April 2006, legislation was enacted to reform health care by mandating that individuals 18 years and older purchase insurance, while offering subsidized coverage to uninsured residents whose income falls below 300% of the federal poverty level and providing new, affordable products for uninsured residents whose income exceeds this threshold. The reform asks employers to play a role by requiring that businesses with 11 or more full-time employees either contribute to coverage or pay an assessment. These

 

C-40


Table of Contents

businesses must also establish a mechanism wherein employees can pay for health insurance coverage on a pre-tax basis. Businesses that are subject to this requirement but do not comply may potentially face a surcharge. The legislation also created the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority (Connector), charged with linking uninsured residents to affordable, and in some cases subsidized, coverage.

The Commonwealth began implementing health care reform shortly after its enactment. The legislation included many new concepts and initiatives, including the restoration and expansion of several MassHealth programs. As of March 1, 2009, over 165,000 residents had been enrolled in the subsidized Commonwealth Care Health Insurance Program. On May 1, 2007, the Connector also launched the Commonwealth Choice program to offer individuals a range of unsubsidized affordable health insurance plans. As of March 1, 2009, more than 21,000 individuals had enrolled in health plans through the Commonwealth Choice program. The Connector board continues to examine and make policy decisions and to monitor conversions from the Commonwealth’s uncompensated care pool into the Commonwealth Care Health Insurance Program, as well as new enrollees who did not previously access care through the uncompensated care pool.

Enrollment in the various health care programs has exceeded initial enrollment estimates, resulting in significantly higher costs than originally projected. The Commonwealth closely monitors the current and projected costs of health care reform and continues to seek potential cost saving and revenue generating opportunities.

Transportation. The $14.808 billion Central Artery/Ted Williams Tunnel Project was substantially completed on January 13, 2006. The Transportation Finance Commission, established by state legislation in 2004, published a report in 2007 analyzing the Commonwealth’s future funding needs and anticipated funding gaps related to maintaining the Commonwealth’s transportation system over the next 20 years. For state-controlled roads and bridges and state environmental transit commitments related to the Central Artery/Ted Williams Tunnel project, the report identified funding needs of $25.670 billion and expected available state and federal funding of $16.820 billion, leaving a funding gap of $8.849 billion. The report also identified funding gaps related to the Massachusetts turnpike system, local roads and bridges, MBTA operations and capital needs and the Tobin Bridge. The report estimated a funding gap for all of these transportation assets of between $15 billion and $19 billion over the next 20 years. The report also included several transportation proposals that the Transportation Finance Commission estimated could generate more than $18.7 billion to fund transportation and infrastructure improvements over the next 20 years.

On June 18, 2009, the Legislature enacted, and on June 26, 2009 the Governor approved, legislation designed to reform the Commonwealth’s transportation system. The legislation created a new authority called the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The board of MassDOT was authorized to begin exercising its powers on November 1, 2009.

The transportation reform legislation provided for the dissolution of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the transfer of its assets, liabilities, obligations and debt to MassDOT, which has a separate legal existence from the Commonwealth. MassDOT assumed the rights, powers and duties of the Turnpike Authority effective November 1, 2009. The legislation maintained the separate existence of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, but its governing board was abolished and has been replaced by a new five-member board appointed by the Governor. The Massachusetts Port Authority remains an independent authority, but the Tobin Memorial Bridge, a tolled bridge currently owned and operated by the Port Authority, was transferred to MassDOT on January 1, 2010.

All regional transit authorities in the Commonwealth are mandated to shift to a forward-funded budgeting system no later than fiscal 2012. The Secretary of Administration and Finance is to develop a plan for accomplishing this conversion and to seek the necessary appropriations.

 

C-41


Table of Contents

The legislation established a Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund within MassDOT, into which all bridge, tunnel and highway tolls, as well as transit fares, are deposited. Moneys in the Central Artery and Statewide Road and Bridge Infrastructure Fund have been transferred to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund. The Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund is to be used for operations, maintenance and capital costs related to the transportation assets under MassDOT’s jurisdiction, including MBTA assets and assets of the Turnpike Authority transferred pursuant to the legislation, as well as debt service on outstanding Turnpike Authority debt. MassDOT is authorized to issue special obligation debt secured by moneys in the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund to refinance Turnpike Authority debt issued before July 1, 2009. MassDOT debt will not be debt of the Commonwealth.

The legislation contemplates that the Legislature will continue to make capital appropriations for transportation improvements and that such appropriations will continue to be funded through the issuance by the State Treasurer of Commonwealth debt. Currently outstanding capital spending authorizations are to be made available to MassDOT by the Secretary of Administration and Finance.

The legislation also established a Commonwealth Transportation Fund as a budgetary fund of the Commonwealth for transportation-related purposes, to receive essentially the same revenues that are now deposited in the Highway Fund, including gasoline tax receipts and registry fee revenues. Legislation approved by the Governor on July 20, 2009 provides that the Commonwealth Transportation Fund will also receive the sales tax receipts dedicated to transportation purposes, with a guaranteed annual payment of $275 million. The guaranteed amount of $275 million includes $100 million earmarked for costs including debt service on Turnpike Authority debt, $160 million earmarked for the MBTA and $15 million earmarked for the regional transit authorities. Moneys in the Commonwealth Transportation Fund will be used to pay Commonwealth debt service and contract assistance obligations for transportation-related investments, with the excess in each fiscal year to be available for transfer to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund for use by MassDOT.

Pensions. The Commonwealth is responsible for the payment of pension benefits for Commonwealth employees (members of the state employees’ retirement system) and for teachers of the cities, towns and regional school districts throughout the state (including members of the teachers’ retirement system and teachers in the Boston public schools, who are members of the State-Boston retirement system but whose pensions are also the responsibility of the Commonwealth). The state employees’ and teachers’ retirement systems are partially funded by employee contributions of regular compensation. Legislation approved in 1997 provided, subject to legislative approval, for annual increases in cost-of-living allowances equal to the lesser of 3% or the previous year’s percentage increase in the United States Consumer Price Index on the first $12,000 of benefits for members of the state employees’ and teachers’ retirement systems, to be funded by the investment income of the systems. The Commonwealth pension funding schedule assumes that annual increases of 3% will be approved.

Employees of certain independent authorities and agencies, such as the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and of counties, cities and towns (other than teachers) are covered by 104 separate retirement systems. The Commonwealth assumed responsibility, beginning in fiscal 1982, for payment of cost of living adjustments for the 104 local retirement systems, in accordance with the provisions of Proposition 2 1/2. However, the 1997 legislation removed from the Commonwealth the cost of future cost-of-living adjustments for these local retirement systems and provided that local retirement systems fund future cost-of-living adjustments. Local retirement systems that have established pension funding schedules may opt in to 3% annual increases in cost-of-living allowances as well, with the costs and actuarial liabilities attributable to the cost-of-living allowances required to be reflected in such systems’ funding schedules. Legislation approved in 1999 allows local retirement systems to increase the cost-of-living allowance up to 3% during years that the previous year’s percentage increase in the United States Consumer Price Index is less than 3%. The fiscal 2006 general appropriation act (“GAA”) included a 3% cost of living increase. The state employees’ and state teachers’ retirement systems were originally established as “pay-as-you-go” systems, meaning that amounts were appropriated each year to pay current benefits, and no provision was made to fund currently the future liabilities already incurred. In fiscal 1978 the Commonwealth began to address the unfunded liabilities of the two state

 

C-42


Table of Contents

systems by making appropriations to pension reserves. Comprehensive pension funding legislation approved in January 1988, as subsequently amended, requires the Commonwealth to fund future pension liabilities currently and to amortize the Commonwealth’s accumulated unfunded liability to zero by June 30, 2025.

July 1997 legislation required the Secretary of Administration and Finance to prepare a funding schedule providing for both the normal cost of Commonwealth benefits (normal cost being that portion of the actuarial present value of pension benefits which is allocated to a valuation year by an actuarial cost method) and the amortization of the unfunded actuarial liability of the Commonwealth for its pension obligations. The funding schedule was required to be updated periodically on the basis of new actuarial valuation reports prepared under the direction of the Secretary of Administration and Finance. The Secretary was also required to conduct experience investigations every six years. Funding schedules were to be filed with the Legislature triennially by March 1 and were subject to legislative approval. Under the July 1997 pension legislation, if a schedule was not approved by the Legislature, payments were to be made in accordance with the most recently approved schedule; such payments, however, would be required to be at least equal to the prior year’s payments.

Actuarial valuations of the Commonwealth’s pension obligation were calculated as of January 1, 2009. The unfunded actuarial liability as of that date was approximately $22.080 billion.

In December 2008, the Commonwealth issued a valuation, as of January 1, 2008, of its liabilities in respect of other post-employment benefits (“OPEB”). The actuarial liability was calculated to be $15.637 billion. If the OPEB liability were pre-funded in accordance with GASB Statement No. 45, the actuarial accrued liability would be reduced to $11.649 billion. Supplemental budget legislation signed into law by the Governor on August 7, 2009 increased the health care contribution from 15% to 20% for state employees whose retirement is effective on or after February 1, 2010. It has not been determined to what extent this provision will impact the Commonwealth’s current OPEB liability.

New Jersey

The following information relates specifically to the Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund (the “Fund”). This summary does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all relevant facts for the Fund. Although the Fund has no reason to believe that the information summarized below is not correct in all material respects, such information has not been independently verified for accuracy or thoroughness. Rather, most of this information has been obtained from official statements, prospectuses and other disclosure provided in connection with various securities offerings of the State of New Jersey (“New Jersey” or the “State”) and local agencies in New Jersey available as of the date of this Statement of Additional Information. The Fund assumes that all such material was prepared and published in a manner consistent with current standards of disclosure. Further, all estimates and projections contained in the following information should not be construed as statements of fact. They are based on assumptions that may be affected by numerous factors and there can be no assurance that such estimates and projections will be realized or achieved.

The Fund is more susceptible to factors adversely affecting issuers of New Jersey municipal securities than comparable municipal bond funds that do not focus on investments in New Jersey issuers.

Introduction. New Jersey’s economy weakened significantly in 2008 along with the national economy and other states’ economies. Payroll employment decreased at an average annual rate of 0.5% in 2008 after growing very slowly at an average annual rate of 0.2% in 2007. The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s 2009 benchmarked data reflects the deterioration in the employment conditions in the State. For calendar year 2009, through June 2009, payroll employment decreased at an average annual rate of 3.1%, reflecting the deterioration in the employment conditions in the State. Since the beginning of 2009, the level of employment has remained consistently below the 4.0 million mark that the State enjoyed for the previous fifty-four months. The State’s level of payroll employment as of June 2009 was 3.931 million.

 

C-43


Table of Contents

New Jersey payroll employment declined by 3.3% (-135,000 jobs) in June 2009 compared to June 2008. Most of the job losses were in professional and business services (-40,400 jobs), manufacturing (-29,300 jobs), construction (-24,100 jobs), trade, transport and utility services (-22,000), and financial services (-14,600 jobs). The public sector declined by 600 jobs during the same period. Education and health services reported the largest single gain (+8,700 jobs), followed by other services, which added 2,100 jobs.

The generally declining labor market conditions kept the State’s unemployment rate above 5.0% for the thirteen months since May 2008. The State’s unemployment rate averaged 5.5% in 2008. For calendar year 2009, through June 2009, the State’s average unemployment rate was 8.4%, while the national unemployment rate averaged 8.7% during the same time period.

According to the United States Commerce Department, Bureau of Economic Analysis in a release dated June 18, 2009, the preliminary growth rate for New Jersey’s personal income declined at a rate of 0.2% for the first quarter of 2009 and came in below the revised growth rate of 1.8% for the fourth quarter of 2008. Given the general economic recession in the national economy, the average annual growth in personal income for New Jersey was expected to decline in 2009, but to begin to improve in 2010.

The housing sector was expected to weaken further with housing permits in 2009 to stay below 20,000 units. New vehicle registrations declined in calendar year 2008 by 16%, following a 4.3% decline in 2007. For the fiscal year through May 2009, new vehicle registrations declined 25.6% compared to a year earlier. New motor vehicle registrations were projected to remain below the 500,000 level in 2009 and 2010.

New Jersey and the nation were expected to continue to experience further deterioration in near term economic growth in 2009. According to the Beige Book on economic performance released by the Federal Reserve Board on June 10, 2009, the Federal Reserve Board stated that economic conditions continued to deteriorate through May 2009 and indicated that a turnaround in the national economy was not expected until late 2009 or early 2010. New Jersey economic forecasts from Global Insight, Moody’s Economy.com, and Rutgers University expected recessionary conditions to continue through 2009.

New Jersey’s economy was expected to follow the national trend for 2009. Employment was projected to decrease at an approximately 3.2% average annual rate in 2009 and decrease at an average annual rate of 0.9% in 2010. Personal income was expected to decline at an annual average rate of 0.7% in 2009 and improve to a growth rate of approximately 1.7% in 2010.

Inflation is expected to remain low during the current economic recession and may not be a serious concern until consumer spending revives. Availability of credit, stability in the financial markets and improvements in consumer and business confidence are critical factors necessary for economic turnaround nationally and in New Jersey.

The State and the nation may experience further near-term deterioration in growth and the expected pace of economic expansion may decline further if consumers, investors, and businesses become more concerned about the effect of the federal economic stimulus on job growth, credit availability, financial market stresses, and geopolitical tensions. To a large extent, the future direction of the economy nationally and in the State hinges on assumptions regarding the current economic recession, energy prices, and stability in the financial markets.

The State and national economies continue to experience high unemployment rates, a weak employment picture, and weakness in personal income growth. For the calendar quarter ending in September 2009 the trend in New Jersey’s payroll employment indicated that the rate of decrease slowed to -3.1% from -3.4% in the previous quarter. The State’s average unemployment rate for the ten months through October 2009 was 8.9% with the unemployment rate of 9.7% for October 2009 remaining below the national rate of 10.2%. Personal income has continued to decline with an average decrease of -2.1% for the 3rd quarter of 2009. This was a slightly better result than in prior quarters, but below 2008.

 

C-44


Table of Contents

Debt Limitations. The State constitution provides, in part, that the State legislature cannot, in any manner, create in any fiscal year a debt or liability of the State that, together with any previous debts or liabilities, exceeds at any time one percent of the total appropriations for such year, unless authorized by a law for some single object or work distinctly specified therein. No such law may take effect until it has been submitted to a general election and approved by a majority of the legally qualified voters voting thereon; provided, however, no such voter approval is required for any such law authorizing the creation of a debt for a refinancing of all or any portion of the outstanding debts or liabilities of the State, so long as such refinancing produces a debt service savings. Furthermore, any funds raised under these authorizations must be applied only to the specific object stated therein. The State constitution provides as to any law authorizing such debt: “Regardless of any limitation relating to taxation in this Constitution, such law shall provide the ways and means, exclusive of loans, to pay the interest of such debt or liability as it falls due, and also to pay and discharge the principal thereof within thirty-five years from the time it is contracted; and the law shall not be repealed until such debt or liability and the interest thereon are fully paid and discharged.” This constitutional provision does not apply to the creation of debts or liabilities for purposes of war, or to repel invasion, or to suppress insurrection or to meet emergencies caused by disaster or act of God (Article VIII, Sec. 2, para. 3) (the “Debt Limitation Clause”).

The Debt Limitation Clause was amended by the voters on November 4, 2008. The amendment provides that, beginning after the effective date of the amendment, the State legislature is prohibited from enacting any law that creates or authorizes the creation of a debt or liability of an autonomous State corporate entity, which debt or liability has a pledge of an annual appropriation as the means to pay the principal of and interest on such debt or liability, unless a law authorizing the creation of that debt or liability for some single object or work distinctly specified therein has been submitted to voters and approved by a majority of the legally qualified voters of the State voting thereon at a general election. The constitutional amendment does not require voter approval for any such law providing the means to pay the principal of and interest on such debt or liability subject to appropriations of an independent non-State source of revenue paid by third persons for the use of the single object or work thereof or from a source of State revenue otherwise required to be appropriated pursuant to another provision of the State constitution. Furthermore, voter approval is not needed for any law providing for the refinancing of all or a portion of any outstanding debts or liabilities of the State or of an autonomous State corporate entity provided that such law requires that the refinancing produces debt service savings.

State Finances and Estimates. On October 19, 2009, the State Treasurer reported that actual revenue collections for the first three months of fiscal year 2010 were $190 million less than expected at the time of enactment of the Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act. Approximately $215 million of budgetary savings have been identified to cover this shortfall. Also on October 19th the Governor directed cabinet officials to identify an additional $200 million of cuts in departmental operating budgets by December 1, 2009. On November 5, 2009, this amount was increased to $400 million.

Through the end of October 2009 actual revenue collections continued to be less than the amounts estimated at the time of enactment of the Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act. A revenue shortfall in addition to that described on October 19th of approximately $225 million has been identified, as well as the need for supplemental appropriations of approximately $350 million. That amount does not include $65 million in other supplemental appropriations that already had an identified funding source. During the fiscal year 2009 close-out process, the opening fund balance for fiscal year 2010 was reduced by $244 million from that reflected in the Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act. Thus, the additional budget shortfall since October 19th is approximately $820 million.

Various revenue and expenditure actions have been identified to close the additional budget shortfall. The State expects to generate nearly $60 million in revenue from tax payments from individuals reporting offshore income and from implementation of the Powerball Lottery. The State also intends to make additional reductions in spending consisting of the $400 million of departmental operating reductions directed by the Governor on November 5, 2009, and up to $400 million of actions affecting major cost centers, including: school aid, municipal aid, higher education, hospitals and the State contribution to its pension plans.

 

C-45


Table of Contents

If all of these actions are taken, the ending fund balance for fiscal year 2010 is expected to remain at the $501 million level reflected in the Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act.

Fiscal Year 2009 and Fiscal Year 2010 Estimated Revenues. Certain Taxes. The sales and use tax collections for fiscal year 2009 were estimated to decrease 6.9% from fiscal year 2008. The fiscal year 2010 estimate of $8,578.7 million is a 3.3% increase from fiscal year 2009. The gross income tax collections for fiscal year 2009 were estimated to decrease 18.4% from fiscal year 2008. The fiscal year 2010 estimate is a 1.1% increase from fiscal year 2009. The fiscal year 2009 and 2010 estimates include changes to the gross income tax to take into account the expansion of the New Jersey Earned Income Tax Credit in the amounts of $60.0 million and $55.0 million, respectively. The fiscal year 2010 estimate includes $1.0 billion of revenue from the following sources: $83.0 million from a one year increase in the tax rate on incomes from $400,000 to $500,000 from 6.37% to 8.0%; $620.0 million from a one year increase in the tax rate on income from $500,000 to $1,000,000 from 8.97% to 10.25%; $200.0 million from a one year increase in the tax rate on income over $1,000,000 from 8.97% to 10.75%; $100.0 million from a one year elimination of the property tax deduction for all non-seniors with income greater than $250,000 and a limited deduction up to $5,000 for tax payers earning from $150,000 to $250,000; and $8.0 million for taxing lottery winnings greater than $10,000. The corporation business tax collections for fiscal year 2009 were estimated to decrease 22.5% from fiscal year 2008. The fiscal year 2010 estimate is a 1.5% decrease from fiscal year 2009. The fiscal year 2010 estimate includes $80.0 million for the one year extension of the 4.0% surcharge, which was due to expire on June 30, 2009. It assumes slower growth in payments for calendar year 2009 associated with the anticipated slowdown in corporate pre-tax profit growth. The Casino Revenue Fund accounts for the taxes imposed on the casinos and other related activities. They include casino parking fees, per room per day fees on casino hotel rooms, a tax on casino complimentaries, and a tax on multi-casino progressive slot machine revenue. Collections for fiscal year 2009 were estimated to decrease 15.4% from fiscal year 2008. The fiscal year 2010 estimate is a 4.0% decrease from fiscal year 2009. The fiscal year 2009 and 2010 estimates reflect the phase down of certain provisions included in legislation enacted in fiscal year 2004, as well as the negative effect of slot machine venues that have opened in Pennsylvania, the implementation of a full smoking ban and general economic conditions.

Federal Aid. Actual federal aid receipts in the General Fund and Special Transportation Fund for fiscal years 2006 through 2008, which are non-budgeted revenues, amounted to $8,483.4 million, $8,759.4 million and $8,815.5 million, respectively. Federal receipts in the General Fund and the Special Transportation Fund for fiscal year 2009 were estimated at $11,979.8 million and are subject to adjustment, pending completion of the annual audit. Federal aid receipts in the General Fund and the Special Transportation Fund for fiscal year 2010 as contained in the Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act are estimated to be $13,222.6 million. Such federal aid receipts for fiscal year 2010 are composed of $4,704.2 million for medical payments, $49.0 million for social services block grants, $670.5 million for welfare, $1,771.1 million for other human services, $1,970.2 million for Title I and other education, $420.2 million for labor, $988.5 million for transportation, and the remainder for all other federal aid programs.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“ARRA”) provides for federal fiscal stimulus funding to the State for fiscal years 2009 and 2010. The funding across both fiscal years totals approximately $3.0 billion. Fiscal year 2009 funding of $754.0 million reflects $587.0 million for enhanced Medicaid funding with the remainder primarily for fiscal stabilization, which the State used as a resource for the General Fund. For fiscal year 2010, the total funding of $2,255.3 million is primarily allocated as follows: $1,051.3 million for enhanced Medicaid funding, $1,128.7 million for fiscal stabilization (which will be used primarily to support education spending that generally would have been funded through State revenues) and $59.1 million for transportation projects

Appropriations. The State has made appropriations for principal and interest payments for general obligation bonds for fiscal years 2006 through 2009 in the amounts of $169.3 million, $427.8 million, $438.8 million, and $270.9 million, respectively. The Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act includes an appropriation in the amount of $261.1 million for fiscal year 2010, representing principal and interest payments for general obligation bonds.

 

C-46


Table of Contents

The fiscal year 2009 appropriations contained in the Fiscal Year 2009 Appropriations Act assumed a savings of $135.0 million from retiring and defeasing debt through use of $650.0 million appropriated from the Long-Term Obligation and Capital Expenditure Fund (“LTOCEF”). This debt retirement and defeasance was not implemented in fiscal year 2009 due to concerns about weakening General Fund revenues. A fiscal year 2009 supplemental appropriation of $135.0 million from the LTOCEF was authorized to meet general obligation bond principal and interest payments. The remainder of the LTOCEF was appropriated to help offset fiscal year 2009 revenue shortfalls in the Property Tax Relief Fund and to support the Governor’s economic stimulus program.

The fiscal year 2010 debt service appropriation of $261.1 million for general obligation bonds reflects the debt service after taking into account savings from restructuring of general obligation bonds which occurred in June 2009. In addition to general obligation debt service, the Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act supports appropriation-backed debt service on bonds issued by various independent State authorities and entities. Appropriation-backed debt service totals $2.16 billion in the Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act. Total general obligation and appropriation-backed debt service appropriated in fiscal year 2010 is $2.42 billion, or approximately 8.4% of total State appropriations. Total general obligation and appropriation-backed debt service in the Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act includes projected increases in debt service as a result of the planned issuance of bonds after July 1, 2009 and is net of $456 million in projected one-time debt service savings due to planned debt restructurings, some of which have not yet occurred.

The fiscal year 2009 estimated appropriations exceeded the amount of estimated revenues for fiscal year 2009 by approximately $4.0 billion. In order to address this shortfall, significant reductions in spending, totaling over $3.4 billion, were made. In addition, nearly $600 million of the fiscal year 2009 beginning fund balance was used to support spending.

Appropriations for fiscal year 2010 will be supplemented by $2,255.3 million in federal stimulus funding under the ARRA. This temporary federal funding is estimated to include $1,051.3 million for support of Medicaid programs, $1,128.7 million for fiscal stabilization and $59.1 million for transportation projects. It is anticipated that an additional $540.0 million in Medicaid funding will be available to support program costs in fiscal year 2011. Of the $2,255.3 million, $1,715.3 million from ARRA is assumed to be one-time funding for fiscal year 2010 based on current federal legislation. The fiscal year 2010 appropriations also assume the receipt of $218.6 million in new federal funds, including $93.8 million of one-time Medicare revenue to offset State Medicaid expenses. The balance of $124.8 million is from the expected approval of federal waivers that will enable the State to earn a Medicaid match on medical costs that are currently 100% State funded. The Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act also includes $142.5 million of potentially non-recurring prior year federal reimbursements for costs incurred by the State. In absence of the availability of these funds, other budgetary actions would have been necessary to balance the State budget.

