-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, GcVcp6WaWMrcllhsYxEelESISqvqyH1ZzKiKITXbrbCiVDPvbXsr3Xsq7cJopT8N rH5qLgvg9PyC7dp++nui2A== 0000088053-06-000737.txt : 20060630 0000088053-06-000737.hdr.sgml : 20060630 20060630155758 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000088053-06-000737 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 485BPOS PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 7 FILED AS OF DATE: 20060630 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20060630 EFFECTIVENESS DATE: 20060701 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: DWS ADVISOR FUNDS CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000797657 IRS NUMBER: 000000000 STATE OF INCORPORATION: MA FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 485BPOS SEC ACT: 1933 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 033-07404 FILM NUMBER: 06937725 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: ONE SOUTH STREET CITY: BALTIMORE STATE: MD ZIP: 21202 BUSINESS PHONE: 412881401 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: ONE SOUTH STREET STREET 2: XX CITY: BALTIMORE STATE: MD ZIP: 21202 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: SCUDDER ADVISOR FUNDS DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 20030519 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: BT INVESTMENT FUNDS DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19920703 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: BT TAX FREE INVESTMENT TRUST DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19880530 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: DWS ADVISOR FUNDS CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000797657 IRS NUMBER: 000000000 STATE OF INCORPORATION: MA FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 485BPOS SEC ACT: 1940 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 811-04760 FILM NUMBER: 06937726 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: ONE SOUTH STREET CITY: BALTIMORE STATE: MD ZIP: 21202 BUSINESS PHONE: 412881401 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: ONE SOUTH STREET STREET 2: XX CITY: BALTIMORE STATE: MD ZIP: 21202 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: SCUDDER ADVISOR FUNDS DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 20030519 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: BT INVESTMENT FUNDS DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19920703 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: BT TAX FREE INVESTMENT TRUST DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19880530 0000797657 S000012353 DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund C000033584 Class A C000033585 Class C C000033586 Class S C000033587 Institutional Class 485BPOS 1 ptc-af.txt 485B FILING As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 30, 2006 1933 Act File No. 33-07404 1940 Act File No. 811-04760 ================================================================================ SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM N-1A REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 141 [X] And REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 AMENDMENT NO. 141 [X] DWS ADVISOR FUNDS (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter) 345 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10154 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (212) 454-7190 (Registrant's Telephone Number) John Millette Two International Place Boston, MA 02110 (Name and Address of Agent for Service) Copy to: Burton M. Leibert, Esq. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP 787 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10019-6099 It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box): /___/ immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485 / X / on July 1, 2006 pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485 /___/ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485(a) /___/ on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485 /___/ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485 /___/ 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. EXPLANATORY NOTE ---------------- This post-effective amendment contains the prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information relating to the following series of the registrant: o DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund: Classes A, C, Institutional and S This post-effective amendment is not intended to update or amend any other prospectuses or Statements of Additional Information of the registrant's other series or classes. 2 JULY 1, 2006 PROSPECTUS ---------------- CLASSES A AND C - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) does not approve or disapprove these shares or determine whether the information in this prospectus is truthful or complete. It is a criminal offense for anyone to inform you otherwise. ONE GLOBAL FORCE. ONE FOCUS. YOU. [DWS SCUDDER Logo] Deutsche Bank Group Contents - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How the Fund Works How to Invest in the Fund 4 The Fund's Main Investment 21 Choosing a Share Class Strategy 26 How to Buy Shares 6 The Main Risks of Investing in the Fund 27 How to Exchange or Sell Shares 9 The Fund's Performance History 28 Policies You Should Know About 10 How Much Investors Pay 40 Understanding Distributions and Taxes 12 Other Policies and Secondary Risks 13 Who Manages and Oversees the Fund 19 Financial Highlights How the Fund Works On the next few pages, you'll find information about the fund's investment goal, the main strategies it uses to pursue that goal and the main risks that could affect performance. Whether you are considering investing in the fund or are already a shareholder, you'll want to look this information over carefully. You may want to keep it on hand for reference as well. Remember that mutual funds are investments, not bank deposits. They're not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. Their share prices will go up and down and you could lose money by investing in them. You can find DWS prospectuses on the Internet at www.dws-scudder.com. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class A Class C fund number 465 765 DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Fund's Main Investment Strategy The fund's investment objective is to seek total return through a combination of current income and long-term capital appreciation. The fund seeks to achieve this objective by investing primarily in publicly listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate operating companies on a global basis. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes (calculated at the time of any investment), in the equity securities of REITs and real estate operating companies listed on recognized stock exchanges around the world. Currently, the fund does not intend to borrow for investment purposes. Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock and securities convertible into common stock. A security will be considered part of the fund's investment universe if the issuer of such security has a market capitalization of at least $50 million and, in the opinion of the portfolio managers, at least 50% of its revenues or 50% of the market value of its assets at the time its securities are purchased by the fund are attributed to the ownership, construction, management or sale of real estate and it is listed on a recognized public foreign or domestic stock exchange or traded over the counter. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER INVESTMENTS. When the managers believe that it is prudent, the fund may invest a portion of its assets in other types of securities. These securities may include short-term securities, bonds, notes, securities of companies not principally engaged in the real estate industry, non-leveraged stock index futures contracts and other similar securities. Stock index futures contracts, a type of derivative security, can help the fund's cash assets remain liquid while performing more like stocks. The fund has a policy governing stock index futures and other derivatives which prohibits leverage of the fund's assets by investing in a derivative security. For example, the managers cannot invest in a derivative security if it would be possible for the fund to lose more money than it invested. 4 The fund may also invest in unlisted securities provided such securities are expected to be listed on a recognized public stock exchange or traded over the counter within six months from the time of investment. In addition, while the fund does not currently plan to hedge international currency risk, the fund may engage in foreign currency transactions, including foreign currency forward contracts, options, swaps and other similar transactions in connection with investments in securities of non-US companies. The strategy of the fund is to take advantage of the extensive expertise of the advisor's and its affiliates' (the "advisors") dedicated, in-house direct real estate investment teams located in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia, in order to invest in real estate securities on a global basis. In selecting securities for the fund's portfolio, the advisors will incorporate both "top-down" and "bottom-up" investment insights and analysis. "Top-down" research, analyzing market-wide investment conditions, is used to arrive at the fund's weighting across regional markets (i.e., the portfolio weighting across investments in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia) and within these regions, its strategy across investment sectors, such as office, industrial, retail, hospitality and residential apartment real estate sectors. This research includes analysis of various factors, including real estate market dynamics (e.g., supply/demand conditions, vacancy rates), the economic environment (e.g., interest rates, inflation and economic growth), expected capital flow dynamics and exchange rate conditions. "Bottom-up" research, analyzing the characteristics and investment prospects of a particular real estate security relative to others in its local market, is used to actively manage the fund's exposure to individual securities within each region. Disciplined valuation analysis performed in each region drives this decision-making process, guiding the portfolio managers to invest in securities that they believe can provide superior returns over the long term, and to sell those that they believe no longer represent the strongest prospects, relative to other opportunities. The focus of the fund's security selection strategy is to invest in securities with the potential for price appreciation, while maintaining a bias toward those securities paying attractive, reliable dividends. It is expected that the majority of returns from the fund will be generated by security-specific investment decisions, which are the responsibility of portfolio managers located in the respective geographical regions. 5 The allocation of the fund's investments across geographic regions is determined by the advisor's Global Property Asset Allocation Committee, comprising the portfolio managers from each region and chaired by the advisor's lead portfolio manager for global