Fiscal year 2010 General Fund appropriations were reduced by $84.0 million as a result of the availability of funds from various dedicated sources. In addition, $38.0 million from dedicated sources was used as anticipated budgeted revenue in fiscal year 2010. Also, fiscal year 2010 appropriations to the Health Care Subsidy Fund have been reduced by $79.5 million due to the availability of a one-time $60.0 million transfer from the Surplus Lines Guaranty Fund and $19.5 million from a one-year tax increase on group accident and health insurance policies. These are assumed to be one-time savings that will not recur in fiscal year 2011.

The Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act contained reduced appropriations from fiscal year 2009 in certain categories. An 11.2% reduction in State Aid is predominantly due to reductions in State funding for education that are offset by federal fiscal stabilization funding under ARRA and to decreases in local employee benefits and municipal aid. A 16.4% reduction in Grants-in-Aid reflects decreases in Medicaid funding, New Jersey Transit and operating aid reductions to colleges and universities that are all offset by federal economic stimulus funding under ARRA. Further reductions also occurred in Homestead Rebates and unemployment compensation insurance. The 8.9% reduction in Direct State Services reflects savings from an Executive Branch wage freeze and employee furlough program, partially offset by increased benefits costs for State employees. The 9.5%

 

C-47


Table of Contents

decrease in Capital Construction reflects reductions in statewide capital projects and shore protection. The 3.6% reduction in Debt Service reflects projected debt service growth of $137.7 million offset by general obligation bond debt restructuring savings of $147.5 million.

Fiscal year 2010 savings of approximately $300 million will be achieved through employee furloughs and wage freezes; $176.0 million of this savings will not recur in fiscal year 2011. The Communications Workers of America, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees unions, which represent over 49,000 full-time executive branch employees out of a total of about 76,000 full-time State employees (including judiciary branch employees), recently ratified a modified agreement with the State that will enable the achievement of savings from employee furloughs and wage freezes. This agreement will also be imposed on the nearly 6,000 non-aligned employees in the executive branch. The terms of the agreements include a total of 10 unpaid furlough days to be taken prior to July 1, 2010, and postponement until January 1, 2011 of a 3.5% cost of living adjustment (COLA) that was scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2009. The agreement stipulates that no additional unpaid leaves may be imposed prior to June 30, 2011, and includes a no layoff pledge for represented workers through January 1, 2011. If a represented worker is laid off prior to this date, then the State must immediately pay all employees the 3.5% COLA that was deferred until January 1, 2011 and must suspend the requirement for all State employees to take the 10 unpaid furlough days, pro-rated based on when the layoff occurred.

The economic difficulties experienced by the State and the nation have affected claims against, and the funding of, the State’s Unemployment Compensation Fund (the “Fund”). The Fund’s revenues are derived from unemployment compensation taxes on employers and employees. Under State law, the rates for employers are subject to automatic annual adjustment, as necessary, to maintain the Fund’s sufficiency. The Fund operates independently, and its obligations are not payable from the State’s General Fund. In fiscal years 2008 and 2009, the State made voluntary contributions of $260.0 million and $120.0 million, respectively, from the General Fund to the Fund in order to minimize the automatic annual adjustments that would have otherwise occurred. The Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act does not contain an appropriation to the Fund. To provide for sufficient cash flow to fund unemployment claims, commencing in March 2009, the State, under federal law, applied to the United States Department of Labor for cash advances. As of October 31, 2009, $789 million of such advances had been made. Until the economic conditions in the State improve, the total amount of such advances is likely to continue to increase. These advances are not obligations of the State’s General Fund.

Programs Funded in Fiscal Year 2010. Of the $28,990.5 million appropriated for fiscal year 2010 from the General Fund, the Property Tax Relief Fund, the Casino Control Fund, the Casino Revenue Fund and the Gubernatorial Elections Fund, $12,038.1 million (41.5%) is appropriated for State Aid, $9,590.0 million (33.1%) is appropriated for Grants-in-Aid, $6,009.6 million (20.7%) is appropriated for Direct State Services, $261.1 million (0.9%) is appropriated for Debt Service on State General Obligation Bonds and $1,091.7 million (3.8%) is appropriated for Capital Construction.

State Aid. State Aid is the largest portion of fiscal year 2010 appropriations. These consist of payments to, or on behalf of, counties, municipalities and school districts, to assist them in carrying out their local responsibilities. The largest State Aid appropriation, in the amount of $10,073.4 million, is provided for local preschool, elementary and secondary education programs. Of this amount, $7,480.6 million in formula aid for P-12 education is appropriated to be distributed in accordance with the School Funding Reform Act of 2008. $465.9 million is appropriated for the School Construction and Renovation Program, and $99.3 million is appropriated in School Building Aid; this funding services State school construction debt on new and existing bond issues, and provides aid for qualifying local debt issued for school construction. In addition, $1,757.5 million is appropriated on behalf of school districts as the employers’ share of the social security and teachers’ pensions and benefits programs. Appropriations to the Department of Community Affairs total $991.2 million in State Aid monies for fiscal year 2010. Consolidated Municipal Property Tax Relief Aid is appropriated in the amount of $776.8 million. Other existing programs funded by these appropriations include $117.4 million for Special Municipal Aid, $34.9 million for Trenton Capital City Aid, $24.5 million for Extraordinary Aid, $6.0 million for the Regional Efficiency Aid

 

C-48


Table of Contents

Program, $8.0 million for the Consolidation Fund, and $13.9 million for housing programs. Appropriations for the Department of Human Services total $453.6 million in State Aid monies for fiscal year 2010. The principal programs funded by these appropriations are $115.1 million for patients in county psychiatric hospitals and $338.5 million for various income maintenance programs for the economically disadvantaged. Appropriations for the Department of the Treasury total $396.7 million in State Aid monies for fiscal year 2010. The principal programs funded by these appropriations are aid to county colleges ($203.3 million) and the cost of senior citizens, disabled and veterans property tax deductions and exemptions ($89.0 million). These appropriations also include $27.0 million for County Solid Waste Debt Service Aid. $22.4 million is appropriated for the Department of Corrections for inmate addiction services at county penal facilities.

Grants-in-Aid. The second largest portion of the appropriations in fiscal year 2010 is for Grants-in-Aid. These represent payments to individuals or public or private agencies for benefits to which a recipient is entitled by law, or for the provision of services on behalf of the State. The amount appropriated in Fiscal Year 2010 for Grants-in-Aid is $9,590.0 million. $3,294.4 million is appropriated for programs administered by the Department of Human Services. Of that amount, $2,018.1 million is for medical services provided under the Medicaid program (excluding FamilyCare), $425.9 million is for community programs for the developmentally disabled, $338.3 million is for community programs for the mentally ill, $253.1 million is for assistance programs for the economically disadvantaged and homeless, $202.4 million is for health insurance for adults and children through the FamilyCare program, and $43.1 million is for addiction services. $1,732.9 million is appropriated for the Department of the Treasury. Included in that amount is $1,118.6 million for the fiscal year 2010 Homestead Rebate program, which will provide a property tax credit/rebate of up to 20% of the first $10,000 of property taxes paid by senior homeowners earning up to $150,000 and non-senior homeowners earning up to $75,000, and a rebate of $160 to $869 to senior tenants earning up to $100,000. Also included in the appropriation is $194.0 million for Business Employment Incentive Program grants, $172.5 million for the Senior and Disabled Citizen’s Property Tax Freeze, and $75.8 million for energy assistance programs in the Board of Public Utilities. $1,083.4 million is appropriated for programs administered by the Department of Health and Senior Services. Of that amount, $599.1 million is for medical services for the aged, $228.7 million is for pharmaceutical assistance to the aged and disabled, $91.4 million is for the Early Childhood Intervention Program, $35.1 million is for AIDS services, and $30.2 million is for other programs for the aged. $844.8 million is appropriated for State colleges and universities. Other higher education appropriations are $430.1 million for various grant programs including $329.5 million for student financial assistance, $17.5 million to support independent colleges and universities, $32.5 million for debt service for the Dormitory Safety Trust Fund, the Equipment Leasing Fund and the Higher Education Facilities Trust Fund, and $43.9 million for debt service on the Higher Education Capital Improvement Program. In addition, $792.6 million is appropriated for fringe benefit costs of State college and university employees. $762.1 million is appropriated for programs administered by the Department of Children and Families. Of that amount, $458.4 million is for child protective and permanency services, $244.3 million is for child behavioral health services, and $59.4 million is for community programs intended to prevent child abuse and neglect. $296.2 million is appropriated for the Department of Transportation for bus and railroad subsidies. $127.7 million is appropriated for the Department of Corrections (including the State Parole Board). The largest items of appropriation to the Department of Corrections are $30.0 million for payments to county penal facilities to house State inmates, $61.5 million for the purchase of community services and $36.1 million for alternative parole programs.

Direct State Services. The third largest portion of the appropriations in fiscal year 2010 is applied to Direct State Services, which support the operation of State government departments, the Executive Office, several commissions, the State Legislature and the judiciary. In Fiscal Year 2010, appropriations for Direct State Services aggregate to $6,009.6 million. Some of the major appropriations for Direct State Services during fiscal year 2010 are described below. $1,449.1 million is appropriated in the Interdepartmental Accounts for fringe benefits for active and retired State employees, including pensions ($67.7 million), health benefits ($915.7 million), employer taxes ($374.9 million), and a portion of the debt service on State Pension Funding bonds ($90.9 million) issued by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. $1,006.7 million is appropriated for the Department of Corrections (including the State Parole Board) and $540.6 million is appropriated for the

 

C-49


Table of Contents

Department of Law and Public Safety (including the Juvenile Justice Commission). Among programs funded by those appropriations are the administration of the State’s correctional facilities and parole activities, and the investigative and enforcement activities of the State Police. $468.8 million is appropriated for programs administered by the Department of Human Services. Of that amount, $379.2 million is appropriated for mental health and developmentally disabled programs, including the operation of five psychiatric institutions ($288.0 million) and seven developmental centers ($66.5 million); $23.9 million is appropriated for administration of the various income maintenance programs, including Work First New Jersey; and $27.8 million is appropriated for administration of the Medicaid program. $323.7 million is appropriated for programs administered by the Department of Children and Families for various children’s services programs. $216.3 million is appropriated for the Department of Environmental Protection for the protection of air, land, water, forest, wildlife and shellfish resources and for the provision of outdoor recreational facilities. $81.9 million is appropriated for the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for the administration of programs for workers compensation, unemployment and temporary disability insurance, workforce development, health safety inspection, and the Civil Service Commission. $63.1 million is appropriated for the Department of Health and Senior Services for the prevention and treatment of diseases, regulation of health care facilities, the uncompensated care program and senior services programs. Of that amount, $7.6 million is recommended for anti-smoking programs. $56.5 million is appropriated for the Department of Transportation for the various programs it administers, such as the maintenance and improvement of the State highway system and winter operations.

Capital Construction. Capital construction is funded by a combination of appropriation of current revenues on a pay-as-you-go basis and bond proceeds. The Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act provides $1,091.7 million for this purpose. This amount includes $895.0 million for transportation projects and debt service, which is being credited to the Transportation Trust Fund Account of the General Fund. Of the remainder, $98.0 million is for payments to cover debt service on bonds issued for open space and farmland preservation and is being credited to the Garden State Preservation Trust Fund Account of the General Fund, $38.7 million is for hazardous substance remediation and brownfields, $25.3 million is for shore protection and flood control projects, $13.2 million is for capital improvements for parks, forestry and wildlife management areas, and $10.0 million is for energy efficiency projects. All appropriations for such capital projects are subject to the prior review and recommendation of the New Jersey Commission on Capital Budgeting and Planning (the “Commission”), which was established in November 1975. This permanent commission is charged with the preparation of the State’s seven-year Capital Improvement Plan. The Capital Improvement Plan is a detailed account of all capital construction projects requested by State departments, agencies and institutions of higher education for the next three fiscal years and forecasts as to the requirements for capital projects for the four fiscal years following. The Capital Improvement Plan includes the Commission’s recommendations as to the priority of such capital projects and the means of funding them. The Commission is also charged with reviewing and voting on the State’s annual Debt Report. The Debt Report includes information on the outstanding general obligation debt and debt service costs for the prior fiscal year, the current fiscal year, and the estimated amount for the subsequent five fiscal years. The Debt Report also provides similar information on capital leases and installment obligations.

For fiscal year 2010, requests for Capital Construction funding were substantially greater than the amount recommended by the Commission. The appropriations for Capital Construction contained in the Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act are largely based on the recommendations of the Commission. There can be no assurance that the amounts appropriated are sufficient to maintain or improve the State’s capital facilities and infrastructure assets.

Debt Service on General Obligation Bonds. The State finances certain capital projects through the sale of general obligation bonds of the State. Those bonds are backed by the faith and credit of the State. Certain state tax revenues and certain other fees are pledged to meet the principal payments, interest payments, and redemption premium payments, if any, required to fully pay the bonds. The appropriation for debt service on the State’s general obligation bonds is $261.1 million for fiscal year 2010.

 

C-50


Table of Contents

Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes. The State issues tax and revenue anticipation notes to aid in providing effective cash flow management by funding imbalances that occur in the collection and disbursement of the General Fund and Property Tax Relief Fund revenues. Such tax and revenue anticipation notes do not constitute a general obligation of the State or a debt or liability within the meaning of the State constitution. Such notes constitute special obligations of the State payable solely from monies on deposit in the General Fund and the Property Tax Relief Fund and legally available for such payment. On July 1, 2009 the State Treasurer adopted a resolution authorizing the issuance of up to $2.25 billion of Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes, Series Fiscal 2010 (“2010 TRANs”). Additionally, on July 1, 2009 the State Treasurer entered into a Note Purchase Contract with J.P. Morgan under which the 2010 TRANs may be issued to and purchased by J.P. Morgan at the discretion of the State. It is expected that any 2010 TRANs issued to and purchased by J.P. Morgan under the Note Purchase Contract will be refunded and retired with the proceeds of a publicly offered series of 2010 TRANs. On August 12, 2009, the State issued $1,925,000,000 Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes, Series Fiscal 2010B. None of the Series Fiscal 2010A TRANs, which were authorized to be sold to J.P. Morgan pursuant to the J.P. Morgan Note Purchase Contract, were issued. The J.P. Morgan Note Purchase Contract expired and is no longer in effect. The remaining $325 million of previously authorized but unissued 2010 TRANs were expected to be issued in December 2009. As of November 17, 2009, interfund borrowing of approximately $700 million has also been utilized as part of the State’s cash flow management actions.

Obligations Supported By State Revenue Subject To Annual Appropriation. The State has entered into a number of leases and contracts (collectively, the “Agreements”) with several governmental authorities, including, but not limited to, the Garden State Preservation Trust, New Jersey Building Authority, New Jersey Economic Development Authority, New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority, New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority, to secure the financing of various projects and programs in the State. Under the terms of the Agreements, the State has agreed to make payments equal to the debt service on, and other costs related to, the obligations sold to finance the projects, including payments on swap agreements. The State Legislature has no legal obligation to enact such appropriations, but has done so to date for all such obligations. The amounts appropriated to make such payments are included in the appropriation for the department, authority or other entity administering the program or in other line item appropriations. The principal amount of bonds which may be issued and the notional amount of swaps which may be entered into by such governmental authorities is, in certain cases, subject to specific statutory dollar ceilings or programmatic restrictions which effectively limit such amounts. In other cases, there are currently no such ceilings or limitations. In addition, the State Legislature may at any time impose, remove, increase or decrease applicable existing ceilings and impose, modify or remove programmatic restrictions. The State Legislature may also authorize new leases and contracts with the governmental authorities listed below or other governmental authorities to secure the financing of projects and programs in the future.

The State expects that additional obligations supported by State revenues subject to appropriation will be issued during fiscal year 2010 of approximately $2.8 billion under existing authorizations. The amount of such obligations issued in the future could be significant. The amendment to the Debt Limitation Clause, described under “Debt Limitations” herein, may reduce future authorizations of obligations supported by State revenues subject to appropriation. The State Legislature is not legally obligated to appropriate amounts for the payment of such debt service in any year, and there can be no assurance that the State Legislature will make any such appropriations. Future legislative action may depend in part on various factors including the financial condition of the State.

Variable Rate Bonds. During fiscal year 2008 significant problems developed in both the taxable and tax-exempt variable rate demand bond market and the auction rate bond market, whereby the “AAA” rated bond insurers’ exposure to the sub-prime mortgage crisis negatively affected the bonds that they insured. Several bond insurers experienced rating downgrades by some or all three rating agencies. A limited number of bond insurers remain rated “AAA” while others are below BBB- (non-investment grade). The “AAA” ratings were an essential part of the operation of the variable rate demand and auction rate bond markets, as many investors generally required a “AAA” rating as a minimum requirement for their purchase of such bonds.

 

C-51


Table of Contents

Various independent State authorities had $4.05 billion in variable rate bonds outstanding on January 1, 2008, of which $3.37 billion were auction rate bonds and $680.0 million were variable rate demand bonds. The payment of the debt service on such bonds is subject to annual appropriation by the State Legislature. The interest rates on these bonds increased substantially versus the interest rates in effect as of June 30, 2007. After January 1, 2008, when interest rates increased on both variable rate and auction rate bonds due to the downgrade in the ratings of certain bond insurers and the decisions by broker-dealers conducting auctions to stop purchasing auction rate bonds for their own accounts, the independent State authorities took actions to mitigate the increase in interest rates. Of the $3.37 billion of auction rate bonds outstanding, all had been restructured or refunded as either letter of credit-backed variable rate demand bonds or fixed rate bonds by September 2008.

A portion of the auction rate bonds were restructured or refunded with letter of credit backed variable rate demand bonds. As of June 30, 2009, the various independent State authorities had $2,045,940,000 of variable rate demand bonds outstanding with interest rates set daily or weekly. All variable rate demand bonds are backed by bank-issued letters of credit. The banks providing the letters of credit include: Allied Irish Bank, Bank of America, The Bank of New York Mellon, The Bank of Nova Scotia, Dexia Credit Local, Lloyds Bank and Wachovia Bank. Due to weakened credit quality of many banks globally, as well as the global financial crisis, interest rates on some bonds increased substantially for a short period of time in September and October 2008. All of the bonds remain outstanding with interest rates reflecting a narrow range around the national tax exempt short term index, SIFMA. There is no assurance that variable rate interest rates will not rise in the future.

Moral Obligation Financing. The authorizing legislation for certain State entities provides for specific budgetary procedures with respect to certain obligations issued by such entities. Pursuant to such legislation, a designated official is required to certify any deficiency in a debt service reserve fund maintained to meet payments of principal of and interest on the obligations, and a State appropriation in the amount of the deficiency is to be made. However, the State Legislature is not legally bound to make such an appropriation. Bonds issued pursuant to authorizing legislation of this type are sometimes referred to as moral obligation bonds. There is no statutory limitation on the amount of moral obligation bonds which may be issued by eligible State entities.

Funding Pension Plans. General. Almost all of the public employees of the State and its counties, municipalities and political subdivisions are members of pension plans administered by the State. The State operates seven defined benefit pension plans (collectively, the “Pension Plans”). Public Employees’ Retirement System (“PERS”) and Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund (“TPAF”) are the largest plans, which, as of June 30, 2008, the date of the latest actuarial valuations for all systems, covered 319,182 and 156,087 active members, respectively, and 134,555 and 76,068 retired members, respectively. The other systems are Police and Firemen’s Retirement System (“PFRS”) (as of June 30, 2008, 45,466 active members and 33,151 retired members), Consolidated Police and Firemen’s Pension Fund (“CP&FPF”) (as of June 30, 2008, no active members and 532 retired members), State Police Retirement System (“SPRS”) (as of June 30, 2008, 2,947 active members and 2,520 retired members), Judicial Retirement System (“JRS”) (as of June 30, 2008, 425 active members and 468 retired members) and Prison Officers’ Pension Fund (“POPF”) (as of June 30, 2008, no active members and 167 retired members). From June 30, 2003 to June 30, 2008, the total number of active members and retired members of all of the State-administered plans increased by 35,974 and 40,047, respectively, which represented increases of 7.4% and 19.3%, respectively.

The State is not the only employer sponsoring PERS and PFRS. Local governments within the State participate as employers as well. In both of these Pension Plans, the assets that the State and the local governments contribute are invested together and generate one investment rate of return. However, both of these Pension Plans segregate the active and retired members and the related actuarial liabilities between the State on one hand and the local governments on the other hand. As experience with the State’s active and retired members changes, these Pension Plans adjust the actuarial liabilities of the State without affecting the actuarial liabilities of the local governments, and the same occurs with the experience with the local governments’ active and retired members. As of June 30, 2008, those members of the PERS and PFRS for which the State is responsible for making contributions were, with respect to PERS, 95,331 active members and 42,170 retired members and, with respect to PFRS, 7,936 active members and 3,860 retired members.

 

C-52


Table of Contents

Although PERS and PFRS segregate the active and retired members of the State and the local governments, under certain State statutes, the State is responsible for making certain contributions to PFRS and PERS on behalf of local employers. With respect to PERS, the normal cost portion of the actuarially recommended contribution relating to the retirement benefit increase provided to the local governmental members of PERS under Chapter 133, P.L. 2001 continue to be charged against the Benefit Enhancement Fund that was established for the local governmental employer component of PERS (the “Local Governmental BEF”). The PERS actuarial valuation as of June 30, 2008 valued the Local Governmental BEF in the local governmental portion of PERS at approximately $368.4 million. Although local governmental employers participating in the PERS are, for the most part, responsible for funding the normal cost and the unfunded actuarial accrued liability relating to the local governmental members of PERS, Chapter 133 stipulates that if the assets in the Local Governmental BEF are insufficient to pay the normal cost portion of these increased retirement benefits for a valuation period, the State will pay that amount of this normal cost portion for the local employers not covered by the assets in the Local Governmental BEF. With respect to PFRS, the State makes a contribution with respect to active and retired members of the local governments to cover certain benefit enhancements. For the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2009, the State expected to make a $13 million contribution, of which $5.8 million would be applied toward the cost of such enhanced benefits. For the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2008, the State contributed $60.0 million toward enhanced benefits on behalf of local PFRS members.

State law regulates the administration of the Pension Plans. State law requires that all Pension Plans must conduct an actuarial valuation as of the end of each Fiscal Year. Buck Consultants, an ACS Company, serves as consulting actuary for below) for the Pension Plans. Informational copies of these reports as well as other financial information is available on the Division of Pensions and Benefits’ website at: http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/pensions/financial-rprts-home.htm. No information contained on the website of the Division of Pensions and Benefits is deemed incorporated herein by reference.

The purpose of an actuarial valuation is to calculate the actuarial accrued liability in each of the Pension Plans, which estimates on the basis of demographic and economic assumptions the present value of benefits each of the Pension Plans will pay to its retired members and active members upon retirement. The State contracts with the independent actuaries that provide annual actuarial valuations for each of the Pension Plans, performed in accordance with State statutes and generally recognized and accepted actuarial principles and practices. The actuarial valuation compares the actuarial accrued liability with the actuarial value of assets and any excess of that liability over the assets forms an unfunded actuarial accrued liability (“UAAL”) of the applicable Pension Plan. An actuarial valuation will express the percentage that a Pension Plan is funded through a “Funded Ratio” which represents the quotient obtained by dividing the actuarial value of assets of the Pension Plan by the actuarial accrued liability of the Pension Plan. An actuarial valuation will also state an actuarially recommended contribution rate, which is a recommended rate of covered payroll that the State and other sponsoring employers contribute to the applicable Pension Plan. The actuarially recommended contribution consists of two components: (1) normal cost, which represents the portion of the present value of retirement benefits that are allocable to active members’ current year service, and (2) an amortized portion of the UAAL.

Ordinarily, the actuarial valuations of the Pension Plans are completed approximately 6-8 months after the end of a fiscal year. As a result, the actuarially recommended contribution rates of the actuarial valuations of the Pension Plans (other than for the PFRS) apply not to the fiscal year immediately following the fiscal year covered by the actuarial valuations but the second immediately following fiscal year. For example, the actuarially recommended rates of contribution in the actuarial valuations of the Pension Plans as of June 30, 2007 are applicable to the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009. For PFRS, however, the contributions specified in an actuarial valuation apply to the third fiscal year following the fiscal year covered by the actuarial valuation.

To calculate the actuarial value of assets and actuarial accrued liability of each of the Pension Plans, the actuarial valuations use several actuarial assumptions. Some examples of these assumptions include an expected rate of return of assets, age of retirement of active members, future pay increases for current employees, assumed rates of disability and post-employment life expectances of retirees and beneficiaries. If the experience of the

 

C-53


Table of Contents

Pension Plans is different from these assumptions, the UAAL of the Pension Plans may increase or decrease to the extent of any variances. Consequently, the actuarially recommended rates of contribution may be affected, which may increase the amount of the State’s contributions to the Pension Plans.

In the case of the expected rate of return of assets, the actual rate of return on the Pension Plans depends on the performance of their respective investment portfolios. The investment portfolios of the respective Pension Plans can be highly volatile. The value of the securities in the investment portfolios can dramatically change from one fiscal year to the next, which could, in turn, cause substantial increases or decreases in the applicable UAAL. For fiscal year 2008, the rate of return of the assets of the Pension Plans was negative 2.9%, causing the UAAL of the Pension Plans to increase between fiscal year 2007 and fiscal year 2008. For fiscal year 2009, the estimated year-end return was negative 14.2%. Due to the negative investment return for fiscal year 2009, the UAAL will continue to increase and the funding ratios of the Pension Plans will correspondingly decrease. Based on current market conditions there is no assurance that such negative trends will not continue in fiscal year 2010 and beyond.

In addition, the actuarial valuations of the Pension Plans use several actuarial methods to calculate the actuarial value of assets and actuarial accrued liability of the Pension Plans. For example, the Pension Plans use an asset valuation method of smoothing the difference between the market value of assets and the actuarial value of assets over a five-year period to prevent extreme fluctuations that may result from temporary or cyclical economic and market conditions. As of June 30, 2008, the aggregate market value of all of the assets of the Pension Plans, as determined by the Pension Plans’ actuaries, was approximately $82.0 billion, which amount included contribution receivables from the State and local employers. To the extent those receivables do not materialize, adjustments will be made by the actuaries in the next year’s valuations. As of June 30, 2008, the aggregate actuarial value of all assets of the Pension Plans was $91.4 billion. Based on those figures, the Pension Plans have a net unsmoothed loss of approximately $9.4 billion.

The Pension Plans use an amortization method that calculates the amount of the UAAL that is included in the actuarially recommended rates of contribution based on the assumption in each year’s actuarial valuation that the State (and other sponsoring employers, as applicable) will amortize the UAAL over a 30-year period as a level percent of pay. This means that the actuarial valuation assumes that the portion of the UAAL that the State will amortize in each of the years in the 30-year period will represent the same percentage of payroll for the covered employees in those years. The actuarial valuations of the Pension Plans assume that the payroll for such covered employees will increase by 4.0% in each year, which means that the amount of this payroll will be the smallest dollar amount in the first year of the assumed amortization period. As a consequence of this method, even if the State were to contribute to the Pension Plans the full amount of the actuarially recommended contributions, the UAAL for the Pension Plans will continue to rise indefinitely, so long as all of the other actuarial assumptions of the Pension Plans are realized. Furthermore, if the UAAL of a Pension Plan rises from one year to the next, then the actuarial valuations will once again use the full 30-year amortization period which can result in the State not effectively amortizing the UAAL of the Pension Plans.

State law also requires the Pension Plans to conduct experience investigations every three years, which examine the demographic and economic assumptions used in the Pension Plans’ actuarial valuations to ensure that those assumptions are consistent with the Pension Plans’ respective historical experiences. Changes recommended by the actuaries are reviewed and considered for implementation by the appropriate Pension Board.

State law provides that any changes in the retirement benefits of the Pension Plans or any changes in the funding methods of the Pension Plans must be approved by the State Legislature, and that each bill submitted to the State Legislature must be accompanied by a fiscal note stating the cost of the proposal. The State Legislature is under no requirement to adopt the recommendations of an actuary in determining the funding of the Pension Plans. State law provides that the retirement benefits of the Pension Plans are not subject to negotiations between the State and other public employers and the employee members of the Pension Plans. Since the Pension Plans

 

C-54


Table of Contents

are governed by State law, any increases or decreases to the retirement benefits paid by the Pension Plans must be authorized by the State Legislature and approved by the Governor. The State’s annual contribution to the Pension Plans is contingent upon the annual Appropriations Act, which is also subject to the approval of the State Legislature and the Governor. Due to budgetary constraints, the amounts appropriated as the State’s contribution to the Pension Plans for a Fiscal Year are expected to be less than the actuarially recommended contributions.

The Division of Investment of the New Jersey Department of the Treasury, which is under the independent supervision of the State Investment Council, invests the assets of the Pension Plans. State law regulates the types of investments which are permitted.

In PERS, the State makes employer contributions for State employees while counties, municipalities, school districts and local public agencies make such contributions for their employee members. The State, rather than local school boards, pays the employer contributions to TPAF, including the employer’s share of the Social Security tax, with respect to public school teachers in the State. The PFRS is primarily established for municipal policemen and firemen. The State’s participation in this Pension Plan is limited to those State-employed law enforcement officers who have been permitted to enroll therein.

The State is solely responsible for funding the benefits of the SPRS, JRS, CP&FPF and the POPF. The CP&FPF and the POPF are closed plans and not open to new membership.

Benefits. Nearly all State employees participate in one of the Pension Plans, with eight to ten years of employment required before retirement benefits become vested. Upon retirement, members of PERS and TPAF are eligible for annual retirement benefits equal to 1/55 of final average compensation for each year of service credit. This is in accordance with legislation enacted by the State Legislature in 2001 which increased the retirement benefits under PERS and TPAF by changing the retirement benefit formula from 1/60 to 1/55 of final average compensation for each year of service. Final average compensation equals the average compensation for the final three years of service before retirement or highest three years’ compensation if other than the final three years. Also available to such participants are an early retirement benefit after 25 years of service and a veteran’s retirement benefit after 20 and 25 years of service, if age requirements for those retirement benefits are met.

After a participant in one of the Pension Plans has been retired for two years, the participant is eligible for the pension adjustment program, which provides for an adjustment in retirement benefits. The pension adjustment program is non-contributory and covers all eligible retirees and survivors of the Pension Plans. Eligible retirees and their survivors are those who have been retired at least 24 months. The percentage adjustment is 60.0% of the change in the Consumer Price Index from the year of retirement to the year immediately preceding the year of adjustment (there is no cap on the amount of such increase). In all Pension Plans, except CP&FPF and POPF, the Pension Plans directly fund the cost-of-living increases and these cost-of-living increases are included in the actuarial accrued liability of the Pension Plans. The State funds cost-of-living increases in the CP&FPF and POPF on a “pay-as-you-go” basis.

From fiscal year 2003 to fiscal year 2008 the total net assets of all of the Pension Plans, which include the assets relating to State and local government active and retired members, as reported in their respective Audited Financial Reports, increased by $18.7 billion from $64.3 billion to $83.0 billion and the annual total expenditures incurred by the Pension Plans over the same period increased by $2.1 billion from $4.4 billion to $6.5 billion. The amount of these expenditures is expected to increase in future fiscal years. This resulted in an increase in the Annual Expenditures to Net Assets Ratio from 6.87% for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2003 to 7.88% for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008. It is likely that the Annual Expenditures to Net Assets Ratio will worsen and increase in future fiscal years. Net assets represent the difference between a Pension Plan’s total assets and its liabilities and mainly consist of investment holdings, which are stated at market value, and member and employer receivables. Expenditures include retirement benefit payments, including cost-of-living adjustments, contributory and noncontributory death benefit payments, member withdrawals and administrative expenses.

 

C-55


Table of Contents

Significant and Recent Legislative Changes Affecting Benefit Levels. The State Legislature has in the past adopted laws that increased the retirement benefits payable by the Pension Plans. The result of these increases in retirement benefits was to increase the actuarial accrued liability of the affected Pension Plans which also had the effect of increasing the actuarially recommended contributions for the State for the affected Pension Plans. For example, on June 24, 2008, Governor Corzine signed an Early Retirement Incentive program into law for certain full-time employees of the Executive and Judicial Branches of State government. The increase in the unfunded aggregate UAAL of the Pension Plans caused by the Early Retirement Incentive program for the 1,488 State employees who elected to retire under this program is estimated to be $184.7 million. The State Legislature may from time to time in the future adopt additional legislation increasing the retirement benefits payable under the Pension Plans.

In addition, the State Legislature has in the past adopted laws that limited future retirement benefits payable by the Pension Plans. These laws are expected to limit the future growth of the actuarial accrued liability of the affected Pension Plans which also has the effect of limiting the growth of the actuarially recommended contributions for the State for the affected Pension Plans in future plan years. For example, the State Legislature adopted laws for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2009 which raised the minimum annual salary required to establish eligibility for membership under certain Pension Plans and increased the retirement age at which full pension benefits are payable from 60 to 62 for certain employees hired on or after November 2, 2008. The State Legislature also adopted laws in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2007 which raised the employee contribution rate for PERS and TPAF active members from 5.0% to 5.5%, raised the early retirement age at which full retirement benefits are payable from 55 to 60 for new employees enrolled in the PERS and TPAF on or after July 1, 2007, and provides that new employees hired on or after July 1, 2007 are subject to a maximum compensation limit for PERS and TPAF pension contributions. The State Legislature may from time to time in the future adopt additional legislation limiting the future retirement benefits payable under the Pension Plans.

Calculations of actuarial accrued liability reflect legislation in effect at the time calculations are made. Legislation enacted after any such calculation could significantly increase or decrease the actuarial accrued liability reflected in any such calculations.

Current and Historical Contributions and Funding Status. From fiscal year 1997 through fiscal year 2003, the State made minimal contributions to the Pension Plans because the actuarial value of the assets in each of the Pension Plans exceeded the actuarial accrued liability and the State used that excess as a credit against the actuarially recommended contributions. Beginning with the actuarial valuations of the Pension Plans as of June 30, 2002, several of the Pension Plans (including PERS and TPAF) suffered from adverse market conditions and the Funded Ratio of these Pension Plans declined rapidly. As a result, the actuarial recommended contributions in those actuarial valuations steeply increased and the State was not financially in the position to absorb the entire amount of the actuarially recommended contributions. As a consequence, the State adopted a “phase-in” approach to financing the State’s contributions to the Pension Plans. Under this approach, since fiscal year 2004, which was the first year in which these increased actuarially recommended contributions applied, the State has not paid the aggregate actuarially recommended contributions to the Pension Plans (taking the Pension Plans as a whole). For fiscal years 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, the State paid approximately 20.0%, 30.0%, 40.0%, 57.5%, and 50.1%, respectively, of the total actuarially recommended contributions of all of the Pension Plans.

However, for PERS and TPAF, the State’s Appropriation Acts for the Fiscal Years ended June 30, 2004, 2005 and 2006 authorized the use of the Benefit Enhancement Fund (the “State BEF’) to cover the phase-in costs for those years. The State BEF is a special reserve fund within PERS and TPAF to which the required normal contributions to provide retirement benefit increases under P.L. 2001, Chapter 353 and P.L. 2001, Chapter 133, was charged. The fund was established in fiscal year 2002 and credited with excess assets equivalent to member contributions for fiscal years 2000 and 2001 by transferring reserves in the Contingent Reserve Fund to the State BEF. Amounts in the State BEF for each of PERS and TPAF were calculated within the respective actuarial value of assets and the related retirement benefits were calculated within the respective actuarial accrued

 

C-56


Table of Contents

liabilities. Therefore, because the State used amounts from the State BEF to satisfy its contributions in fiscal years 2004 through 2006, from an actuarial perspective, the State did not contribute any funds to PERS or TPAF in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 and the State contributed minimal amounts in fiscal year 2006. The State BEF became fully depleted in fiscal year 2006 and the State made a contribution to PERS and TPAF representing approximately 57.5% of the actuarially recommended contributions of those Pension Plans for fiscal year 2007.

For fiscal year 2009, although $1.047 billion was included in the Fiscal Year 2009 Appropriations Act as the State’s pension contribution to the Pension Plans, it was expected that the State would contribute only $263.1 million to the Pension Plans due to continuing budgetary problems caused by the economic crisis. The State later reduced the projected contribution amount for fiscal year 2009 to $106.3 million, representing only 4.8% of the total actuarially recommended contribution to the Pension Plans of $2.231 billion and only 10.2% of the amount included in the Fiscal Year 2009 Appropriations Act. This anticipated contribution, which was due on June 30, 2009, had not yet been paid by the State as of November 23, 2009. Fiscal year 2009 appropriations were reserved to make the payment and it was expected to be made pending completion of the fiscal year 2009 close out process. Barring any unexpected developments relating to the close out of the fiscal year 2009 results, the payment will be made. For fiscal year 2010, $100 million is included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act as the State’s contribution to the Pension Plans. This contribution represents only 4% of the total actuarially recommended contribution for the State to the Pension Plans of $2.519 billion. These reductions in the State’s pension contribution for fiscal year 2009 and fiscal year 2010, absent significant improvement in investment returns or actions resulting in changes to liabilities of the Pension Plans, are expected to cause the UAAL of the Pension Plans to increase significantly, which would lower the overall funded ratio of the Pension Plans and increase the need for future State pension contributions to ensure the fiscal integrity of the Pension Plans. No assurances can be given as to the level of the State’s pension contributions in future fiscal years.

Effect of State’s Pension Plan Funding Actions. While the State increased its contributions to more significant levels for fiscal years 2007 and 2008, as a result of deteriorating economic conditions for fiscal year 2009, the State estimated that it would pay only approximately 4.8% of the actuarially recommended contributions. For fiscal year 2010, the State estimates that it will pay approximately 4% of the actuarially recommended contribution. As of November 23, 2009, the anticipated fiscal year 2009 contribution, which was due on June 30, 2009, had not yet been paid by the State. Fiscal year 2009 appropriations were reserved to make the payment and it was expected to be made pending completion of the fiscal year 2009 close out process. The Pension Plans have experienced increasing deterioration in their funded status as a result of these low levels of State funding which has been exacerbated by recent declines in the valuations of fund assets. The aggregate Funded Ratio of the Pension Plans declined from approximately 100.8% as of June 30, 2002 to 69.6% as of June 30, 2008, and absent an unanticipated increase in the value of fund assets will decline further for fiscal years 2009 and 2010. In order to maintain the long-term fiscal integrity of the Pension Funds and their ability to pay required benefits to the members of the Pension Plans, a combination of some or all of the following will be required: (i) substantially increased contributions by the State, (ii) significantly increased investment returns, or (iii) actions resulting in changes to liabilities of the Pension Plans. Any significant increase in State contributions would in turn create a significant burden on all aspects of the State’s budget. No assurances can be given as to the level of the State’s pension contributions in future fiscal years.

Recent Developments on Pension Plans and on the State’s Financial Condition. The State expects that the UAAL of the Pension Plans as of June 30, 2009 will probably experience a substantial increase as a result of losses on their investment portfolio. For the period from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009, the State estimated that the investment portfolio of the Pension Plans declined by approximately 14.2% to $63.2 billion from $78.2 billion at June 30, 2008. Based on current economic conditions, no assurance can be given that such substantial increases will not continue for fiscal year 2010 and beyond.

As discussed above, the UAAL of the Pension Plans has also consistently risen since fiscal year 2004 and was expected to experience a substantial increase as of the end of fiscal year 2009 as a result of the State not

 

C-57


Table of Contents

contributing the full actuarially recommended contributions and the recent poor investment performance of the Pension Plans. This element of the increase in the UAAL is also expected to continue to increase in fiscal year 2010 and possibly beyond.

The UAAL also makes numerous economic and demographic assumptions such as how high inflation will rise in the future, when the members of the Pension Plans will retire, how long these members will live and how many of these members will become disabled. If any of these assumptions prove to be materially worse than assumed, any resulting increase in the UAAL could be substantial, with the result that the financial condition of the Pension Plans would be worse than presented above.

The deterioration of the financial condition of the Pension Plans reflected by the increasing UAAL may have two consequences. First, the deterioration increases the amount of future actuarially recommended contributions of the State which has the effect of deferring a substantial portion of the State’s funding responsibilities to future fiscal years. Second, the deterioration reduces the amount of assets the Pension Plans have to pay benefits to their members. As discussed above, as the financial condition of the Pension Plans has deteriorated, the Pension Plans’ Annual Expenditures to Net Assets Ratio has steadily increased and for fiscal year 2008 was 7.88%. Although the accumulation of assets in the Pension Plans does not jeopardize the payment of pension benefits in the short term, the long-term effect of continuation of a funding policy that allows the State to contribute less than the aggregate actuarially recommended contributions could affect at some point, the Pension Plans’ ability to meet their obligations absent significant additional contributions by the State, increased investment returns or actions resulting in changes to liabilities of the Pension Plans. Future increased contributions by the State in future fiscal years, depending on the magnitude, would likely create a significant burden on all aspects of the State’s budget. No assurances can be given as to the level of the State’s pension contributions in future fiscal years.

Other Benefit Programs. In addition to these defined benefit programs, the State also maintains the Alternate Benefit Program (“ABP”), which is a defined contribution plan for eligible employees of the public institutions of higher education in the State. Employer and employee contributions under the ABP are paid to authorized investment carriers who offer participants a variety of investment choices. The six investment carriers for this program are ING Life Insurance and Annuity Company, Met Life (formerly Travelers/CitiStreet), TIAA-CREF, MG VALIC, AXA Financial (Equitable) and The Hartford. The State pays the employer pension contribution to the ABP at a rate equal to 8.0% of the member’s base salary. In addition, the State provides funding to cover the cost of noncontributory group life insurance and long-term disability insurance coverage for ABP participants. For fiscal years 2008 and 2009, the State appropriated $158.3 million and $166.5 million, respectively, to cover pension contributions and to provide funding for noncontributory group life insurance and long-term disability benefits. For fiscal year 2010, the Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act includes $174.7 million as the State’s contribution to the ABP to cover pension, noncontributory group life insurance, and long-term disability benefit costs. Since the ABP is a defined contribution plan and not a defined benefit plan, the State’s sole obligation with respect to the ABP is to make the annual contributions, and the State has no responsibility to ensure that the participating employees ultimately receive a level of benefit.

The State also administers the Central Pension Fund (“CPF”), which is a single-employer noncontributory defined benefit plan for certain groups that are not included in other State-administered systems. The State funds the CPF on a pay-as-you-go basis. There are no State or local government employees covered by the CPF.

The State funds noncontributory insurance benefit costs for active and retired State employees. State appropriations are received on a monthly basis to cover actual benefit charges incurred and payable to beneficiaries of active and retired State employees plus administrative fees charged by the insurance providers. The State funds these benefit costs on a pay-as-you-go basis and does not actuarially determine the future liability of these benefit costs. The State has appropriated $68.7 million to cover noncontributory insurance benefit costs of the Pension Plans for fiscal year 2009. For fiscal year 2010, the Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act includes $72.4 million for noncontributory insurance benefits for the Pension Plans. The State expects that its noncontributory insurance benefit costs will increase in future fiscal years.

 

C-58


Table of Contents

The State Legislature adopted legislation, P.L. 2007, c. 92, as amended by P.L. 2007, c. 103 and P.L. 2008, c. 89, in fiscal year 2007, which required the establishment of the Defined Contribution Retirement Program (the “DCRP”), which is a new defined contribution plan for elected and appointed officials and for certain PERS and TPAF employees subject to a maximum compensation limit. The employee contribution rate for the DCRP is 5.5%. Employers are required to contribute an additional 3.0% of base salary on behalf of employees enrolled in the plan. With regard to PERS and TPAF members enrolled in the DCRP, contributions are based on compensation in excess of the Social Security maximum.

SEC Inquiry. The Division of Pensions and Benefits was contacted in late April 2007 by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regarding a confidential, informal inquiry into New Jersey’s pension system. The SEC asked for information as part of its fact finding inquiry, which it is sharing with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. The State is cooperating fully and is providing information in response to the SEC’s requests. The State is unable to predict the ultimate outcome of such inquiry.

Funding Post-Retirement Medical Benefits. In addition to the pension benefits, the State provides post-retirement medical (“PRM”) benefits for certain State and other retired employees meeting the service credit eligibility requirements. This includes retired State employees of PERS, TPAF, PFRS, SPRS, JRS and ABP; local retired TPAF and other school board employees; and some local PFRS retirees. To become eligible for this State-paid benefit, a member of these Pension Plans must retire with 25 or more years of pension service credit or on a disability pension. These benefits are provided through the State Health Benefits Program (“SHBP”) and the recently established School Employees’ Health Benefits Program (“SEHPB”), created under the provisions of P.L. 2007, Chapter 103 to provide medical and prescription drug coverage to active and retired education employees beginning July 1, 2008. The SHBP and the SEHBP are administered by the Division of Pensions and Benefits. The benefits provided include medical, prescription drug, mental health/substance abuse and Medicare Part B reimbursement for covered retirees, spouses and dependents. In fiscal year 2009, the State paid PRM benefits for 108,384 State and local retirees.

The State funds post-retirement medical benefits on a “pay-as-you-go” basis, which means that the State does not pre-fund, or otherwise establish a reserve or other pool of assets against the PRM expenses that the State may incur in future years. For fiscal year 2009, the State expended $1.066 billion to pay for PRM benefits for the eligible retirees in these groups mentioned above. The Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Act appropriates $1.193 billion to cover anticipated pay-as-you-go PRM costs.

In accordance with the provisions of GASB Statements No. 43 and 45, the State is required to quantify and disclose its obligations to pay PRM to current and future retirees. GASB Statement No. 43, Financial Reporting for Post-employment Benefit Plans Other Than Pensions is effective for the SHBP beginning with fiscal year 2007 (July 1, 2006 — June 30, 2007). GASB Statement No. 45, Accounting and Reporting by Employers for Post-employment Benefits Other Than Pensions is effective for the State beginning with fiscal year 2008 (July 1, 2007 — June 30, 2008). Based on the most recent valuation of these benefits and as summarized in the report, “Postemployment Benefits Other Than Pension Actuarial Valuation,” submitted to the Division of Pensions and Benefits by AON Consulting (AON) in July 2009, which is currently under review and has not yet been finalized, the fiscal year 2009 actuarial accrued liability of the State to provide PRM to active and retired members of the pension plans has been measured at $55,913.5 million. GASB 45 does not impose any requirement on the State to pre-fund its PRM actuarial accrued liability.

New York

The following information relates specifically to the Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund and the Columbia New York Tax Exempt Fund (either, the “Fund”). This summary does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all relevant facts for the Fund. Although the Fund has no reason to believe that the information summarized below is not correct in all material respects, such information has not been independently verified for accuracy or thoroughness. Rather, this information has been obtained from the

 

C-59


Table of Contents

proposed 2010-11 Executive Budget of the State, as well as official statements, prospectuses, annual information statements (including the Second Quarterly Update dated November 3, 2009 to the Annual Information Statement dated May 15, 2009), comprehensive annual financial reports and other disclosure provided in connection with various securities offerings of the State of New York (“New York” or the “State”) and public authorities in New York generally available as of the date of this Statement of Additional Information. The Fund assumes that all such material was prepared and published in a manner consistent with standards of disclosure. Further, all estimates and projections contained in the following information should not be construed as statements of fact. They are based on assumptions that may be affected by numerous factors and there can be no assurance that such estimates and projections will be realized or achieved.

The Fund is more susceptible to factors adversely affecting issuers of New York municipal securities than comparable municipal bond funds that do not focus on investments in New York issuers.

The New York State Economy. Recent data indicate that the New York State economy deteriorated more quickly during the first half of 2009 than had been anticipated in July when the First Quarterly Update to the Annual Information Statement (“AIS”) was released. Such update is hereinafter referred to as the “First Quarterly Update.” The declines in private sector employment and wages for the first quarter of 2009 were steeper than originally anticipated, and there are indications that the same is true for the second quarter as well. Financial market weakness in early 2009, along with a steep decline in high-value real estate market transactions, has resulted in a downward revision to the level of capital gains realizations estimated for the current year.

Weak credit market conditions and rising debt default rates are expected to continue to put downward pressure on the State’s income and tax base by continuing to depress household spending and real estate activity. Real estate market risks are particularly great in the commercial sector where high-value transactions contribute significantly to state and local government revenues, in part through taxable capital gains realizations. Declines in capital gains realizations tend to reduce taxable income among taxpayers paying the highest marginal rates and, as a result, have a disproportionately large effect on personal income tax receipts. These effects could ripple through the economy, further depressing both employment and wage growth. In contrast, should the national and world economies grow faster than expected, a stronger upturn in stock prices, along with other stronger financial market activity, could result in higher wage and bonus growth than projected.

State Employment and Income Rates. The unemployment rate for the State was 5.0% in 2005, 4.6% in 2006, 4.5% in 2007, and 5.4% in 2008. The national unemployment rate was 5.1% in 2005, 4.6% in 2006, 4.6% in 2007, and 5.8% in 2008. As of December 2009, the unemployment rate in the State was 8.8%, compared with a national rate of 10.0%. State employment is now projected to decline 0.5% for 2010, following a decline of 2.3% for 2009. Private sector employment is projected to fall 0.6% for 2010, following a decline of 2.8% for 2009. Job declines continue to be led by the manufacturing, construction and financial services sectors, all of which pay salaries that are higher than the statewide average. Declines in financial services employment appear to be having a large effect on household spending, as evidenced by the unprecedented large declines observed in taxable sales, particularly downstate.

The effect of the current downturn on State wages appears to be even greater than estimated in July. State wages fell 15.0% in the first quarter of 2009, about two percentage points greater than the July estimate and the largest quarterly decline in wages in the history of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (“QCEW”) data. The unprecedented decline in State wages estimated for the first quarter of 2009 largely reflects the effect of securities industry losses on bonus compensation. The State Division of Budget (“DOB”) projected a decline of 5.8% in total State wages for 2009, which would also be the largest annual decline in the history of QCEW data, but DOB projects growth in total State wages of 2.1% for 2010, with finance and insurance bonuses projected to fall 22.0% for the 2009-10 State fiscal year.

 

C-60


Table of Contents

DOB’s outlook for the State economy calls for the current recession ending by the second half of 2010. However, there exists significant downside risk to the projected timing and strength of the coming recovery, given the historically unprecedented decline in wages being witnessed during the current recession. The declines appear to be greatest among the State’s high-wage economic sectors, heightening the risk to revenues. As always, all of the risks to the U.S. forecast apply to the State forecast as well, although financial market uncertainty poses a particularly large degree of risk for New York. A larger than anticipated correction to the recent equity market rally could result in a reversal in the recovery of Wall Street profits and a larger decline in 2009-10 bonuses.

State Funds. The State accounts for all of its spending and revenues by the fund in which the activity takes place (such as the General Fund), and the broad category or purpose of that activity (such as State operations). The State constitution requires the Governor to submit an Executive Budget that is balanced on a cash basis in the General Fund — the Fund that receives the majority of State taxes, and all income not earmarked for a particular program or activity. Since this is the fund that is required to be balanced, the focus of the State’s budget discussion is often weighted toward the General Fund.

The State also reports disbursements and receipts activity by two other broad measures: State Operating Funds, which includes the General Fund and funds specified for dedicated purposes, but excludes Federal Funds and Capital Projects Funds; and All Governmental Funds (“All Funds”), which includes both State and Federal Funds and provides the most comprehensive view of the financial operations of the State. Fund types of the State include: the General Fund (as detailed below); State special revenue funds (“SRFs”), which receive certain dedicated taxes, fees and other revenues that are used for a specified purpose; Federal SRFs, which receive Federal grants; State and Federal Capital Projects Funds, which account for costs incurred in the construction and reconstruction of roads, bridges, prisons and other infrastructure projects; and Debt Service Funds, which pay principal, interest and related expenses on long-term bonds issued by the State and its public authorities.

The General Fund. The General Fund is the most significant of the State’s funds. Most tax revenues and certain miscellaneous revenues are recorded in the General Fund, and all income not earmarked for a particular program or activity is deposited in the General Fund. Expenditures in the form of aid to local governments for their general purposes (e.g., State-local revenue sharing) and to school districts and municipalities for certain specific purposes (e.g., education and social services) are made from the Local Assistance account of the State’s General Fund. These payments, often based on specific legislated formulas, are nevertheless limited under the State constitution to appropriations in force. Expenditures from the Local Assistance account normally comprise approximately 60% of General Fund expenditures.

General Fund receipts, including transfers from other funds, are estimated to total $51.7 billion, a decrease of $658 million from the amount projected in the First Quarterly Update. Tax receipts, excluding the effect of revisions to the State’s School Tax Relief program (“STAR”) and debt service (which are unrelated to underlying collection experience), have been revised downward by $1.2 billion. This is offset in part by higher miscellaneous receipts ($169 million), lower estimated spending in STAR ($85 million), and the expected implementation of administrative Debt Reduction Plan actions affecting receipts ($272 million).

Tax receipt estimates for the current fiscal year have been revised downward in the Second Quarterly Update, as the State economy has deteriorated more quickly than anticipated during the first half of 2009. Estimated General Fund tax receipts in the current year have been lowered by $1.2 billion since the First Quarterly Update, due almost entirely to a reduction in personal income tax (“PIT”) collections. In addition, the anticipated increase in PIT collections due to the high income surcharge has not fully materialized as expected, although some of the shortfall may be due to timing. In the absence of the surcharge enacted in 2009-10 and other law changes, it is estimated that PIT liability for 2009 would have fallen 14.5%. In the current year, the downward revisions to the PIT forecast are partly offset by a decline in the amount to be deposited into the STAR Fund.

 

C-61


Table of Contents

Projected business tax collections for 2009-10 have been lowered by $133 million compared to the First Quarterly Update, mainly due to overall economic weakness. Furthermore, sales tax collections were weaker than forecast as the historic decline in State wages estimated for the current year is having an even more adverse impact on State household spending than expected, particularly for automobiles and other large consumer items.

General Fund tax receipts estimates for 2010-11 have been reduced by $1.5 billion compared to the First Quarterly Update. The lower PIT base for the current fiscal year is estimated to account for most of this downward revision. All Funds’ net PIT receipts for 2010-11 are projected to increase by $2.9 billion (8.4%) over the prior year to $38 billion, with withholding growth of $1.5 billion (5.2%), which primarily reflects a recovery in wage growth consistent with the expected pace of the State’s economic recovery and application of higher withholding rates to first quarter 2010 bonus payments. Estimated tax payments of $8.6 billion are projected for tax year 2010, or $1 billion (13.2%) above the prior year. This increase reflects an expected acceleration in capital gains realizations as taxpayers are expected to react to the scheduled expiration of lower Federal capital gains tax rates at the end of 2010.

General Fund business tax receipts for 2010-11 are now projected to increase by $296 million, or 5.6%, from the current year, to $5.6 billion, representing a downward revision of $80 million compared with the First Quarterly Update, due primarily to the weaker 2009-10 base.

General Fund user taxes and fees receipts, including transfers, are projected to total $10.7 billion in 2010-11, an increase of $430 million or 4.2% from 2009-10. This estimate is roughly $30 million below the First Quarterly Update.

General Fund miscellaneous receipts and transfers from other funds have been revised upward by approximately $400 million from the First Quarterly Update. Higher levels of indirect cost reimbursements, additional revenues from assessments on utility companies, revenue collected from legal settlements, additional workers’ compensation surplus revenue remittance, and various changes to transfers account for the improvement.

General Fund disbursements, including transfers to other funds, are estimated in the Second Quarterly Update to total $54.6 billion in the current fiscal year, a decrease of approximately $450 million from the First Quarterly Update. Revisions to the operating forecast, based on updated information in the Second Quarterly Update, increased estimated spending by approximately $100 million. These changes are projected to be offset by the expected implementation of the administrative reductions in the Deficit Reduction Plan (“DRP”) proposed by the Governor. Increased estimated spending was projected in the areas of health care (including Medicaid), higher education, criminal justice, school aid, transportation, mental hygiene and general State charges, among others.

Recent Operating Results and Cash Position. The State’s cash position continues to be a significant concern. General Fund operating results through September 2009 appear better than projected in the First Quarterly Update, but this was due to management actions to maintain adequate operating margins and routine variances in the timing of disbursements that are not expected to affect annual spending levels. For example, the State plans to make its contribution of approximately $960 million to the State Retirement System on March 1, 2010, the statutory payment date, rather than in September 2009, as it had originally planned. Excluding the effect of cash management actions and routine timing variances, DOB estimates that the General Fund operating results through September 2009 would have been approximately $700 million to $800 million below planned levels. The 2009-10 Enacted Budget Financial Plan (the “Enacted Budget” or “Financial Plan”) provides authorization for the General Fund to borrow resources temporarily from other funds in the State’s Short-Term Investment Pool (“STIP”) for a period not to exceed four months or to the end of the fiscal year, whichever is shorter.

The amount of resources that can be borrowed by the General Fund is limited to the available balances in STIP, as determined by the State Comptroller (available balances include money in the State’s governmental funds, as well as certain other money). However, the available balances on hand in STIP have declined compared to recent years.

 

C-62


Table of Contents

State Debt. The State pays debt service on all outstanding State-supported bonds. These include general obligation bonds, for which the State is constitutionally obligated to pay debt service, as well as bonds issued by State public authorities (i.e., Empire State Development Corporation (“ESDC”), the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (“DASNY”), and the New York State Thruway Authority, subject to an appropriation). Depending on the credit structure, debt service is financed through transfers from the General Fund, dedicated taxes and fees, and other resources, such as patient income revenues.

Debt service for all Funds is projected at $5.1 billion in 2009-10, of which $1.8 billion is paid from the General Fund through transfers and $3.4 billion from other State funds. The General Fund transfer primarily finances debt service payments on general obligation and service contract bonds. The General Obligation Debt Service Fund is a major fund that is used to account for the payment of principal and interest on the State’s general obligation debt and the payments on certain lease/purchase or other contractual obligations. The General Obligation Debt Service Fund is divided into two accounts. The principal and interest payments for the State’s general obligation debt and for certain lease/purchase or other contractual obligations are made from the General Obligation Debt Service Account. The principal and interest payments for the Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation are made from the Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation Account.

Debt service is paid directly from other State funds for the State’s revenue bonds, including PIT revenue bonds, Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund (the “Trust”) bonds and mental health facilities bonds.

The Enacted Budget includes $12 million in savings from debt management actions. Legislation was enacted to provide greater flexibility in administering the PIT Revenue Bond program by permitting DASNY and ESDC to issue bonds for any authorized PIT Revenue Bond purpose. This is expected to result in improved scheduling and sizing for PIT Revenue Bond sales, producing savings through efficiencies in bond pricing and administration. Administrative actions to reduce costs will be continued. These include a goal of selling 25% of bonds on a competitive basis, market conditions permitting, and maximizing refunding opportunities, including through consolidated service contract structures.

As of December 2009, the State’s general obligation bonds were rated “Aa3” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., “AA” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and “AA-” by Fitch Ratings. There is no assurance that a particular rating will continue for any given period of time or that any such rating will not be revised downward or withdrawn entirely if, in the judgment of the agency originally establishing the rating, circumstances so warrant.

Debt Reform Cap. Article 5-B of the State Finance Law is the Debt Reform Act of 2000 (the “Debt Reform Act”). It places limits on the amount and use of “State-supported debt.” “State-supported debt” is defined under the Debt Reform Act as “any bonds or notes, including bonds or notes issued to fund reserve funds and costs of issuance, issued by the state or a state public corporation for which the state is constitutionally obligated to pay debt service or is contractually obligated to pay debt service subject to an appropriation, except where the state has a contingent contractual obligation.” Under the Debt Reform Act, new state-supported debt issued since April 1, 2000 is limited to 4% of state personal income and can be issued only for capital purposes, while new debt service costs are limited to 5% of all Funds receipts. It does not cover contingent contractual debt.

Based on updated forecasts, debt outstanding and debt service costs over the four-year Financial Plan period from 2009-10 through 2012-13 (the “Plan Period”) are expected to remain below the limits imposed by the Debt Reform Act. However, the available room under the debt outstanding cap is expected to decline from $6.8 billion in 2009-10 to $52 million in 2012-13. The current projections represent a decline in projected debt capacity as compared to the First Quarterly Update, which estimated that about $762 million in capacity would be available in 2012-13. The revisions primarily reflect the timing of bonding for the City University of New York (“CUNY”) and economic development purposes, as offset by a slightly improved forecast for State personal income in future years. The changes to the debt reform projections over the last few quarters demonstrate the sensitivity of the cap calculations to volatility in State personal income levels and other economic factors. Measures to adjust capital spending and debt financing practices may be needed for the State to stay in compliance with the legal debt limit.

 

C-63


Table of Contents

Public Authorities. Public authorities refer to certain of the State’s public benefit corporations, created pursuant to State law. Public authorities are not subject to the constitutional restrictions on the incurrence of debt that apply to the State itself and may issue bonds and notes within the amounts and restrictions set forth in legislative authorization. The State’s access to the public credit markets could be impaired and the market price of its outstanding debt may be materially and adversely affected if certain of its public authorities were to default on their respective obligations, particularly those using the financing techniques referred to as State-supported or State-related debt in the State’s AIS. Tax supported debt (obligations supported by State taxes) represents the majority of obligations in this category. Obligations supported by other State revenues (such as dormitory fees or patient revenues) are also included. As of December 31, 2008, 19 public authorities had outstanding debt of $100 million or more, and the aggregate outstanding debt, including refunding bonds, of such public authorities was approximately $140 billion, only a portion of which (approximately $46.2 billion) constitutes State-supported or State-related debt.

State Budget. The Executive Budget process and key budget document formats are governed by the State constitution, with additional details and actions prescribed by State laws and practices established over time. The State’s budget process is governed primarily by Article VII of the New York State Constitution. Article VII requires the Governor to submit a budget detailing a plan of expenditures and an estimate of revenues for the upcoming fiscal year, bills containing all proposed appropriations and reappropriations, and other legislation needed to implement the Executive Budget.

Two types of legislation are required for budget enactment. Appropriation bills provide the legal authorization for all spending from the funds managed by the State. These bills encompass the recommended funding for the legislature and judiciary, debt service and the functional responsibilities of the executive branch agencies — e.g., Education, Family Assistance, Public Protection, General Government, Health, Mental Hygiene, Economic Development, Transportation and the Environment.

Other bills amend permanent State law governing programs and revenues. The State constitution authorizes the Governor to amend the Executive Budget within 30 days of submission, allowing for technical corrections and revisions based on the latest information. However, to help achieve timely budgets, the 2007 Budget Reform Act requires that the Executive, to the extent practicable, submit any necessary amendments within 21 days.

The legislative review process includes public hearings on the Governor’s budget. These hearings are scheduled by the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means Committees, which are responsible for coordinating each house’s action on the budget.

Except for appropriations for the legislature and the judiciary, appropriations proposed by the Governor become law immediately when passed by the legislature. However, all items that have been added by the legislature, and all appropriations for the legislature and the judiciary, must be sent to the Governor for his approval or veto. The State constitution grants the Governor “line item veto” power, permitting the Governor to veto such items selectively, while approving the remainder of the bill.

DOB is responsible for preparing the Governor’s Executive Budget, negotiating that budget with the legislature, and implementing the budget once it is adopted, which includes updating the State’s fiscal projections quarterly. DOB is also responsible for coordinating the State’s capital program and debt financing activities.

The Enacted Budget for 2009-10 closed the largest budget gap ever faced by the State. The combined current services budget gap for 2008-09 and 2009-10 totaled $20.1 billion (2008-09; $2.2 billion; 2009-10: $17.9 billion), before the gap-closing actions approved by the Governor and legislature and the receipt of extraordinary Federal aid. For perspective, the two-year budget gap that needed to be closed was equal to approximately 37% of total General Fund receipts in 2008-09. The cumulative gap for the five-year planning period from 2008-09 through 2012-13, before approved gap-closing actions, totaled $85.2 billion.

 

C-64


Table of Contents

By May 2009 the combined current-services gap for 2008-09 and 2009-10 had grown steadily over the year, increasing four-fold since May 2008. The $15 billion increase in the combined gap, to $20.1 billion, was due almost exclusively to the precipitous decline in projected receipts, reflecting the severity of the current economic downturn and dislocation in the financial markets. The current recession has been characterized by a loss of vast sums of wealth from depressed equity and real estate markets. As of the fourth quarter of 2008, an unprecedented $12.8 trillion in net wealth had been destroyed nationwide since the third quarter of calendar year 2007. This is expected to have a substantial effect on taxable income and, by extension, State tax receipts.

In the Second Quarterly Update to the AIS, DOB estimated that the General Fund had a budget gap of $3.2 billion in the current fiscal year, an increase of $1 billion from the First Quarterly Update. The budget gap for 2010-11 was also projected at $6.8 billion, an increase of $2.2 billion from the First Quarterly Update. The budget gaps in future years were also estimated to be higher than in the First Quarterly Update, and were projected at $14.8 billion in 2011-12 (an increase of $1.5 billion), and $19.5 billion in 2012-13 (an increase of $1.4 billion).

The growth in the current-year budget gap estimate contained in the Second Quarterly Update, as compared to the First Quarterly Update, was mainly due to a reduction in estimated annual receipts from the PIT and business taxes, based on actual collections experience through the first half of fiscal year 2009-10, and updated economic information. In 2010-11 and thereafter, the increase in the budget gaps reflects the recurring effect of the current-year receipts reductions, as collections grow off a lower tax base, and increases in projected disbursements, especially for activities that are sensitive to the economic downturn (e.g., community college enrollment, pensions and fringe benefits and reimbursement-based programs affected by accelerated claims from localities).

The State-financed portion of the budget has grown faster than both personal income and inflation over the past ten years, and is projected to do so over the next four years, absent measures to control spending. From 2009-10 through 2012-13, General Fund disbursements are projected to increase at an average annual rate of approximately 8.0%; State Operating Funds disbursements, which capture activity in State special revenue funds and debt service funds, as well as the General Fund, are projected to increase at 6.3% annually (adjusted to exclude the impact of federal stimulus funding). In comparison, State tax receipts over the Plan Period are projected to grow at 3.9% annually, consistent with DOB’s economic forecast for the recession and recovery. Accordingly, the 2010-11 Executive Budget has proposed substantial reductions in State spending commitments as detailed below.

To close the current year budget gap, the Governor submitted a two-year $5 billion DRP on October 15, 2009, which was enacted by the legislature in December, 2009. According to the 2010-11 Executive Budget (defined below), the DRP provided the State $2.7 billion in savings, leaving a deficit of $500 million still remaining in the current year, and the State expects to carry the 2009-10 deficit forward into 2010-11, where it is addressed in the 2010-11 Executive Budget as part of a multi-year plan that emphasizes recurring savings for the State.

On January 19, 2010, the Governor submitted his 2010-11 Executive Budget (the “2010-11 Executive Budget”). After accounting for the carry-forward of the $500 million deficit from 2009-10 and a reduction in estimated tax receipts based on updated information, the 2010-11 Executive Budget projects a budget gap of $7.4 billion in 2010-11 (rather than the $3.2 billion gap estimated in the Second Quarterly Update), and larger gaps in future years of $14.3 billion in 2011-12, $18.3 billion in 2012-13 and $20.7 billion in 2013-14.

Overall, 92% of the gap-closing plan is composed of recurring actions that help lower the budget gaps in future years. Recurring reductions to current-services spending total more than $5.6 billion and constitute 75% of the gap-closing plan. The proposed reductions affect nearly every activity financed by State government, ranging from aid to public schools to agency operations to capital commitments. Under the proposed plan, the combined four-year gap (2010-11 through 2013-14) is cut in half, declining from $61 billion to $29 billion.

 

C-65


Table of Contents

The gap-closing plan includes $1 billion in tax and fee increases, as well as a plan that would permit grocery stores to pay a franchise fee for the privilege to sell wine ($92 million). Tax and fee increases include a new excise tax on syrup used in soft drinks and other beverages ($465 million), a $1 per pack increase in the cigarette tax ($218 million), and assessments on health care providers ($216 million), all of which are earmarked to help pay for existing health care expenses. In addition, audit and compliance activities are expected to increase the tax base by approximately $221 million annually.

Non-recurring resources, which comprise less than 8% of the actions in the 2010-11 Executive Budget, total $565 million. Importantly, this is less than the annual growth in savings achieved by recurring gap-closing actions, which grow in value by approximately $1.2 billion from 2010-11 to 2011-12. As a result, non-recurring actions have no adverse effect on the gap in 2011-12 because they are more than offset by the growth in recurring savings.

Local Aid. Certain localities outside New York City have experienced financial problems and have requested and received additional State assistance during the last several State fiscal years. While a relatively infrequent practice, deficit financing has become more common in recent years. Between 2004 and 2008, the legislature authorized 17 bond issuances to finance local government operating deficits. In addition, the State has periodically enacted legislation to create oversight boards in order to address deteriorating fiscal conditions within a locality. Currently, the City of Buffalo operates under a control board and the counties of Nassau and Erie as well as the cities of New York and Troy have boards in advisory status. The City of Yonkers no longer operates under an oversight board but must adhere to a separate fiscal agent act. The potential effect on the State of any future requests by localities for additional oversight or financial assistance is not included in the projections of the State’s receipts and disbursements for the State’s 2009-10 fiscal year or thereafter.

The Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (“AIM”) program is the State’s primary vehicle for providing direct aid to cities, towns and villages. These municipalities use AIM funding to support a range of operating costs. Along with direct AIM assistance, the State provides incentive grants to promote local efforts to increase efficiency through consolidation or shared services. The State budget also supports a number of aid programs targeted to specific municipalities, including VLT Impact Aid for local governments that host video lottery gaming facilities, Efficiency Incentive Grants awarded by the State public authorities that oversee fiscal recovery efforts in Buffalo and Erie County, and several others.

The AIM program was created in 2005-06 to consolidate various unrestricted local aid funding streams. For municipalities outside New York City, this initiative tied increases in State aid to fiscal accountability improvements, such as the development of multi-year financial plans, and required a local commitment to minimize property tax growth. In 2007-08 and 2008-09, additional aid was targeted primarily to distressed upstate municipalities under a formula that provided annual increases ranging from 3% to 13.5% based on fiscal distress criteria.

Over the last five years, AIM payments to local governments outside New York City have grown from $465 million to $750 million, a $285 million or 61% increase. Although the DRP enacted in December 2009 reduced aid to the 17 non-calendar fiscal year cities outside New York City by a total of $5.3 million, AIM for all other municipalities was maintained at 2008-09 payment levels.

AIM for New York City has varied in recent years from $20 million in 2007-08 to $245.9 million in 2008-09 to $327.9 million in the 2009-10 Enacted Budget. The DRP, however, lowered New York City’s AIM funding from $327.9 million to $301.7 million. The level of local reliance on AIM funding varies widely by municipality, with cities such as Buffalo and Yonkers relying on AIM for more than 25% of their total revenue, while in other municipalities, AIM accounts for less than 1% of total revenue. Specifically, AIM as a percentage of city revenue is as follows: New York City — 0.5% of total revenues; Buffalo — 35.0% of total revenues; Yonkers — 29.0% of total revenues; Syracuse — 25.0% of total revenues; Rochester — 20.0% of total revenues; and other cities within the State — 9.0% of total revenues.

 

C-66


Table of Contents

Grants to Local Governments (“Local Assistance”) include payments to local governments, school districts, health care providers, and other local entities, as well as certain financial assistance to, or on behalf of, individuals, families, and nonprofit organizations. Local Assistance comprises 71% of all Funds’ spending. In 2009-10, all Funds spending for local assistance is proposed to total $93.2 billion. Total spending is composed of State aid to medical assistance providers and public health programs ($40.5 billion); State aid for education, including school districts, universities, and tuition assistance ($34.3 billion); temporary and disability assistance ($4.8 billion); mental hygiene programs ($3.9 billion); transportation ($3.1 billion); children and family services ($2.7 billion); and local government assistance ($1.1 billion). Other local assistance programs include criminal justice, economic development, housing, parks and recreation and environmental quality.

The 2010-11 Executive Budget eliminates AIM funding for New York City totaling $301.7 million and Erie County totaling $668,332 in 2010-11 and 2011-12. The 2010-11 Executive Budget also reduces AIM funding to other municipalities by either 2% or 5% from 2009-10 Enacted Budget levels, depending on whether AIM accounts for more or less than 10% of the municipality’s total revenues. After accounting for these reductions, the State would still spend $734.6 million on AIM outside New York City, an increase of $269.2 million or 58% compared to 2004-05. The 2010-11 Executive Budget also reduces local incentive grant funding and reduces payments to the City of Yonkers and the 15 upstate municipalities that host video lottery terminal (“VLT”) facilities (an overall $23.84 million program) by 10%.

Healthcare and Medicaid. The State’s Department of Health (“DOH”) provides comprehensive health care and long-term care coverage for low and middle income individuals and families through the Medicaid, Family Health Plus, Child Health Plus and Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage programs.

New York’s Medicaid program is the largest payer of health care and long-term care services in the State. More than four million individuals receive Medicaid-eligible services each month through a network of more than 60,000 health care providers and 20 managed care plans. The State share of Medicaid is financed with a combination of the State’s General Fund and Health Care Reform Act (“HCRA”) resources. Also, the Federal government is financing an additional share of Medicaid costs through December 31, 2010 through the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (“FMAP”) provided through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“ARRA”), which temporarily lowers the State’s costs for the program.

According to the Second Quarterly Update, General Fund spending for Medicaid is expected to more than double over the next two years, growing by $2.5 billion in 2010-11, $5 billion in 2011-12, and another $1.1 billion in 2012-13. These estimates reflect the loss of FMAP after December 31, 2010. Moreover, the Executive Budget notes that, in the absence of any changes, total federal, State and county Medicaid spending would reach $53.2 billion in 2010-11, an increase of more than 5%. Medicaid enrollment has grown by nearly 13% since September 2008, largely as a result of recession-driven unemployment. According to recent federal data, New York spends more per capita ($2,360) than any other state in the country and more than twice the national average ($1,077) on its Medicaid program.

The 2010-11 Executive Budget recommends a health care gap-closing package of $1.9 billion, which includes nearly $1 billion in reductions to various providers and programs (Medicaid, NYS Department of Health, Office of the Medical Inspector General, NYS Office of the Aging, hospital services, nursing home services, home care and personal care services, Medicaid fraud and abuse prevention, and insurance, among others); a total of $890.2 million in dedicated taxes and assessments to finance health care investments, such as $240.2 million in assessments and surcharges on specific sectors that have effects on healthcare providers similar to direct cuts in funding, but without an associated loss of Federal matching funding; and $650 million from imposing a syrup excise tax on soft drink beverages and increasing the cigarette excise tax.

Higher Education. The State’s higher education institutions educate more than 1.2 million students. The State University of New York (“SUNY”) and CUNY administer 51 four-year colleges and graduate schools that provide over 400,000 students with a wide array of undergraduate, graduate degree, and first professional

 

C-67


Table of Contents

educational opportunities. SUNY and CUNY also support 36 community colleges, which serve more than 330,000 students. More than 520,000 students attend one of the more than 100 private colleges and universities across the State.

The Higher Education Service Corporation (“HESC”) provides a broad range of financial aid services to college students. HESC administers and guarantees more than 700,000 loans made annually under the Federal Family Education Loan program, and oversees a variety of State-funded financial assistance programs, including the Tuition Assistance Program (“TAP”, the largest and most generous need-based program in the country), the New York Higher Education Loan Program (“NYHELPs”), the Aid for Part Time Study program, and 16 different scholarship and award programs. HESC also partners with the Office of the State Comptroller (“OSC”) in administering the College Choice Tuition Savings Program.

Enrollment at both SUNY and CUNY has shown steady growth, increasing 12.5% since 2003, at four-year and graduate colleges. Community college enrollment has increased 26% during this same period. Concurrently, State support has increased 40% for four-year and graduate colleges and 33% for community colleges. Additionally, the State has devoted substantial support to SUNY’s and CUNY’s physical infrastructure, providing $11.8 billion in new capital project funding for senior and community colleges since 2003-04.

The effect of the current economic recession is evident in recent upward trends in student enrollment in SUNY and CUNY community colleges. This is expected to result in higher base aid provided by the State to these institutions ($51 million in 2010-11; and $62 million in both 2011-12 and 2012-13). Similarly, increased spending under the TAP grant award program is expected due to the increased enrollment in institutions of higher education ($23 million in 2009-10; $53 million in 2010-11; and $6 million in both 2011-12 and 2012-13). In addition, SUNY and CUNY senior college operational costs in the outyears of the Financial Plan are projected to exceed the estimates in the First Quarterly Update primarily due to higher fringe benefit costs.

The 2010-11 Executive Budget calls for: (1) the reduction of General Fund support for SUNY ($95 million State Fiscal Year (“SFY”), $117.9 million Academic Fiscal Year (“AFY”)) and CUNY ($47.7 million SFY, $63.6 million AFY) senior colleges by a total of $142.7 million SFY ($181.5 million AFY). Additionally, the 2010-11 Executive Budget reflects further SFY appropriations reductions of $52 million ($30.9 million SUNY, $20.8 million CUNY) related to negotiated personal service savings (after these reductions, $946 million would be provided to SUNY and $577 million to CUNY); (2) the reduction of support for SUNY Statutory Colleges at Cornell and Alfred Universities by $14.9 million SFY ($18.5 million AFY) (after this reduction, $83 million would be provided for Cornell’s statutory colleges, $49 million for Cornell land grant, and $8.7 million for the College of Ceramics); (3) the reduction of SUNY/CUNY community college base aid by $285 per full-time equivalent (“FTE”) student from $2,545 per FTE to $2,260 per FTE, which would result in estimated savings of $56.7 million in 2010-11 and $75.6 million in 2011-12; (4) the use of an additional $50 million in federal ARRA Funds to support community college base aid; (5) the reduction of the maximum TAP award for two-year degree granting program from $5,000 to $4,000 per student, which will result in estimated savings of $19.6 million in 2010-122 and $28 million in 2011-12; and (6) the reduction to all TAP awards by $75 per student, which will result in estimated savings of $16.5 million in 2010-11 and $23.6 million in 2011-12.

Criminal Justice and Public Safety. With an annual budget of nearly $5 billion, various State agencies assist local communities in fighting crime, supervise criminal offenders both in prison and in the community, patrol the highways, protect critical State assets and respond to natural disasters and terrorist threats. With nearly 40,000 staff, many of whom serve within the State’s 68 correctional institutions, public safety agencies comprise 18% of the overall State workforce.

Projected spending for the Department of Correctional Services and Division of Parole has been revised across the Plan Period to reflect efforts to achieve savings through alternatives to proposed layoffs.

 

C-68


Table of Contents

The 2010-11 Executive Budget proposes closures and consolidations of facilities within the State’s prison system which will eliminate approximately 3% of total capacity and 2% of the staff of the Department of Correctional Services. Under the 2010-11 Executive Budget, spending on Public Safety will be reduced from just over $5 billion in fiscal year 2009-10 to $4.7 billion in fiscal year 2010-11, representing a decrease of $303 million or 6%; the Department of Correctional Services budget will be reduced from just over $3 billion in fiscal year 2009-10 to $2.77 billion in fiscal year 2010-11, representing a decrease of $236 million or 7.9%; the Division of State Police budget will be reduced from $768 million in fiscal year 2009-10 to $719 million in fiscal year 2010-11, representing a decrease of $49 million or 6.4%; and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services budget will be increased from $316 million in fiscal year 2009-10 to $329 million in fiscal year 2010-11, representing an increase of $13 million or 4%.

School Aid. The State’s education system is financed with local, State and federal resources, which together make the State’s per pupil spending among the highest in the nation. The State share of financial support for education is administered by the State Education Department (“SED”), under the direction of the New York State Board of Regents, which also establishes education policy. The single largest program administered by SED is school aid. Allocated to school districts primarily through statutory formulas, school aid helps finance elementary and secondary education for pupils enrolled in nearly 680 school districts.

According to the 2010-11 Executive Budget, New York public schools spend more per pupil overall ($15,546) than nearly any other state and 61% above the national average. New York ranks first in per pupil spending for school district employee salaries ($7,328, or 71% above the national average) and benefits ($2,901, which is 109% above the national average). This reflects both strong local tax effort and significant State spending on education.

School aid has two principal State funding sources: the General Fund and the Lottery Fund. When lottery revenues decline during a fiscal year from the level projected at the Enacted Budget agreement, the General Fund is required by law to fund the difference (the “lottery aid guarantee”). This is the case in 2009-10, with core lottery revenue projections revised downward by $131 million since budget enactment. In addition, ARRA funding is expected to be available to help finance spending in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years.

Revenues from core lottery sales are projected to remain flat in 2010-11, followed by an increase of $32 million in 2011-12, and $41 million in 2012-13 (totaling $2.2 billion in 2012-13). Revenues from VLTs are projected to increase by $174 million in 2010-11, by $38 million in 2011-12, and by $48 million in 2012-13 (totaling $738 million in 2012-13). The Financial Plan currently assumes a one-time franchise payment from the sale of VLT development rights at Aqueduct in 2010-11, where operations are expected to begin in 2011.

The September 2009 update to the school aid database resulted in higher projected costs of $75 million in 2010-11, based on additional claims filed since the May 2009 update, and updated wealth and demographic information reported by school districts. These additional costs are primarily driven by growth in foundation aid and special education aid, with supplemental claims from New York City representing nearly 70% of the increased fiscal year liability. Based on statute, additional school year obligations from 2009-10 and earlier years will be paid in State fiscal year 2010-11. As in prior years, the updated school district data and additional claims have resulted in a significant cost increase to the State’s multi-year Financial Plan, subsequent to the Enacted Budget agreements.

The Second Quarterly Update projected school aid on a school year basis at $22.5 billion in 2010-11, $24.2 billion in 2011-12, and $26.3 billion in 2012-13. The 2010-11 Executive Budget proposes a year-to-year reduction in school aid of $1.1 billion or 5%. As education funding in New York is a combination of local and State support, the proposed reduction represents 2% of school districts’ total General Fund expenditures Statewide.

 

C-69


Table of Contents

Transportation. The State’s transportation system is operated, maintained and administered by a network of State and local agencies and public authorities. The Department of Transportation (“DOT”) coordinates planning and policy development and provides for the direct operation and capital improvement of much of the transportation system. DOT is responsible for construction, reconstruction, maintenance, and snow and ice removal for more than 38,000 State highway lane miles and more than 7,500 bridges. In addition, DOT provides funding for local government highway and bridge construction, as well as rail, airport, bicycle, pedestrian and canal programs. The New York State Thruway Authority, the New York State Bridge Authority and other public authorities operate and maintain certain other toll transportation facilities within the State.

The Department also provides oversight and funding for more than 130 public transportation operators, including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“MTA”), the four upstate regional transportation authorities and other (usually county-sponsored) transit systems. These systems provide bus, subway, commuter-rail and light rail services as well as “paratransit” services designed to meet the needs of the disabled. The MTA provides transit and commuter services in the New York City region to over 2.5 billion passengers riding the subways, buses and commuter rail systems each year.

The State’s transportation programs are also supported by the Department of Motor Vehicles (“DMV”), which operates 27 district and branch offices, and provides services via county clerk offices acting as DMV agents at 101 locations throughout the State. DMV issues licenses, non-driver identification cards and vehicle registrations; conducts road tests; monitors driver training; performs enforcement activities; conducts more than 20 million customer transactions annually; and collects more than $1.7 billion in revenue for the State and localities.

Funding to maintain and improve the State’s transportation infrastructure is provided through multi-year capital plans and supported by a combination of State and federal funds. The most recent DOT five-year capital plan covers State fiscal years 2005-06 through 2009-10 and totals approximately $18 billion. Projects in the plan resulted in improvements to highway, bridge, aviation, rail, transit, port, bicycle and pedestrian facilities throughout the State.

DOT’s capital plan and other programs are supported by federal aid, dedicated taxes, fees deposited in the Trust Fund, and remaining 2005 Transportation Bond Act funds. The Trust Fund also receives a significant subsidy from the General Fund, which has been revised across the Plan Period as a result of changes in estimated spending levels for projects, debt service costs, available bond proceeds, and other receipts. The Trust Fund subsidy increases as the cumulative expenses of the fund (capital and operating expenses of DOT and DMV, debt service on Trust Fund bonds and transfers for debt service on bonds that fund the Consolidated Highway Improvement Programs and local transportation programs) continue to exceed current and projected revenue deposits and bond proceeds. The 2010-11 Executive Budget projected the General Fund subsidy at $766 million for 2010-11 and $859 million for 2011-12, with additional growth thereafter.

The 2010-11 Executive Budget proposes a two-year, $7 billion, DOT capital plan. Program and funding levels are affected by a number of key factors, including the lack of a new multi-year federal transportation act, the depletion of funding from the 2005 Bond Act, and the Trust Fund’s increasing reliance on General Fund subsidies, primarily driven by a 2005 debt restructuring that generated short-term savings, but burdened the State with greater debt service expenses in later years. The 2010-11 Executive Budget maintains the State’s core Trust Fund investment in the highway and bridge program at 2009-10 levels and also preserves funding for local highway and bridge projects under the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program at prior-year levels. In addition, significant construction activity funded by the ARRA is expected to continue in State fiscal year 2010-11.

Since 1975, New York State has provided transit system operating assistance through the Statewide Mass Transportation Operating Assistance (“STOA”) program. The STOA has grown from a $100 million General Fund program in 1975 to a $4.3 billion aid program to localities utilizing both dedicated taxes and the General

 

C-70


Table of Contents

Fund. This growth reflects the services provided by transit systems to an annual ridership of more than 2.7 billion passengers. In 2009-10, State transit aid accounted for approximately 35% of the operating resources used to support New York’s transit systems.

The 2010-11 Executive Budget proposes an overall $4.3 billion in aid to transit systems, reflecting a year-to-year increase of nearly $148 million, and $3.9 billion for the MTA, an increase of almost $161 million from 2009-10. The 2010-11 Executive Budget also proposes gap-closing actions for the DMV of approximately $15 million in 2010-11.

Mental Hygiene. The mental hygiene agencies provide services to individuals with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, chemical dependencies, and problem gambling. According to the 2010-11 Executive Budget, these agencies — the Office of Mental Health (“OMH”), the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (“OMRDD”), the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (“OASAS”), the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (“DDPC”), and one oversight agency the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities (“CQCAPD”) — are expected to serve nearly one million individuals in 2010-11, including more than 600,000 persons with mental illness, 260,000 persons with chemical dependencies or gambling problems, and 125,000 persons with developmental disabilities.

The mental hygiene system currently operates 47 institutional facilities serving a State-operated inpatient residential capacity of 7,200 individuals. The State also provides funding to support approximately 86,000 community residential housing options. Additionally, the State supports numerous outpatient, employment, clinic, rehabilitative and treatment programs in partnership with 4,300 not-for-profit provider agencies.

The Second Quarterly Update projects State operations spending on mental hygiene to be $3.1 billion in 2009-10. Higher costs beginning in 2010-11 are expected as a result of a rise in fringe benefit and indirect costs.

The 2010-11 Executive Budget calls for a 5.3% increase in total mental hygiene spending for 2010-11 ($8.5 billion in 2010-11 as compared to $8.07 billion in 2009-10). Specifically, OMH’s budget would increase from $3.21 billion in 2009-10 to $3.41 billion in fiscal year 2010-11; OMRDD’s budget would increase from $4.27 billion to $4.48 billion; and OASAS’s budget would increase from $565 million to $597 million. The majority of the spending increase is attributable to increased federal support of $223 million for a variety of ongoing State and local operated programs. General State Charges, as described below, costs are projected to increase by $129 million.

General State Charges (“GSCs”). GSCs account for the costs of fringe benefits provided to State employees and retirees of the executive, legislative and judicial branches, and certain fixed costs paid by the State. Fringe benefit payments, many of which are mandated by statute or collective bargaining agreements, include employer contributions for pensions, Social Security, health insurance, workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance. Fixed costs include State taxes paid to local governments for certain State-owned lands, and payments related to lawsuits against the State and its public officers.

For most agencies, employee fringe benefit costs are paid centrally from appropriations made to GSCs. These centrally-paid fringe benefit costs represent the majority of GSCs spending. However, certain agencies, such as the judiciary and SUNY, directly pay all or a portion of their employees’ fringe benefit costs from their respective budgets. Employee fringe benefits paid through the GSCs account are paid from the General Fund in the first instance and then partially reimbursed by revenue collected from fringe benefit assessments on Federal funds and other special revenue accounts. The funding source of fringe benefit costs directly paid by certain agencies is dependent on the respective agencies’ funding sources. Fixed costs are paid in full by General Fund revenues from the GSCs account.

All Funds spending on GSCs is expected to total $5.7 billion in 2009-10, and includes health insurance spending for employees ($1.7 billion) and retirees ($1.1 billion), pensions ($1.1 billion) and Social Security

 

C-71


Table of Contents

($962 million). GSCs are projected to total $4 billion in 2010-11, $4.3 billion in 2011-12 and $4.8 billion in 2012-13. The annual increases are due mainly to anticipated cost increases in pensions and health insurance for State employees and retirees.

Changes to the GSC forecast of spending include increases in the State’s contribution to the New York State and Local Employees’ Retirement System and the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System (as noted below), additional costs for taxes on State-owned lands in 2009-10, as well as multi-year revisions to the forecast for health insurance costs for State employees and retirees, fixed costs and fringe benefit escrow receipts.

The 2010-11 Executive Budget proposes a number of workforce actions to reduce State employee salary costs. These actions are expected to result in estimated savings of $250 million in 2010-11 and $125 million in 2011-12, and include the following actions that require union negotiation to reduce fringe benefit costs: salary deferral for State employees in 2010-11, and a delay or reduction of an April 1, 2010 4% general salary increase for the State’s non-unionized management/confidential employees, which would result in estimated savings of $28 million in 2010-11.

In addition, the 2010-11 Executive Budget recommends a number of actions that do not require union negotiation to reduce fringe benefit costs and would result in estimated savings of $262 million in 2010-11, such as: the amortization of State pension contribution costs (as noted below), requiring Medicare Part B premium contributions for State employees and retirees ($30 million savings in both 2010-11 and 2011-12); allowing the option for State employees or retirees to self-insure all or parts of the New York State Health Insurance Plan ($15 million savings in 2010-11 and $30 million savings in 2011-12).

Pensions. The New York State and Local Retirement Systems (the “Systems”) provide coverage for public employees of the State and its localities (except employees of New York City and teachers, who are covered by separate plans). The Systems comprise the New York State and Local Employees’ Retirement System (“ERS”) and the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System (“PFRS”). The Comptroller is the administrative head of the Systems. State employees made up about 31% of the membership during the 2008-09 fiscal year. There were 3,025 other public employers participating in the Systems, including all cities and counties (except New York City), most towns, villages and school districts (with respect to non-teaching employees) and a large number of local authorities of the State. As of March 31, 2009, 679,908 persons were members and 366,178 pensioners or beneficiaries were receiving benefits.

Recent market volatility and the recent decline in the market value of many equity investments have negatively affected the assets held for the Systems. The current actuarial smoothing method spreads the effect over a 5-year period, and thus contribution rate increases are expected for fiscal year 2012 through 2015. Final contribution rates for fiscal year 2011 were released in early September 2009. The average 2011 ERS rate increased from 7.4% of salary in fiscal year 2010 to 11.9% of salary in fiscal year 2011, while the average 2011 PFRS rate increased from 15.1% of salary in fiscal year 2010 to 18.2% of salary in fiscal year 2011.

Legislation enacted in May 2003 realigned the Systems billing cycle to match governments’ budget cycles and also instituted a minimum annual payment. The employer contribution for a given fiscal year will be based on the value of the pension fund and its liabilities on the prior April 1. In addition, employers are required to make a minimum contribution of at least 4.5% of payroll every year.

The State paid, in full, its employer contributions for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009. Payments totaled $1.06 billion. This amount included amounts required to be paid by the judiciary bill and the amortization payments for the 2005 and 2006 bills. The State bill for the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2010 is $979.1 million, assuming a payment on March 1, 2010.

 

C-72


Table of Contents

The OSC reports that the net assets available for benefits as of March 31, 2009 were $110.9 billion (including $2.9 billion in receivables), a decrease of $44.9 billion or 28.8% from the 2007-08 level of $155.8 billion, reflecting, in large part, equity market performance. OSC reports that the present value of anticipated benefits for current members, retirees, and beneficiaries increased from $170.5 billion on April 1, 2008 to $176.6 billion (including $69 billion for current retirees and beneficiaries) on April 1, 2009. The funding method used by the Systems anticipates that the net assets, plus future actuarially determined contributions, will be sufficient to pay for the anticipated benefits of current members, retirees and beneficiaries. Actuarially determined contributions are calculated using actuarial assets and the present value of anticipated benefits. Actuarial assets differed from net assets on April 1, 2009 in that amortized cost was used instead of market value for bonds and mortgages and the non-fixed investments utilized a smoothing method which recognized 20% of unexpected gain for the 2009 fiscal year, 40% of the unexpected gain for the 2008 fiscal year, 60% of the unexpected gain for the 2007 fiscal year and 80% of the unexpected gain for the 2006 fiscal year. Actuarial assets decreased from $151.8 billion on April 1, 2008 to $149 billion on April 1, 2009. The funded ratio, as of April 1, 2009, using the entry age normal funding method, was 101%.

The State’s pension contribution rate to the Systems, which is 7.6% for 2009-10, is expected to increase to 10.5% for 2010-11, 11.4% for 2011-12 and 11.5% in 2012-13. Pension costs in 2010-11 are projected to total $1.4 billion, an increase of $264 million over 2009-10. In 2011-12, costs are projected to increase an additional $113 million to total $1.5 billion. In 2012-13, they are expected to increase by $129 million to total $1.7 billion. Growth in all years is driven by anticipated increases in the employer contribution rate.

Spending for employee and retiree health care costs is expected to increase by $318 million in 2010-11, $251 million in 2011-12, and another $269 million in 2012-13, and assumes an average annual premium increase of approximately 8.0%. Health insurance is projected at $3.2 billion in 2010-11 ($1.9 billion for active employees and $1.25 billion for retired employees), $3.4 billion in 2011-12 ($2.1 billion for active employees and $1.3 billion for retired employees), and $3.7 billion in 2012-13 ($2.2 billion for active employees and $1.5 billion for retired employees). In addition, as noted previously, the State now plans to make its pension contribution on March 1, 2010, rather than September 2009. The estimated cost of not pre-paying the contribution is approximately $30 million. The State also plans to make its 2010-11 contribution in March 2011, rather than pre-paying it, which results in additional 2010-11 costs of approximately $50 million.

The 2010-11 Executive Budget notes that local governments and the State will face substantial pension contribution increases over the next five years due to investment losses experienced by the Common Retirement Fund, a pooled investment vehicle through which investments for the Systems are made. Accordingly, the 2010-11 Executive Budget would give local governments and the State the option to amortize a portion of their pension costs from 2010-11 through 2015-16. Local governments and the State, if they choose to participate, would be permitted to amortize the portion of their respective pension costs exceeding a contribution rate of 9.5% for the Systems and 17.5% for the PFRS in 2010-11. The contribution rate above which future amortizations are allowed would be increased by one percentage point each year through 2015-16. Repayment of the amortized amounts would be made over a ten-year period at an interest rate to be determined by the State Comptroller. This proposal would result in savings of $217 million in 2010-11 and $475 million in 2012 for the State.

Rhode Island

The following information relates specifically to the Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund (the “Fund”). This summary does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all relevant facts for the Fund. Although the Fund has no reason to believe that the information summarized below is not correct in all material respects, such information has not been independently verified for accuracy or thoroughness. Rather, this information has been obtained from official statements, prospectuses and other disclosure provided in connection with various securities offerings of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (“Rhode Island” or the “State”) and local agencies in Rhode Island available as of the

 

C-73


Table of Contents

date of this Statement of Additional Information. The Fund assumes that all such material was prepared and published in a manner consistent with current standards of disclosure. Further, all estimates and projections contained in the following information should not be construed as statements of fact. They are based on assumptions that may be affected by numerous factors and there can be no assurance that such estimates and projections will be realized or achieved.

The Fund is more susceptible to factors adversely affecting issuers of Rhode Island municipal securities than comparable municipal bond funds that do not focus on investments in Rhode Island issuers.

Introduction. The Governor is required to submit, and the General Assembly is required to enact, a balanced budget. Over the last several years, the State has faced budget shortfalls after the budget was enacted. See “Revised Fiscal 2009 and 2010 Budgets” below.

The State Budget Office is required to prepare quarterly reports which project the year end balance assuming current trends continue under current laws, and the typical cyclical expenditure patterns prevail over the course of the year. This consolidated report is released within forty-five days of the end of each fiscal quarter. Also, the State Budget Office is required to publish five year forecasts of expenditures and revenues for submission to the General Assembly as part of the annual budget process, and these forecasts over the years, based upon the information then available, have generally projected that outyear expenditures will exceed revenues — at times by a substantial amount. In the event of a budgetary imbalance, the available free surplus will be reduced, additional resources (i.e. taxes, fines, fees, etc.) will be required and/or certain expenditure controls will be put into effect.

Due to the past fiscal challenges facing the State, the budget has from time to time incorporated certain significant one-time resources. The enacted fiscal year (“FY”) 2002 and FY 2003 budgets incorporated the use of the proceeds from the securitization of the tobacco settlement payments due the State under the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) entered into by the Attorney General in November 1998. The tobacco securitization proceeds included in the budget as enacted are based on the actual sale of the State’s right to receive all of its tobacco settlement payments for the 2004 — 2043 period. The bonds were sold by the Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation on June 27, 2002 in the amount of $685.4 million. The net proceeds of the sale, after funding the costs of issuance, capitalized interest, and the debt service reserve account, totaled $544.2 million.

The budget used the net tobacco bond proceeds as follows: $295.3 million was used in June 2002 to defease $247.6 million of outstanding general obligation and certificate of participation debt (or $295.5 million reflecting the accreted value of capital appreciation bonds), and the remaining $243.9 million was made available for operating budget expenditures in FY 2002-FY 2004. The debt defeasance resulted in debt service savings of $51.6 million in FY 2003 and total debt service savings through FY 2012 of $343.5 million. The legislatively enacted budgets used $135.0 million of the net proceeds to finance operating expenditures in FY 2002, allocated $113.5 million of resources to finance FY 2003 budgeted expenditures, and allocated the remaining $1.7 million (including interest earnings) in FY 2004.

In his FY 2008 Budget, the Governor proposed that the State sell the rights to the residual tobacco settlement payments reflecting those revenues from the Master Settlement Agreement which will be received by the State after the 2002 bonds of the Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation are fully repaid. The Tobacco Settlement Financial Corporation sold $197.0 million of such bonds on June 27, 2007, and the net proceeds to the State totaled $195.0 million. The budget enacted by the General Assembly allocated $42.5 million in FY 2007 and $124.0 million in FY 2008 for working capital purposes, and provided $28.4 million for heavy equipment/vehicles and capital projects. There was an additional $1.7 million of interest on invested tobacco bond proceeds which was available for transfer to the Rhode Island Capital Plan Fund for these capital projects.

 

C-74


Table of Contents

The State’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for FY 2008 revealed a deficit of $42.95 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008. This was the result of revenues falling below enacted estimates by $7.1 million and expenditures exceeding appropriations by $37.4 million. The Governor was required by law to reappropriate unexpended balances from FY 2008 for the General Assembly amounting to $1.7 million. The Governor sought appropriation from the Budget Reserve and Cash Stabilization Account, which was fully funded at $102.8 million at the end of FY 2008. The General Assembly did not make an appropriation to resolve the FY 2008 $42.95 million deficit. The deficit of $42.95 million, when combined with the $102.8 million reserve fund, resulted in approximately $60 million of combined balances. The FY 2009 Enacted Budget reflects the budget enacted by the General Assembly in June 2008. The budget enacted by the General Assembly in June 2008 for FY 2009 was predicated upon available resources of $3.2762 billion net of reserve fund contributions, and expenditures of $3.2762 billion resulting in an estimated closing surplus of $0.1 million.

The General Assembly enacted a final FY 2009 Budget that included expenditures of $3.001 billion from general revenues, $275.0 million less than originally enacted, and $404.1 million less than FY 2008 actual expenditures. The reduction in general revenue spending is the result of both reductions in real expenditures and shifts from state general revenue sources to one-time federal fund sources. Much of this shifting is the result of funds being made available from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The United States Congress passed in February 2009 the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a $789 billion stimulus package consisting of various spending and tax cut measures. Current estimates place Rhode Island’s spending share of the federal stimulus package in a range from $825 million to over $1 billion (not including unemployment benefits, supplemental nutrition assistance programs, Pell grants, or child support enforcement). This includes approximately $451.5 million over 27 months for Rhode Island’s Medicaid programs, approximately $137 million for highway and bridge construction and repairs, approximately $75.4 million for other infrastructure work, approximately $91 million for aid to schools serving low-income students and special education programs for children with learning disabilities, and approximately $165 million of fiscal stabilization funds to be used primarily as education aid. The full effect of such stimulus funds may be greater than that reflected in the Enacted FY 2010 Budget as there are also competitive grant funds available. The final FY 2009 Budget included $295.5 million of federal ARRA funds and the Enacted FY 2010 Budget includes $638.8 million of ARRA funds. The General Assembly included $135.6 million in additional federal Medicaid matching funds and enhanced Title IVE funds, thereby reducing general revenue expenditures by the same amount based on the federal act that raised the federal Medicaid match percentage by 11.3 points retroactive to October 1, 2008. For FY 2010, there is $192.1 million of enhanced Medicaid match and $1.7 million of Title IVE enhanced match.

The final FY 2009 Budget also maximized use of state fiscal stabilization funds for State budget relief by utilizing $38.3 million of federal education funds to relieve state general revenue support to local governments. Additionally, there was $20 million of federal state fiscal stabilization funds included in the final FY 2009 Budget which relieved general revenue expenditures in the Department of Corrections. For FY 2010, the General Assembly included $37.2 million for education and $10.0 million for State police from ARRA state stabilization grants.

The final FY 2009 Budget has relied upon approximately $194 million of one-time federal stimulus funds to offset expenditures in FY 2009. The FY 2010 Budget relies upon approximately $241 million of federal stimulus funds, which funds are not likely to be available for budget purposes after FY 2012. In FY 2011, the State expects to lose about $97 million of federal funding when the enhanced Medicaid match ends on December 31, 2010. As a result, the State will face the challenge of addressing the loss of such funds in future budget years if revenues remain depressed due to the economic downturn.

The recent and continuing adverse economic and fiscal conditions have necessitated a series of downward revenue forecasts, which have led to certain budget adjustments in order to maintain a balanced budget. These actions have included a number of one-time measures, such as the use of one-time federal funds and reserves,

 

C-75


Table of Contents

which will not be available to address future budget needs. In addition, it is foreseeable that adjustments to the Enacted FY 2010 Budget will need to be made. Furthermore, in light of the current conditions, significant budget deficits are expected for the years following FY 2010 and additional significant adjustments to both revenues and expenditures will likely be necessary for the adoption of balanced budgets for the fiscal years following the Enacted FY 2010 Budget. The State cannot now predict with any certainty what adjustments, if any, will be made to the Enacted FY 2010 Budget or the outcome of the budget process for the fiscal years following the FY 2010 Budget.

Rhode Island’s labor market began to feel the effects of recession as early as January of 2007. The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training reported that the unemployment rate leveled off at 10.5 percent in February and March of FY 2009 following January’s 10.3 percent rate — the first time it had not shown a monthly increase since May and June of FY 2007. At this time, Rhode Island’s unemployment rate of 10.5 percent is the sixth highest in the nation, lagging the U.S. unemployment rate of 8.5 percent. There was a year-over-year increase of 20,800 unemployed Rhode Islanders in March. The State unemployment rate for April 2009 was 11.1 percent. This compared to an 8.9 percent national rate. Rhode Island had the fourth highest rate in the country. In June 2009, Rhode Island’s unemployment rate rose to 12.4 percent, the second highest unemployment rate in the country. The U.S. unemployment rate for June 2009 was 9.5 percent.

Rhode Island’s unemployment rate is projected to peak at 12 percent in FY 2010. As recovery takes hold, Rhode Island’s unemployment rate is projected to steadily decline to 11.5 percent in FY 2011, to 9.0 percent in FY 2012, to 6.9 percent in FY 2013 and to 6.2 percent in FY 2014. Even at this lower rate, Rhode Island’s unemployment rate will be significantly higher than the rates achieved in the early 2000s.

The estimates for personal income growth suggest a downward revision in FY 2009 from the November 2008 estimates. The adopted personal income growth rate is projected to increase slightly in FY 2010 before approaching more normal growth rates through FY 2013, averaging 3.1 percent growth from FY 2010 through FY 2013. Likewise, estimates of dividend, interest and rental income are trending downward in FY 2009 before bouncing back in FY 2010 through FY 2014. Wage and salary income growth is projected to be negative in FY 2010, hitting bottom at a –2.2 percent rate of growth in FY 2010, before improving slightly in FY 2011. Beginning in FY 2012, wage and salary income growth is projected to rebound before accelerating sharply in FY 2013. A slight decline of 0.4 percentage points is anticipated in FY 2014.

General Fund Revenues and Expenditures. The State draws nearly all of its revenue from a series of non-property related taxes and excises, principally the personal income tax and the sales and use tax, from federal assistance payments and grants-in aid, and from earnings and receipts from certain State-operated programs and facilities. The State additionally derives revenue from a variety of special purpose fees and charges that must be used for specific purposes as required by State law.

The General Assembly’s Enacted FY 2010 Budget estimates general revenues of $3.077 billion, a decrease of –0.4 percent from the final enacted FY 2009 level of $3.088 billion. The Enacted FY 2010 Budget is composed of $2.915 billion of revenue estimated at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. Included in this adopted revenue estimate was $42.5 million of revenue enhancements that were enacted in April 2009. In addition, $158.8 million of enhancements to the revenue estimates adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference were enacted in June 2009. Thus, the enacted FY 2010 estimated general revenues include $201.2 million of revenue enhancements, of which $128.8 million is directly related to the reinstitution of the Hospital Licensing Fee. The enacted FY 2010 revenue estimate assumes the State regains tax revenues in FY 2010 formerly lost from several taxes due to the historic structures tax credit, which will now be paid from proceeds from revenue bonds that were issued by the Economic Development Corporation in June 2009 for that purpose.

Revised FY 2009 General Revenues. The General Assembly’s final FY 2009 Budget estimated general revenues of $3.088 billion, a decrease of 9.9 percent from the audited FY 2008 level. The General Assembly’s

 

C-76


Table of Contents

final FY 2009 budget is composed of $3.072 billion of revenue estimated at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference (sometimes hereinafter referred to as the “May 2009 Conference”) and $16.2 million of changes to these adopted estimates.

Revised Fiscal 2009 and 2010 Budgets. The largest source of final FY 2009 general revenues is the Personal Income Tax, with estimated receipts of $970.6 million. No change to personal income tax revenues were adopted by the General Assembly when it enacted the final FY 2009 Budget, making the May estimate and the final enacted estimate equal. Personal Income Taxes are expected to comprise 31.4 percent of total general revenues in FY 2009. Relative to audited FY 2008 collections, the Revised FY 2009 Revenue Estimate for Personal Income Taxes are $103.0 million less, yielding a growth rate of -9.6 percent. The Revised FY 2009 Revenue Estimate for Personal Income Taxes has been grossed up to reflect the reimbursement of the State from the Historic Structures Tax Credit Fund for any historic structures tax credit certificates that are redeemed against personal income taxes. Through June 30, 2009, these redemptions totaled $43.2 million. The Personal Income Tax is estimated to generate $963.2 million, $23.6 million more than the May 2009 Conference estimated for FY 2010. Personal Income Taxes are expected to comprise 31.3 percent of total general revenues in FY 2010. Relative to final enacted FY 2009 collections, enacted FY 2010 Personal Income Taxes are $7.4 million lower, yielding growth of –0.8 percent.

Sales and Use Tax collections are estimated at a total $823.2 million in the Revised FY 2009 Revenue Estimates, the same level included in the final FY 2009 budget. The final FY 2009 Budget included $1.1 million of increased sales tax collections from the higher retail price of cigarettes. The final FY 2009 Budget estimate for Sales and Use Taxes signifies negative growth of -2.5 percent over final FY 2008 collections. Sales and Use Taxes are anticipated to contribute 26.7 percent to total general revenues in FY 2009. Sales and Use Tax collections are enacted at a total $815.0 million in FY 2010, the same amount as the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference estimate for FY 2010. The General Assembly’s enacted FY 2010 estimate yields growth of –4.0 percent over the final enacted FY 2009 Sales and Use tax estimate. Sales and Use Taxes are anticipated to contribute 26.5 percent to total general revenues in FY 2010.

Motor Vehicle Operator License and Vehicle Registration Fees were estimated at $50.8 million, the same level as was adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. The General Assembly did not adopt any changes to Motor Vehicle licenses and registration fees in the final FY 2009 Budget. Relative to audited FY 2008 collections, the final FY 2009 budget estimate for Motor Vehicle licenses and fees is 4.5 percent more and is projected to comprise 1.6 percent of all general revenues in FY 2009.

Motor Carrier Fuel Use Taxes are projected at $1.0 million for FY 2009, no change from the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference estimate and $8,527 more than audited FY 2008 collections. Relative to the final enacted FY 2009 estimate, the enacted FY 2010 adopted estimate for Motor Vehicle licenses and fees is down $400,000, or –0.8 percent. Motor Carrier Fuel Use Taxes are enacted at $920,000 in FY 2010, the same level as was adopted at the May 2009 Conference and 8.0 percent less than the final enacted FY 2009 estimate of $1.0 million.

Cigarettes Taxes, which include excise taxes on cigarettes and ad valorem taxes on other tobacco products such as pipe tobacco, cigars and the like, are estimated to total $131.0 million in FY 2009. In the final FY 2009 Budget, the General Assembly increased the State’s cigarette excise tax from $2.46 to $3.46 per pack of 20 cigarettes and increased the tax on the wholesale price of other tobacco products from 40.0 percent to 80.0 percent. The revenue effects of these tax increases are incorporated into the final revenue estimate for Cigarettes Taxes. Compared to FY 2008 audited Cigarettes Taxes collections, the adopted estimate represents an increase of $16.3 million, or 14.2 percent. Cigarettes Taxes are enacted at $148.0 million for FY 2010, an increase of $17.0 million, or 13.0 percent over the final enacted FY 2009 estimate.

Alcohol Taxes are projected at $10.8 million for FY 2009, a decrease of 3.1 percent from audited FY 2008 collections. No change to Alcohol Tax revenues were adopted by the General Assembly when it enacted the final FY 2009 Budget, making the May estimates and the final enacted estimate equal. Alcohol Taxes are enacted at $10.9 million for FY 2010, an increase of $100,000, or 0.9 percent over the final enacted FY 2009 estimate.

 

C-77


Table of Contents

General Business Taxes are projected to comprise 11.7 percent of total general revenue collections in FY 2009. Business Corporations Tax revenues are estimated at $112.0 million, the same level as was adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. Business Corporations Tax collections are estimated to be 25.6 percent lower than audited FY 2008 collections. Business Corporations Taxes are expected to constitute 3.6 percent of total general revenues in FY 2009. Business Corporations Tax revenues are enacted to yield $113.0 million, the same amount as was adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. Business Corporations Tax collections are projected to be 0.9 percent higher than the final enacted FY 2009 estimate. Business Corporations Taxes are expected to constitute 3.7 percent of total general revenues in FY 2010.

Health Care Provider Assessments are estimated at the same level as was adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. This estimate includes a decrease in revenue from the reduction in Medicaid reimbursement rates to nursing facilities of 5 percent and a reduction in the direct labor cost center ceiling from 112 percent to 110 percent of the statewide median. These initiatives decrease total payments to nursing homes by $6.5 million and $2.0 million, respectively, thereby lowering the gross revenue base upon which the 5.5 percent nursing home provider tax is applied. Compared to FY 2008 audited health care provider assessment collections, the final estimate represents a decrease of 9.3 percent. FY 2010 Health Care Provider Assessments are enacted to be $1.6 million lower than the levels adopted at the May 2009 Conference.

Insurance Companies Gross Premiums Taxes are estimated at a total of $80.4 million for FY 2009, as adopted by the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference, and are forecasted to be 18.2 percent higher than audited FY 2008 collections. The final estimate accounts for the General Assembly’s acceptance of the Governor’s proposals to increase the gross premiums tax rate for health maintenance organizations, non-profit hospital and medical service corporations, and non-profit dental service corporations from 1.75 percent to 2.0 percent and to remove the exemption from the Insurance Companies Gross Premiums tax for managed care plans organized pursuant to Title XIX of the Social Security Act effective January 1, 2009. Insurance Companies Gross Premiums Taxes are projected to comprise 2.6 percent of total general revenues in FY 2009. Insurance Companies Gross Premiums Taxes are enacted at a total of $81.9 million in FY 2010, the same amount as was adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. Insurance Companies Gross Premiums Taxes are expected to be 1.9 percent higher than the final enacted FY 2009 estimate. They are projected to comprise 2.7 percent of total enacted general revenues in FY 2010.

The final FY 2009 Financial Institution Taxes estimate is $4.1 million. Financial Institutions Taxes represent 0.1 percent of total revised general revenues in FY 2009. Relative to audited FY 2008 collections, the final FY 2009 Budget estimate for Financial Institutions Taxes is 125.6 percent more. FY 2010 Financial Institution Taxes are enacted at the same level as was adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. At a total of $3.8 million, they represent 0.1 percent of total enacted general revenues in FY 2010. Relative to the final enacted FY 2009 estimate, the enacted FY 2010 level of Financial Institutions Taxes is 9.2 percent less.

FY 2009 Bank Deposits Taxes are projected at the level adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference and total $1.7 million. The FY 2009 level of Bank Deposits Taxes yields a growth rate of –0.6 percent when compared to audited FY 2008 collections. The enacted FY 2010 level of Bank Deposits Taxes yields a growth rate of 1.8 percent when compared to the final enacted FY 2009 estimate.

The final FY 2009 Public Utilities Gross Earnings Taxes estimate is the same as the level adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. The final FY 2009 Budget estimate is projected at $115.0 million and comprises 3.7 percent of total general revenues in FY 2009. The final estimate represents an increase of 15.7 percent over audited FY 2008 Public Utilities Gross Earnings tax collections. Enacted FY 2010 Public Utilities Gross Earnings Taxes are $115.0 million and comprise 3.7 percent of total enacted general revenues.

Inheritance and Gift Taxes are estimated at $30.2 million, the same amount as was adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. At this level, the final FY 2009 estimate for Inheritance and Gift Taxes are expected to constitute 1.0 percent of total general revenues. Inheritance and Gift Taxes are enacted at $29.4 million for FY 2010.

 

C-78


Table of Contents

The final FY 2009 revenue estimate for Inheritance and Gift Taxes is 14.5 percent less than audited FY 2008 collections. The final FY 2009 revenue estimates for Realty Transfer Taxes are projected at the same level as was adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. Thus, the final FY 2009 revenue estimate for Realty Transfer Taxes is $7.5 million, which represents negative growth of -26.6 percent from audited FY 2008 levels. Racing and Athletics Taxes are estimated at the level adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. This estimate represents a decline of $312,860, or –11.1 percent, from audited FY 2008 collections. Total Racing and Athletics Taxes are expected at $2.5 million. FY 2010 Realty Transfer Taxes are enacted at the same level adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. Thus, enacted Realty Transfer Taxes are $7.2 million, which represents negative growth of -4.0 percent from final enacted FY 2009 levels. Racing and Athletics Taxes are also enacted at the level adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. This estimate represents a decline of $400,000 or –16.0 percent, from final enacted FY 2009 levels.

The adopted total of all Other Taxes is 1.3 percent of total general revenues in FY 2009. No change to Other Taxes were adopted by the General Assembly when it enacted the final FY 2009 Budget, making the May 2009 estimates and the final enacted estimate the same.

Final FY 2009 departmental receipts are estimated to be $16.2 million more than the FY 2009 departmental receipts estimate adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. This increase is due to the General Assembly’s increase of the hospital licensing fee rate for FY 2009. Final FY 2009 departmental receipts comprise 10.7 percent of estimated total general revenues. Relative to audited FY 2008 departmental receipt collections, the final FY 2009 revenue estimate for departmental receipts yields a growth rate of –7.4 percent. In the licenses and fees category of departmental receipts, $127.6 million is expected as a result of the re-institution of the hospital licensing fee at 5.237 percent of 2007 net patient revenues for FY 2009.

The Other Sources component total of $369.1 million in the final FY 2009 Budget estimate represents a decrease of –33.6 percent, or $186.9 million, compared to audited FY 2008 Other Sources collections. Final Other Sources revenues are expected to comprise 12.0 percent of total general revenues for FY 2009. The final FY 2009 Budget estimate of Other Sources revenues is equal to the level adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. The Other Sources component enacted total of $362.7 million in FY 2010 represents a decrease of 1.7 percent, or $6.4 million, compared to final enacted FY 2009 Other Sources estimate. Enacted FY 2010 Other Sources revenues are expected to comprise 11.8 percent of total enacted general revenues.

The final FY 2009 revenue estimate for Other Miscellaneous Revenues is $163.4 million lower than the audited FY 2008 level, a decrease of 89.9 percent. This decrease is due in large part to the inclusion of tobacco securitization proceeds worth $124.0 million in FY 2008 that do not repeat in FY 2009. Other Miscellaneous Revenues are projected at $18.4 million in the final FY 2009 Budget, amounting to 0.6 percent of all general revenues. The Enacted FY 2010 Budget for Other Miscellaneous Revenues is $9.4 million lower than the final enacted FY 2009 level, a decrease of 51.1 percent.

Within the Gas Tax Transfer component, the final FY 2009 revenue estimate is the same as the level adopted at the May 2009 Conference. The Gas Tax Transfer is estimated at $4.4 million, comprising 0.1 percent of total general revenues in FY 2009. Relative to the audited FY 2008 transfer, the final FY 2009 gas tax transfer is less by 2.5 percent. No change to Gas Tax collections were adopted by the General Assembly when it enacted the FY 2009 Final Budget. Within the Gas Tax Transfer component, the General Assembly’s Enacted FY 2010 Budget shows a 100 percent decrease from the FY 2010 level adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. The Gas Tax Transfer is enacted at zero due primarily to the passage of the Governor’s proposal to terminate the transfer of $0.01 of the $0.30 in per gallon gas tax collections from the Intermodal Surface Transportation Fund (ISTF) to the General Fund for FY 2010. This is an estimated decrease of $4.4 million in general revenues for FY 2010.

Within the Lottery category, the final FY 2009 revenue estimate of $338.1 million is $16.2 million less than the audited FY 2008 transfer, a decrease of 4.6 percent. The final FY 2009 revenue estimate comprises 10.9

 

C-79


Table of Contents

percent of the total general revenues in FY 2009. The General Assembly adopted no changes from the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference estimate for the Lottery Transfer. Within the Lottery category, the Enacted FY 2010 Budget is $10.6 million greater than the final enacted FY 2009 transfer, an increase of 3.1 percent. The General Assembly enacted a $7.6 million increase over the level adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference to reflect the extension of 24 hours a day, three days a week (24/3) operation of video lottery terminals (VLT) to FY 2010. An additional $3.1 million of increased revenues to the State was added for the introduction of 24 hours a day, seven days a week VLT operations at both Twin River and Newport Grand. In FY 2010, the Lottery Transfer is enacted to be $348.7 million and comprises 11.3 percent of total enacted general revenues.

In March 2008, UTGR, Inc., the owner and operator of Twin River, one of the two licensed video lottery facilities of the State, defaulted on loan payments to its lenders who provided a $565 million loan package to UTGR, Inc. and its parent companies to buy and expand the Twin River facility. As a result of defaulting on loan payments, UTGR entered into a forbearance agreement with its lenders. In September 2008, both Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service downgraded their rating of the company that owns Twin River, and Moody’s issued a statement warning of a “high probability of bankruptcy.” The forbearance agreement expired on January 31, 2009 and was not extended.

On or about June 23, 2009, UTGR, Inc. d/b/a Twin River, BLB Management Services, Inc, and BLB Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (collectively, the “Debtors”) commenced a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding by filing voluntary petitions for relief in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Rhode Island (Case No. 09–12418). The filing was made when — after months of discussions and negotiations — the Debtors, their lenders and the State reached an agreement in principle with respect to a consensual reorganization plan, which plan is subject to approval of the Bankruptcy Court. The consensual plan contemplates, among other things, that the lenders will remove approximately $290 million of the approximately $590 million of debt on the balance sheet of the facility and, subject to the State’s regulatory approval process, the lenders shall become the new owners of the facility and search for a new operator for the facility to replace the Debtors. The State is represented in the bankruptcy proceedings by outside legal counsel (Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Brown Rudnick LLP). Since the filing, the Debtors have continued in the management and operation of the business as debtors in possession pursuant to sections 1107 and 1108 of the Bankruptcy Code and Twin River has continued to remain open as usual. Although the plan provides for the State to make additional investments in the marketing and management for the facility, it is not anticipated that the bankruptcy will have a significant effect on the lottery revenues the State expects to continue to receive from the facility. The Rhode Island Lottery continues to control and regulate the video lottery operations at the facility, including cash receipts, cash transfers and cash deposits.

The Department of Revenue, Division of Lotteries, and the Department of Business Regulation continue to closely monitor the situation. Any proposal to have a new operator of the facility and/or any proposal to transfer ownership of the facility would need regulatory approval. The possible opening of new gaming sites in Massachusetts may significantly reduce revenues of Twin River since such sites are likely to reduce the number of out-of-state patrons visiting Twin River.

The final category of general revenue receipts is the Unclaimed Property transfer. This transfer is expected to decrease by $7.2 million, or 46.7 percent, from the audited FY 2008 transfer. The source of this decrease is primarily due to the non-recurrence of the demutualization proceeds that were received in FY 2008. The final FY 2009 revenue estimate for Unclaimed Property transfer is projected to be $8.2 million the same as the level adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. The Unclaimed Property transfer is expected to comprise 0.3 percent of all general revenues in FY 2009. In FY 2010, this transfer is enacted to decrease by $3.2 million, or 39.0 percent, from the final enacted FY 2009 transfer.

Enacted FY 2010 departmental receipts are expected to generate $131.8 million more than the FY 2010 level adopted at the May 2009 Revenue Estimating Conference. Including all of the General Assembly’s enacted

 

C-80


Table of Contents

changes to departmental receipts yields total enacted departmental revenues of $335.5 million for FY 2010. Enacted FY 2010 departmental receipts represent 10.9 percent of total enacted general revenues. Relative to final enacted FY 2009 departmental receipt levels, the enacted FY 2010 estimate of departmental receipts yields a growth rate of 1.6 percent. In the licenses and fees category of departmental receipts, $128.8 million is expected as a result of the Assembly’s proposal to re-institute the hospital licensing fee for FY 2010 at a rate of 5.237 percent of 2008 net patient revenues.

The enacted FY 2010 departmental receipts figure includes several other initiatives that reflect a change from the estimates adopted at the May 2009 Conference for departmental receipts.

Major State Expenses. The State has encountered and will encounter significant difficulties in solving several major funding obligations, mainly:

 

  1. State Aid to Local Communities

 

  2. Infrastructure

 

  3. Debt Burden

 

  4. Employee Retirement

State Aid to Local Communities. The largest category of State aid to cities and towns is assistance programs for school operations and school construction. The general school aid program disburses funding to communities on the basis of a number of factors including wealth of the community and the number of children eligible for free or reduced price meals. A number of legislative, executive or collaborative efforts have been made to refine the commitment and strategy for financing local education into the future. Thus far, there has been no strategy confirmed by a statutory scheme specifying a precise method of determining entitlements in future years. Midway through FY 2009, the General Assembly enacted a $42.6 million reduction from the originally enacted budget of $691.4 million in school operations aid. This included a reduction of $38.3 million of general aid offset by $38.3 million of federal funds to be received by local governments through the “State Stabilization Fund” under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“ARRA”). It also included a $5.3 million reduction in Professional Development Funds, and a $4.3 million reduction associated with revenues generated from video lottery operations dedicated to the Permanent School Fund, a fund which is established by the Constitution to benefit schools but previously had relatively small annual resources. Local governments were also expected to receive $16.2 million of Title I funds and $19.4 of IDEA funds through ARRA in FY 2009. In FY 2010, $37.2 million of State stabilization funding from ARRA for educational purposes will be provided to local governments. In FY 2010, local governments are expected to receive $17.2 million of Title I funds and $21.9 million of IDEA funds.

In addition to reimbursement of school operations costs, State school construction aid is provided at levels ranging from 30 percent to 88 percent of the construction cost of new facilities. The level is based upon the relationship between student enrollment and community wealth, and takes into consideration the relative weight of school debt in the particular city or town to its total debt. Beginning in FY 1997, the definition of reimbursable expenditures was expanded to include capital expenditures made through a capital lease or lease revenue bonds or from a municipality’s capital reserve account. In FY 1997, disbursements to local school districts totaled $18.1 million. The FY 2010 enacted Budget provides $61.5 million for this category of aid. A related program will provide approximately $2.8 million in FY 2010 to cities and towns to provide aid in the construction of libraries.

Other local aid programs include the motor vehicle excise tax reimbursement, general revenue sharing and payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) program. Beginning in 1987, a variety of general State aid programs were consolidated into one general revenue sharing program which incorporated a distribution formula based upon relative population, tax effort for municipal services and personal income of each city and town. The general revenue sharing program also incorporated additional funding to compensate municipalities for the phased loss of

 

C-81


Table of Contents

the inventory tax as described above. The FY 2009 Budget included $55.1 million for this program. Midway through FY 2009, the General Assembly enacted a reduction of $30.1 million from the $55.1 million enacted level and no funding was appropriated in FY 2010. The Motor Vehicle Excise Tax Reimbursement program is funded at $135.6 million in the FY 2010 Enacted Budget.

The PILOT program authorizes the General Assembly to appropriate and distribute to communities amounts not to exceed 27 percent of the property taxes that would have been collected on tax exempt properties. Properties included in this program are non-profit educational institutions, non-profit or State-owned hospitals, veterans’ residential facility, and correctional facilities. The FY 2010 Enacted Budget includes $27.6 million for this program. Also, the State makes payments to communities identified as distressed based upon four different criteria. Appropriations of $10.4 million are included in the FY 2010 Enacted Budget to fund entitlements for seven communities. Of these seven communities, Central Falls was determined to be especially distressed in 1991 and in FY 1993 the State assumed full responsibility for funding education in Central Falls. Rhode Island distributes to communities the proceeds of a statewide tax imposed on the tangible personal property of telephone, telegraph, cable, express and telecommunications companies. This aid is estimated at $10.2 million for FY 2010. Also, the State distributes a 1% (one percent) meals and beverage tax estimated at $19.1 million for FY 2010.

Infrastructure. The Department of Transportation is organized to carry out its responsibilities for the construction and maintenance of all State roads, bridges, transportation facilities (other than those operated and maintained by the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority), and the administration of State and federal highway construction assistance programs. The Department’s activities have substantially increased primarily due to the continued road funding resulting from passage of the 1998 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). Major ongoing construction and rehabilitation projects include the Route 195 Relocation, reconstruction of the Washington Bridge, replacement of the Sakonnet River Bridge, the extension of Route 403 and the Freight Rail Improvement program. During the 2003 session of the General Assembly, the Rhode Island Department of Economic Development, at the request of the Governor and Department of Transportation, received authority to issue bonds secured by future distributions of Federal Highway Trust funds and a dedicated portion of motor fuel tax revenues to speed completion of these projects. The State completed the GARVEE financings in three series over a period of six years. The first series, in the amount of $216,805,000, was issued on November 25, 2003. The second series, in the amount of $184,620,000, was issued on March 2, 2006. The third series in the amount of $169,395,000 was issued on April 2, 2009. Given the magnitude of the projects and recent construction inflation, the projects collectively have cost significantly more than originally expected, which cost increases are likely to continue until such projects are completed. To the extent costs are higher, funding from the annual State and Federal Highway Construction Assistance Programs would be available as a source of funding. This could displace other planned projects.

In order to address possible future reductions in federal highway funding and the State’s aging transportation infrastructure, the Governor formed in March 2008 a Blue Ribbon Panel for Transportation Funding. The Panel reviewed the State’s aging transportation infrastructure, the projects required to maintain the transportation infrastructure for the next five years, and the available funding or shortfall in funding for such projects in light of the current status of the Federal Highway Trust Fund, and identified possible options for future funding.

The Blue Ribbon Panel for Transportation Funding released its report dated as of December 23, 2008. The Blue Ribbon Panel projected that the State would need to spend approximately $639 million per year during the next 10 years to maintain the State’s highway system in a state of good operation and repair but that state and federal funding currently provides only approximately $354 million per year. The Blue Ribbon panel suggested various funding strategies that could possibly be implemented to meet, in whole or in part, the $285 million funding gap each year. Such recommended funding strategies included levying a $3 toll on all cars and $6 on all trucks entering the State, imposing tolls on all bridges between Aquidneck Island and the mainland, raising passenger-vehicle registration fees, raising the State gasoline tax by as much as 15 cents per gallon, creation of a

 

C-82


Table of Contents

petroleum product gross receipts tax and a vehicle miles traveled fee. The various revenue strategies outlined would require legislation for implementation. Despite the temporary relief provided through ARRA, transportation infrastructure funding will continue to present challenges and the Blue Ribbon Panel funding strategies may be revisited.

Debt Burden

Authorization and Debt Limits. Under the State constitution, the General Assembly has no power to incur State debts in excess of $50,000 without the consent of the people, except in the case of war, insurrection or invasion, or to pledge the faith of the State to the payment of obligations of others without such consent. By judicial interpretation, the limitation stated above has been judged to include all debts of the State for which its full faith and credit are pledged, including general obligation bonds and notes, bonds and notes guaranteed by the State, and debts or loans insured by agencies of the State, such as the Industrial-Recreational Building Authority. However, non-binding agreements of the State to appropriate monies in aid of obligations of a State agency, such as the provisions of law governing the capital reserve funds of the Port Authority and Economic Development Corporation, now known as the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, the Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation, or to appropriate monies to pay rental obligations under State long-term leases, such as the State’s lease agreements with the Convention Center Authority, are not subject to this limitation.

Net Tax Supported State Debt. The State has multiple categories of State debt, including without limitation, direct debt, guaranteed debt, and other obligations subject to annual appropriation. As of July 1, 2009, authorized but unissued direct debt totaled $269,326,822 and there was no authorized but unissued guaranteed debt. Direct debt is authorized by the voters as general obligation bonds and notes. Current interest bonds require the State to make annual payments of principal and semi-annual payments of interest on bonds outstanding, and the capital appreciation bonds of the State require the payment of principal and interest at maturity. As of June 30, 2009, the State had $1.036 billion of general obligation tax supported bonds outstanding. The State currently has no variable rate debt outstanding. Guaranteed debt of the State includes bonds and notes issued by, or on behalf of, certain agencies, commissions and authorities created by the General Assembly and charged with enterprise undertakings, for the payment of which debt the full faith and credit of the State are pledged in the event that the revenues of such entities may at any time be insufficient. As of July 1, 2009, there was no outstanding or authorized but unissued guaranteed debt. However, the State has agreed to appropriate or borrow and pay to the Rhode Island Industrial Recreational Building Authority any amounts required up to $20,000,000 to service eligible mortgage loans for industrial and/or recreational projects insured under the Industrial Recreational Building Mortgage Insurance Fund that are in default and for which funds in the Industrial Recreational Building Mortgage Insurance Fund are insufficient.

Obligations Carrying Moral Obligation of State. Certain agencies of the State have the ability to issue bonds which are also secured by a capital reserve fund. If at any time the capital reserve fund falls below its funding requirement, the agency is authorized to request the General Assembly to appropriate the amount of the deficiency. The General Assembly may, but is not obligated to, appropriate the amount of the deficiency.

Other Obligations Subject to Annual Appropriation. The State has entered into certain contractual agreements which, although of a long-term nature, are subject to annual appropriation by the General Assembly.

Authorized But Unissued Obligations Subject to Annual Appropriation. In addition to the debt authorized by the voters for which the full faith and credit is pledged, the General Assembly has authorized the issuance of debt which is subject to annual appropriation. The State plans to issue approximately $52.7 million of Certificates of Participation in FY 2010. The State also anticipates issuing up to $13 million to fund the Registry of Motor Vehicles Systems in early FY 2010. In June 2010, it is expected that the Economic Development Corporation will issue approximately an additional $100 million of bonds to reimburse the State each fiscal year for tax credits taken relating to the Historic Structures Tax Credit Program in order to stabilize budget projections and the annual impact of the taking of such tax credits. The actual amount of bonds issued will be dependent upon the

 

C-83


Table of Contents

compliance by the parties involved with the projects. The debt service on these bonds will be subject to annual appropriation by the General Assembly. There are other debt authorizations approved by quasi-public agencies and the Board of Governors for Higher Education which will be funded from non-general revenue sources.

The FY 2010 Enacted Budget included a Debt Management Joint Resolution that allows the Rhode Island Public Rail Corporation, which is an instrumentality of the State, to fully indemnify AMTRAK’s operations of the South County Commuter Rail. Section 8 of Article 17 of the FY 2010 Appropriations Act authorizes the Rail Corporation to secure, with the funding support of the Department of Transportation, either a line or evergreen letter of credit in the amount of $7.5 million in favor of AMTRAK to secure the Rail Corporation’s performance of its obligations arising under any South County Rail Service agreements that may be entered into.

State Agencies and Authorities. The General Assembly from time to time has authorized the creation of certain specialized independent authorities, districts and corporations to carry out specific governmental functions, including, but not limited to the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority, Narragansett Bay Commission, Rhode Island Industrial-Recreational Building Authority, Rhode Island Refunding Bond Authority, Rhode Island Convention Center Authority, Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, Rhode Island Clean Water Finance Agency, Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, Rhode Island Airport Corporation, Rhode Island Industrial Facilities Corporation, Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation, Rhode Island Student Loan Authority, Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority, Rhode Island Water Resources Board Corporate, Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation and Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation. In certain cases, bonds and other obligations issued by these entities have been guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the State; additionally, the State may provide significant financial assistance for their operations. In other cases, such entities, although empowered to issue bonds, may not pledge the full faith and credit of the State and, therefore, these bonds are not guaranteed by the State.

Employees’ Retirement System. The State of Rhode Island Employees’ Retirement System (“ERSRI”) is a multiple employer, cost-sharing, public employee retirement system that acts as a common investment and administrative agent for pension benefits to be provided to State employees who meet eligibility requirements as well as teachers and certain other employees employed by local school districts in Rhode Island. A separate retirement program is maintained for members of the faculty of the State University and colleges and certain administrative employees in education and higher education. This program is provided through Teachers’ Insurance and Annuity Association Plan (“TIAA”).

The ERSRI provides retirement, disability and death benefit coverage, as well as health insurance benefits for members retiring on or after July 1, 1989. Pension, disability and death benefits are funded (a) for State employees by contributions from the State and the employees and (b) for public school teachers by contributions from the teachers with employer contributions shared by the local education agencies (“LEA”) and the State, except that, benefits under the Teachers’ Survivors’ Plan are financed by the LEAs and the teachers. Additionally, the State created the Judicial Retirement Benefits Trust (“JRBT”) to fund retirement benefits for judges hired after December 31, 1989 and the State Police Retirement Benefits Plan (“SPRBP”) to fund retirement benefits for state police officers originally hired after July 1, 1987. These two plans are significantly smaller than the ERSRI for state employees and teachers. As of June 30, 2007, there are 44 active members and five retirees and beneficiaries of the JRBT and 179 active members and three retirees and beneficiaries of the SPRBT. Pensions for state police officers and judges hired prior to the dates reflected above for each of the plans are funded on a pay as you go basis. Retiree health insurance benefits are currently funded on a pay as you go basis and are not paid from any trust fund. The System’s Actuary is currently Gabriel, Roeder, Smith & Company.

Financial Objectives and Funding Policy. The actuarial cost method and the amortization periods are set by statute. As of the June 30, 1999 valuation, Rhode Island General Laws 36-10-2 and 36-10-2.1 provide for a funding method of Entry Age Normal (“EAN”) and amortization of the Unfunded Actuarial Accrued Liability (“UAAL”) over a period not to exceed thirty (30) years as of June 30, 1999. Under this method, the actuarial

 

C-84


Table of Contents

gains (losses) are reflected as they occur in a decrease (increase) in the UAAL. The contribution rates are intended to be sufficient to pay normal cost and to amortize UAAL in level payments over a fixed period of 22 years (30 years from June 30, 1999). The actuary considers the funding period reasonable.

The State’s total contributions (exclusive of contributions by LEA for teachers) to the ERSRI, JRBT and SPRBP were $151.26 million in FY 2006, $195.23 million in FY 2007, and $219.86 million in FY 2008, and are estimated to be $255 million in FY 2009 and $255.8 million for FY 2010 based upon the actuarial report as of June 30, 2007. The State has made 100% of its actuarially determined contributions to the pension system during the past fifteen years.

Progress Toward Realization of Financing Objectives. As of June 30, 2007, the date of the last actuarial valuation, the total UAAL for the pension plans was $4.86 billion, which consists of $1.84 billion for State employees, $3.01 billion for teachers, $5 million for state police and $2.8 million for judges. The funded ratio (the ratio of the actuarial value of assets to the unfunded actuarial accrued liability) is a standard measure of a plan’s funded status. In the absence of benefit improvements, it should increase over time, until it reaches 100 percent. For the State employees, the funded ratio increased from 54.6% to 57.5% during the period July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007, while for teachers the ratio increased from 52.7% to 55.4% over the same period. During the same period, the funded ratio increased from 86.8% to 91.3% for the judges and increased for the state police from 86.0% to 90.2%. These are based on the Entry Age Normal funding method effective June 30, 1999.

The State’s unfunded pension liability, as reflected in the actuarial valuation as of June 30, 2007, is primarily due to the level of benefits being provided to employees under the plans and the failure of investment returns under the plans to historically meet the annual investment return assumption of 8.25%. The average annual return for the plans based on the market value of assets over the period from July 1, 1997 to June 30, 2007 was 7.37%. The average annual return for the plans based on the actuarial value of assets over the same period was 6.59%.

As a result of the recent decline in the number of State workers employed to contribute to the pension system and the recent increase in State worker retirements, the State pension system is likely to be placed under further financial stress. In addition, subsequent to June 30, 2008, the fair value of the investments held within the pension trust funds have declined significantly, consistent with overall declines in the domestic and international financial markets, which is likely to place even further financial stress on the State’s pension system. At June 30, 2009 declines were approximately 19.2% compared to the fair value of investments at June 30, 2008. Since January 2008, the value of the funds have fallen 27.4%. However, the State Investment Commission has adopted a long term investment policy for the system’s investments, which includes diversification of holdings pursuant to an asset allocation model. Furthermore, the effect of the funded status of the plans and required contributions due to any near term decline in value of the pension trust fund investments will be tempered by the five-year smoothing method employed in the actuarial value of the assets.

Other Benefits. In addition to benefits provided to State employees by the State Retirement System described above, State employees since 1956 have also been covered under the provisions of the Federal Old-Age and Survivor’s Insurance Program (Title II of the Federal Social Security Act). Benefit rates, State, and member contributions are governed by federal law. The State is also subject to the unemployment compensation provisions of the federal employment security law. Contributions under this program by the State are made by annual appropriation of actual benefit costs incurred rather than a percentage of payroll.

In order to address the unfunded liability associated with retiree health benefits and reduce the ongoing cost to the taxpayer, as part of his FY 2009 financial plan, the Governor recommended modifying eligibility requirements and co-share percentages for retiree health. The General Assembly adopted his proposal with minor modifications including changing the effective date to October 1, 2008. Employees retiring after October 1, 2008 would be eligible for retiree health coverage through the State if they are age 59 or over with a minimum of 20 years of service. For employees retiring before October 1, 2008, an employee with over 10 years of service as of

 

C-85


Table of Contents

July 1, 2005 was eligible for retirement with at least 28 years of service at any age, or at least 10 years of service and at least age 60, and was therefore eligible for retiree health. For those employees with less than 10 years of service prior to July 1, 2005, the employee had to be age 59 with at least 29 years of service, age 65 with ten years of service, or age 55 with 20 years of service. The enacted reform modified the co-share percentage to require a 20 percent co-share on the full cost of the early retiree or post-65 plan in which the retiree is enrolled. For those retiring prior to October 1, 2008, the early retirees pay a co-share based on years of service on the active employee rate. For these employees retiring prior to October 1, 2008 who are over age 60 with at least 28 years of service, the state pays 100 percent of the cost of the plan. Pursuant to GASB Statement 45, “Other Post Employment Benefits” the State obtained an updated actuarial valuation of the unfunded liability relating to retiree medical benefits. The unfunded liability as of June 30, 2007 was determined to be approximately $788.2 million, including $679.5 million for State employees, $54.6 million for State Police, $29.7 million for Legislators, and $14 million for Judges, and $10.2 million for the State’s share for teachers. This was calculated using an investment rate of return of 3.566% due to the fact that, for fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, the plan was not funded on an actuarial basis. The annual required contribution as a percentage of payroll would be 7.91%, 29.83%, 116.91% and 11.64% (no rate for teachers), respectively. This unfunded liability related to retiree medical benefits as of June 30, 2007 reflects an increase from such unfunded liability of $643.5 million as of June 30, 2005 (based on a discount rate of 3.566%). The actuarial analysis also included estimates utilizing alternative rates of return. The estimated unfunded liability as of June 30, 2007 utilizing an investment rate of 5.0% was $655.2 million. The total contributions made by the State and the other participating employees for retiree medical benefits were $28.4 million in FY 2008, which contributions reflect only a pay as you go amount necessary to provide for current benefits to retirees and administrative costs. The State has not set aside any funds on an actuarial basis to address the unfunded retiree medical benefit liabilities, which continue to grow. During the 2008 session of the General Assembly, in order to begin funding this unfunded liability, legislation was enacted which would require the State to fund on an actuarial basis and which authorized creation of a trust fund for retiree medical benefit liabilities. The actuarial valuation report as of June 30, 2007 reflected that the annual required contribution for FY 2010 would be $56,917,900 (based on a discount rate of 3.566%). During the 2009 Session of the General Assembly, the actuarial funding requirement was delayed until FY 2011 due to budget constraints.

 

C-86


Table of Contents

PART C OTHER INFORMATION

Item 28. Exhibits

 

(a)      (1)      Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated August 10, 2005. (1)
(a)      (2)      Amendment No. 1 to Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated August 10, 2005. (1)
(b)           Amended and Restated By-laws of Registrant. (2)
(c)           Not applicable.
(d)      (1)      Management Agreement between Registrant (f/k/a Columbia Funds Trust IX) and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (f/k/a Columbia Management Advisors, Inc.) dated November 1, 2003 (Columbia High Yield Municipal Fund). (3)
(d)      (2)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (f/k/a Columbia Management Advisors, Inc.) dated September 15, 2005 (Columbia Strategic Income Fund). (1)
(d)      (3)      Investment Advisory Contract between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Balanced Fund). (4)
(d)      (4)      Investment Advisory Contract between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Conservative High Yield Fund). (4)
(d)      (5)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Greater China Fund). (4)
(d)      (6)      Investment Advisory Contract between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Mid Cap Growth Fund). (4)
(d)      (7)      Investment Advisory Contract between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Oregon Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund). (4)
(d)      (8)      Investment Advisory Contract between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Real Estate Equity Fund). (4)
(d)      (9)      Investment Advisory Contract between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Small Cap Growth Fund I). (4)
(d)      (10)      Investment Advisory Contract between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated September 25, 2006 (Columbia Strategic Investor Fund). (17)
(d)      (11)      Investment Advisory Contract between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Technology Fund). (4)
(d)      (12)    (i)   Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Asset Allocation Fund, Columbia Small Cap Core Fund, Columbia Dividend Income Fund, Columbia Disciplined Value Fund, Columbia Common Stock Fund and Columbia Large Cap Growth Fund). (4)


Table of Contents
(d)      (12)    (ii)   Amendment and Joinder Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated December 1, 2008 (Columbia International Bond Fund) to the Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006. (15)
(d)      (13)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Income Fund and Columbia Intermediate Bond Fund). (4)
(d)      (14)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia U.S. Treasury Index Fund). (4)
(d)      (15)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia World Equity Fund). (4)
(d)      (16)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Core Bond Fund). (4)
(d)      (17)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia High Yield Opportunity Fund). (4)
(d)      (18)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Small Cap Value Fund I). (4)
(d)      (19)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Liberty Fund). (4)
(d)      (20)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund, Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt Fund, Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund and Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund). (5)
(d)      (21)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund). (4)
(d)      (22)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund). (5)
(d)      (23)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund). (4)
(d)      (24)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund). (5)
(d)      (25)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund). (5)
(d)      (26)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated March 27, 2006 (Columbia Tax-Exempt Fund). (5)
(d)      (27)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated September 15, 2005 (Columbia Federal Securities Fund). (12)
(d)      (28)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated September 15, 2005 (Columbia International Stock Fund). (12)
(d)      (29)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated September 15, 2005 (Columbia Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund). (8)


Table of Contents
(d)      (30)      Management Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC (Columbia Blended Equity Fund, Columbia Emerging Markets Fund, Columbia Energy and Natural Resources Fund, Columbia International Growth Fund, Columbia Select Large Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Pacific/Asia Fund, Columbia Select Small Cap Fund, Columbia Value and Restructuring Fund, Columbia Bond Fund, Columbia Short-Intermediate Bond Fund, Columbia Select Opportunities Fund and Columbia Mid Cap Value and Restructuring Fund), dated March 31, 2008 with Exhibit A dated November 1, 2008. (16)
(d)      (31)      Investment Advisory Contract between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated November 23, 2009 (CMG Ultra Short Term Bond Fund). (25)
(d)      (32)      Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement among Columbia Management Advisors, Inc., Nordea Investment Management North America, Inc. (“Nordea”) and the Registrant on behalf of Columbia Liberty Fund, dated November 1, 2003. (20)
(e)           Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. dated May 1, 2006 with Schedule I dated November 23, 2009. (25)
(f)           Not Applicable.
(g)           Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company dated September 19, 2005. (6)
(h)      (1)      Administrative Agreement between Registrant, the other parties listed on Schedule A and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated September 1, 2008 with Schedule A and Schedule C each dated November 23, 2009. (25)
(h)      (2)(i)      Financial Reporting Services Agreement between Registrant, the other parties listed on Schedule A, Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and State Street Bank and Trust Company dated December 15, 2006 with Schedule A dated May 5, 2008. (12)
(h)      (2)(ii)      Amendment to Financial Reporting Services Agreement between Registrant, the other parties listed on Schedule A, Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and State Street Bank and Trust Company dated as of June 29, 2007 with Schedule A dated as of June 29, 2007. (19)
(h)      (3)(i)      Accounting Services Agreement between Registrant, the other parties listed on Schedule A, Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and State Street Bank and Trust Company dated as of December 15, 2006 with Schedule A dated May 5, 2008. (12)
(h)      (3)(ii)      Amendment to Accounting Services Agreement between Registrant, the other parties listed on Schedule A, Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and State Street Bank and Trust Company dated as of June 29, 2007 with Schedule A dated as of June 29, 2007. (19)
(h)      (4)      Amended and Restated Pricing and Bookkeeping Oversight and Services Agreement between Registrant, the other parties listed on Schedule A and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated January 1, 2008 with Schedule A dated November 23, 2009. (25)
(h)      (5)(i)      Transfer, Dividend Disbursing and Shareholders’ Servicing Agreement between Registrant, Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Services, Inc. dated May 1, 2006 with Schedule A dated November 23, 2009. (25)
(h)      (5)(ii)      Amendment No. 1 to Transfer, Dividend Disbursing, and Shareholders’ Servicing Agent Agreement between Registrant, the other parties listed on Schedule A, Columbia Management Services, Inc. and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated October 1, 2006. (19)
(h)      (6)      Transfer, Dividend Disbursing and Shareholders’ Servicing Agent Agreement between Registrant, on behalf of its series listed on Schedule A thereto, Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Services, Inc. dated as of June 13, 2009. (21)
(h)      (7)      Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of October 19, 2006 by and among Registrant and certain other trusts party thereto, on behalf of certain of their series listed on Schedule A thereto, Columbia Fund Series Trust, Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust I and Banc of America Funds Trust, on behalf of certain of their series listed on Schedule B thereto, Lloyds TSB Bank plc, Société Générale, New York Branch, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A., State Street Bank and Trust Company, individually, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as administrative agent for each of the banks party thereto, and State Street Bank and Trust Company, as operations agent for each of the banks party thereto. (8)


Table of Contents
(h)      (8)      Amendment Agreement No. 1 and Instrument of Adherence dated as of October 18, 2007 by and among Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust, LLC, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust I, Banc of America Funds Trust, Excelsior Funds, Inc., Excelsior Funds Trust and Excelsior Tax-Exempt Funds, Inc., Registrant, Columbia Funds Institutional Trust and Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust, the banks party thereto, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as operations agent for itself and the banks party thereto, and State Street Bank and Trust Company, as administrative agent for itself and the banks party thereto. (8)
(h)      (9)      Letter agreement dated as of September 19, 2005, by and among Nations Funds Trust, Nations Master Investment Trust and Nations Separate Account Trust, each on behalf of certain of its series, and State Street Bank and Trust Company, individually, as acknowledged by State Street Bank and Trust Company, as custodian. (8)
(h)      (10)      Letter agreement dated as of February 15, 2006, by and among Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust and Nations Separate Account Trust, each on behalf of certain of its series, and State Street Bank and Trust Company. (8)
(h)      (11)      Letter agreement dated as of June 7, 2006, by and among Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust I and Bank of America Funds Trust, each on behalf of certain of its series, and State Street Bank and Trust Company. (8)
(h)      (12)      Letter agreement dated as of September 15, 2006, by and among Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust I and Bank of America Funds Trust, each on behalf of certain of its series, and State Street Bank and Trust Company. (8)
(h)      (13)      Letter agreement dated as of October 19, 2006, by and among Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust I, Bank of America Funds Trust, Registrant, Columbia Funds Institutional Trust and Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust, each on behalf of certain of its series, and State Street Bank and Trust Company, individually, as acknowledged by State Street Bank and Trust Company, as custodian. (8)
(h)      (14)      Letter agreement dated as of September 17, 2007, by and among Registrant, Columbia Funds Institutional Trust, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust, Columbia Fund Series Trust, Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust, LLC, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust I, Banc of America Funds Trust, Excelsior Funds, Inc., Excelsior Funds Trust and Excelsior Tax-Exempt Funds, Inc., each on behalf of certain of its series, and State Street Bank and Trust Company, individually, as acknowledged by State Street Bank and Trust Company, as custodian. (8)
(h)      (15)      Letter agreement dated as of October 18, 2007, by and among Registrant, Columbia Funds Institutional Trust and Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust, each on behalf of certain of its series, as set forth on Appendix I to the Sixth Amendment Agreement, Columbia Fund Series Trust, Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust, LLC, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust I, Banc of America Funds Trust, Excelsior Funds, Inc., Excelsior Funds Trust and Excelsior Tax-Exempt Funds, Inc., each on behalf of certain of its series, as set forth on Appendix I thereto, and State Street Bank and Trust Company, individually, as acknowledged by State Street Bank and Trust Company, as custodian. (8)
(h)      (16)      Letter agreement dated as of February 28, 2008, by and among the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust, LLC, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust I, Columbia Funds Institutional Trust, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust, Banc of America Funds Trust, Excelsior Funds, Inc., Excelsior Funds Trust, and Excelsior Tax-Exempt Funds, Inc., each on behalf of certain of its series, and State Street Bank and Trust Company, individually, as acknowledged by State Street Bank and Trust Company, as custodian. (11)


Table of Contents
(h)      (17)      Amendment Agreement No. 2 dated as of February 28, 2008 by and among the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust, LLC, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust I, Columbia Funds Institutional Trust, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust, Banc of America Funds Trust, Excelsior Funds, Inc., Excelsior Funds Trust, and Excelsior Tax-Exempt Funds, Inc., the banks party thereto, and State Street Bank and Trust Company, as operations agent for itself and the banks party thereto, and State Street Bank and Trust Company, as administrative agent for itself and the banks party thereto. (11)
(h)      (18)      Letter agreement dated as of August 29, 2008, by and among the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust, LLC, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust I, Columbia Funds Institutional Trust, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust , Banc of America Funds Trust, Excelsior Funds, Inc., Excelsior Funds Trust, and Excelsior Tax-Exempt Funds, Inc., each on behalf of certain of its series, and State Street Bank Trust Company, individually, as acknowledged by State Street Bank and Trust Company, as custodian. (13)
(h)      (19)      Form of Indemnification Agreement. (2)
(h)      (20)      Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement Agreement between Registrant and Columbia Management Advisors, LLC dated November 19, 2008 with Schedule A dated December 1, 2008. (15)
(h)      (21)      Amendment Agreement No. 3, dated March 31, 2008, to the Limited Waiver and Limited Consent, by and among the Registrant, Columbia Variable Insurance Trust, Columbia Funds Institutional Trust, Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust, LLC, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust I and Banc of America Funds Trust, on behalf of each of their respective series listed on Schedule 2 and State Street Bank and Trust Company, individually, as operations agent and as administrative agent. (15)
(h)      (22)      Amendment Agreement No. 4, dated October 16, 2008, to the Limited Waiver and Limited Consent, by and among the Registrant, Columbia Variable Insurance Trust, Columbia Funds Institutional Trust, Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust, LLC, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust I and Banc of America Funds Trust, on behalf of each of their respective series listed on Schedule 2 and State Street Bank and Trust Company, individually, as operations agent and as administrative agent. (14)
(h)      (23)      Amendment Agreement No. 5 and Limited Consent, dated as of June 1, 2009, by and among the Registrant, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust, Columbia Funds Institutional Trust, Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust, LLC, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust I, Banc of America Funds Trust, each on behalf of each of its respective series listed on Schedule 2 thereto and State Street Bank and Trust Company, individually, as operations agent and as administrative agent. (21)

(h)

     (24)      Amendment Agreement No. 6, dated as of October 15, 2009, by and among the Registrant, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust, Columbia Funds Institutional Trust, Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust, LLC, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust I, Columbia Funds Series Trust II, each on behalf of each of its respective series listed on Schedule 2 thereto and State Street Bank and Trust Company, individually, as operations agent and as administrative agent. (23)
(i)      (1)      Opinion of Counsel of Ropes & Gray LLP. (1)
(i)      (2)      Opinion of Counsel of Ropes & Gray LLP. (10)
(i)      (3)      Opinion of Counsel of Ropes & Gray LLP. (15)
(i)      (4)      Opinion of Counsel of Ropes & Gray LLP. (24)
(j)      (1)      Consent of Morningstar, Inc. (9)
(j)      (2)      Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is filed herewith.
(k)           Not Applicable.
(l)           Not Applicable.
(m)      (1)      Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1. (15)
(m)      (2)      Shareholder Servicing Plan for certain Fund share classes of the Registrant with Exhibit I dated November 1, 2008 and Exhibit II dated October 29, 2008. (17)
(m)      (3)      Shareholder Servicing Plan for Registrant’s Class T shares. (17)
(m)      (4)      Shareholder Servicing Plan Implementation Agreement for certain Fund share classes of the Registrant between the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust, Banc of America Funds Trust and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. dated December 1, 2008. (17)


Table of Contents
(m)      (5)      Shareholder Servicing Plan Implementation Agreement for Registrant’s Class T shares between the Registrant and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. dated December 1, 2008. (17)
(n)           Third Amended and Restated Plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3(d). (24)
(p)      (1)      Columbia Funds Family Code of Ethics as revised September, 2009. (26)
(p)      (2)      Code of Ethics of Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. dated September 15, 2009. (26)
(p)      (3)      Code of Ethics of Nordea Investment Management North America, Inc. (17)
(q)      (1)      Power of Attorney for John D. Collins, Rodman L. Drake, Douglas A. Hacker, Janet Langford Kelly, William E. Mayer, Charles R. Nelson, John J. Neuhauser, Jonathan Piel, Patrick J. Simpson, Thomas C. Theobald and Anne-Lee Verville, dated February 3, 2009. (17)
(q)      (2)      Power of Attorney for Michael G. Clarke, dated January 16, 2009. (18)
(q)      (3)      Power of Attorney for J. Kevin Connaughton, dated January 16, 2009. (22)
(q)      (4)      Power of Attorney for Joseph F. DiMaria, dated January 16, 2009 is filed herewith.

 

 

1. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 40 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A, filed with the Commission on or about September 16, 2005.
2. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 46 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A, filed with the Commission on or about March 24, 2006.
3. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A, filed with the Commission on or about October 28, 2004.
4. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 51 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A, filed with the Commission on or about October 27, 2006.
5. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 88 to the Registration Statement of Columbia Funds Trust XI on Form N-1A (File Nos. 33-11351 and 811-7978), filed with the Commission on or about January 27, 2006.
6. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 55 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A, filed with the Commission on or about March 29, 2007.
7. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to the Registration Statement of Columbia Funds Trust I on Form N-1A (File Nos. 2-99356 and 811-04367), filed with the Commission on or about September 28, 2007.
8. Incorporated by reference to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-14 (File No. 333-148106), filed with the Commission on or about December 17, 2007.
9. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A filed on or about August 30, 1996.
10 Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 68 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A filed on or about January 16, 2008.
11. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A filed on or about March 28, 2008.
12. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 75 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A filed on July 29, 2008.
13. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 79 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A filed on September 25, 2008.
14. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 80 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A filed on October 27, 2008.
15. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 81 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A filed on November 25, 2008.
16. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 82 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A filed on December 29, 2008.
17. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 84 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A filed on February 27, 2009.
18. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 87 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A filed on July 13, 2009.
19. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 88 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A filed on July 29, 2009.
20. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 90 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A filed on July 31, 2009.
21. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 91 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A filed on August 28, 2009.
22. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 93 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A filed on October 9, 2009.
23. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 94 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A, filed with the Commission on or about October 28, 2009.
24. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A, filed with the Commission on or about November 20, 2009.
25. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 97 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A, filed with the Commission on or about December 2, 2009.
26. Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 98 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A, filed with the Commission on or about December 29, 2009.


Table of Contents

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with Registrant

None

Item 30. Indemnification

Article Five of the Bylaws of Registrant (“Article Five”) provides that Registrant shall indemnify each of its trustees and officers (including persons who serve at Registrant’s request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which Registrant has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise) who are not employees or officers of any investment adviser to Registrant or any affiliated person thereof, and its chief compliance officer, regardless of whether such person is an employee or officer of any investment adviser to Registrant or any affiliated person thereof, and may indemnify each of its trustees and officers (including persons who serve at Registrant’s request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which Registrant has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise) who are employees or officers of any investment adviser to Registrant or any affiliated person thereof (“Covered Persons”) under specified circumstances.

Section 17(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”) provides that neither the Agreement and Declaration of Trust nor the Bylaws of Registrant, nor any other instrument pursuant to which Registrant is organized or administered, shall contain any provision which protects or purports to protect any trustee or officer of Registrant against any liability to Registrant or its shareholders to which he would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office. In accordance with Section 17(h) of the 1940 Act, Article Five shall not protect any person against any liability to Registrant or its shareholders to which he would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office. To the extent required under the 1940 Act, (i) Article Five does not protect any person against any liability to Registrant or to its shareholders to which he would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office; (ii) in the absence of a final decision on the merits by a court or other body before whom a proceeding was brought that a Covered Person was not liable by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office, no indemnification is permitted under Article Five unless a determination that such person was not so liable is made on behalf of Registrant by (a) the vote of a majority of the trustees who are neither “interested persons” of Registrant, as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act, nor parties to the proceeding (“disinterested, non-party trustees”), or (b) an independent legal counsel as expressed in a written opinion; and (iii) Registrant will not advance attorneys’ fees or other expenses incurred by a Covered Person in connection with a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding unless Registrant receives an undertaking by or on behalf of the Covered Person to repay the advance (unless it is ultimately determined that he is entitled to indemnification) and (a) the Covered Person provides security for his undertaking, or (b) Registrant is insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances, or (c) a majority of the disinterested, non-party trustees of Registrant or an independent legal counsel as expressed in a written opinion, determine, based on a review of readily-available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.

Any approval of indemnification pursuant to Article Five does not prevent the recovery from any Covered Person of any amount paid to such Covered Person in accordance with Article Five as indemnification if such Covered Person is subsequently adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered Person’s action was in, or not opposed to, the best interests of Registrant or to have been liable to Registrant or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person’s office.


Table of Contents

Article Five also provides that its indemnification provisions are not exclusive. Registrant has also entered into Indemnification Agreements with each of its trustees and its chief compliance officer, a copy of which has been filed as an exhibit to this registration statement, establishing certain procedures with respect to the indemnification described above.

Registrant’s investment adviser, Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, maintains investment advisory professional liability insurance to insure it, for the benefit of Registrant and its non-interested trustees, against loss arising out of any effort, omission, or breach of any duty owed to Registrant or any series of Registrant by Columbia Management Advisors, LLC.

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser

Information regarding the businesses of Columbia Management Advisors, LLC and its officers is set forth in the Prospectuses and in the Statement of Additional Information and is incorporated herein by reference. The business and other connections of the officers and directors of Columbia Management Advisors, LLC are also listed on the Form ADV of Columbia Management Advisors, LLC as currently on file with the Commission. (File No. 801-50372).

Item 32. Principal Underwriter

 

  (a) Columbia Management Distributors, Inc. (CMD), a subsidiary of Columbia Management Advisors, LLC, is the Registrant’s principal underwriter. CMD acts in such capacity for each series of BofA Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust, Columbia Funds Series Trust, Columbia Funds Institutional Trust, Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust I, Columbia Acorn Trust, Wanger Advisors Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust II. CMD acts as placement agent for Columbia Funds Master Investment Trust, LLC.

 

  (b) The table below lists each director or officer of the principal underwriter named in the answer to Item 20.

 

Name and Principal

Business Address*

 

Position and Offices

with Principal

Underwriter

 

Positions and

Offices with

Registrant

Bednarz, Allen F.   Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer   None
Jones, Michael A.   Chief Executive Officer, President and Director   None
Ahmed, Yaqub   Managing Director   None
Brown, Beth Ann   Director, Managing Director   None
Grant, Amanda H.   Managing Director   None
Kimball, Frank S.   Managing Director   None
Martin, Glen P.   Managing Director   None
Peters, Jeffrey F.   Director, Managing Director   None
Sellers, Gregory S.   Managing Director   None
Sideropoulos, Lou   Managing Director   None
Walsh, Brian   Managing Director   None
Welsh, Stephen T.   Managing Director   Vice President
Brantley, Thomas M.   Sr. V.P.-Tax   None
Davis, Walter Keith   Sr. V.P.-Tax   None
Avery, Scott   Sr. V.P.   None
Ballou, Richard J.   Sr. V.P.   None
Connaughty, Mary   Sr. V.P.   None
Desilets, Marian   Sr. V.P.   None
Feloney, Joseph   Sr. V.P.   None
Ferullo, Jeanne   Sr. V.P.   None
Gubala, Jeffrey   Sr. V.P.   None


Table of Contents
Miller, Anthony   Sr. V.P.   None
Moberly, Ann R   Sr. V.P.   None
Najarian, Mark A.   Sr. V.P.   None
Wheeler, Eben   Sr. V.P.   None
Yates, Susan   Sr. V.P.   None
Aldi, Andrew   V.P.   None
Apigian, David C.   V.P.   None
Bartlett, Russell M.   V.P.   None
Beaulieu, Matthew C.   V.P.   None
Begos, Michael V.   V.P.   None
Boudreau, Jill M.   V.P.   None
Braz, Daniel J.   V.P.   None
Brown, Jason M.   V.P.   None
Buckley, Stephen A.   V.P.   None
Christos, Andrew   V.P.   None
Cislo, John A.   V.P.   None
Conley, Brook   V.P.   None
Davis, Kenneth J.   V.P.   None
Dence, Mark   V.P.   None
Diedrich, Kurt   V.P.   None
Dills, Jason D.   V.P.   None
Doyle, Matthew   V.P.   None
Dutcher, Scott M.   V.P.   None
Edelman, Alexander   V.P.   None
Falaguerra, Robert   V.P.   None
Ferguson, Sarah   V.P.   None
Fernandes, Steve S.   V.P.   None
Fertig, Peter H.   V.P.   None
Fisher, James F.   V.P.   None
Flick, William J.   V.P.   None
Ford, David C.   V.P.   None
Fradenburg, Jayson A.   V.P.   None
Galemba, Michelle   V.P.   None
Gannon, Timothy K.   V.P.   None
Gentile, Russell   V.P.   None
Giorlando, Charles   V.P.   None
Giovanniello, Paul   V.P.   None
Goldberg, Matthew   V.P.   None
Gowe, Christopher N.   V.P.   None
Greeley, Kristin J.   V.P.   None
Gross, Travis   V.P.   None
Guenard, Brian   V.P.   None
Guenard, Mark C.   V.P.   None
Hall, Jennifer A.   V.P.   None
Hall, Andrew (Drew)R.   V.P.   None
Harvey, Michael R.   V.P.   None
Hayes, Kimberly A.   V.P.   None
Hindia, Ami R.   V.P.   None
Hintlian, Douglas E.   V.P.   None
James, Laura   V.P.   None
Jung, Stuart   V.P.   None
Kamin, Eric   V.P.   None
Karnolt, Stephen M.   V.P.   None


Table of Contents
Kerans, Sean C.S.   V.P.   None
Kirkman, Eric   V.P.   None
Kissane, James J.   V.P.   None
Lee, Stephen   V.P.   None
Lewis, Amanda   V.P.   None
Lewis, Douglas P.   V.P.   None
Magnusson, Peter K.   V.P.   None
Marcelonis, Sheila   V.P.   None
Martin, Brian   V.P.   None
McTernan, Sean   V.P.   None
Miller, Gregory M.   V.P.   None
Murphy, Kevin M.   V.P.   None
Nelson, Bryan E.   V.P.   None
Newberry, Kirtis   V.P.   None
Newnham, Jason S.   V.P.   None
Nigrosh, Diane J.   V.P.   None
Owen, Stephanie   V.P.   None
Palmer, Darren   V.P.   None
Perosio, Charles P.   V.P.   None
Perry, John C.   V.P.   None
Reed, Christopher B.   V.P.   None
Robinson, Matthew M.   V.P.   None
Schortmann, Matthew   V.P.   None
Scott, Garland M.   V.P.   None
Scully-Power, Adam   V.P.   None
Seymour, Harry J.   V.P.   None
Shopp, Reagan   V.P.   None
Stanton, Scott M.   V.P.   None
Stark, Robert J.   V.P.   None
Swartwood, Alexander   V.P.   None
Tagliaferri, John   V.P.   None
Tiernan, Ryan   V.P.   None
Tobin, Richard S.   V.P.   None
Tucker, Floyd A.   V.P.   None
Turner, Jeffrey B.   V.P.   None
Ward, Scott W.   V.P.   None
Wess, Valerie   V.P.   None
White, Lynn   V.P.   None
Wilhelm, Donald C.   V.P.   None
Wyatt, Bradley M.   V.P.   None
Zundl, Derek A.   V.P.   None
DeFao, Michael   Chief Legal Officer   None
Donovan, M. Patrick   Chief Compliance Officer   None
Pryor, Elizabeth A   Secretary   None
Johnston, Scott A.   Operational Risk Officer   None
Wasp, Kevin   Corporate Ombudsman   None
Chase, John   Director   None
Claude, Abram   Director   None
Dukatz, Gerald E.   Director   None
Holt, Caroline   Director   None
Kane, Joanne   Director   None
Moon, Leslie   Director   None


Table of Contents
Rawdon, Gary   Director   None
Sanderson, Patricia   Director   None
Studer, Eric   Director   None
Wright, Andrew M.   Director   None

 

 

* The address for each individual is One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111.

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

    Person maintaining physical possession of accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Rules thereunder include Registrant’s Secretary; Registrant’s investment advisor, Columbia Management Advisors, LLC; Registrant’s administrator, Columbia Management Advisors, LLC; Registrant’s principal underwriter, Columbia Management Distributors, Inc.; Registrant’s transfer and dividend disbursing agent, Columbia Management Services, Inc.; Registrant’s investment sub-advisor, Nordea Investment Management North America, Inc. (Nordea); and Registrant’s custodian, State Street Bank and Trust Company. The address for each person, except Registrant’s advisor, administrator, sub-advisor and custodian, is One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111.

    Registrant’s investment advisor and administrator’s address is 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110. Registrant’s custodian’s address is State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111.

    Registrant’s investment sub-advisor’s address is 437 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022.

Item 34. Management Services

Not Applicable

Item 35. Undertakings

Not Applicable


Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust I, certifies that it meets all the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Boston, and The Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the 26th day of February, 2010.

 

COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST I
By:  

/s/ J. Kevin Connaughton

Name:   J. Kevin Connaughton
Title:   President

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated:

 

SIGNATURES

     

TITLE

     

DATE

/s/ J. Kevin Connaughton

    President     February 26, 2010      
J. Kevin Connaughton     (Principal Executive Officer)    

/s/ Michael G. Clarke

    Chief Financial Officer     February 26, 2010
Michael G. Clarke     (Principal Financial Officer)    

JOSEPH F. DiMARIA*

    Chief Accounting Officer     February 26, 2010
Joseph F. DiMaria     (Principal Accounting Officer)    

JOHN D. COLLINS*

    Trustee     February 26, 2010
John D. Collins        

RODMAN L. DRAKE*

    Trustee     February 26, 2010
Rodman L. Drake        

DOUGLAS A. HACKER*

    Trustee     February 26, 2010
Douglas A. Hacker        

JANET LANGFORD KELLY*

    Trustee     February 26, 2010
Janet Langford Kelly        


Table of Contents

WILLIAM E. MAYER *

    Trustee     February 26, 2010      
William E. Mayer        

CHARLES R. NELSON*

    Trustee     February 26, 2010
Charles R. Nelson        

JOHN J. NEUHAUSER*

    Trustee     February 26, 2010
John J. Neuhauser        

JONATHAN PIEL*

    Trustee     February 26, 2010
Jonathan Piel        

PATRICK J. SIMPSON*

    Trustee     February 26, 2010
Patrick J. Simpson        

ANNE-LEE VERVILLE*

    Trustee     February 26, 2010
Anne-Lee Verville        

 

*By:  

/s/ Peter T. Fariel

  Peter T. Fariel**
 

Attorney-in-Fact

February 26, 2010

 

 

** Executed by Peter T. Fariel on behalf of each of the Trustees pursuant to a Power of Attorney dated February 3, 2009 and incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 84 to the Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form N-1A, filed with the Commission on February 27, 2009 and on behalf of Joseph F. DiMaria pursuant to a Power of Attorney dated January 16, 2009 which is filed herewith.


Table of Contents

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

 

Description

(j)(2)   Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
(q)(4)   Power of Attorney for Joseph F. DiMaria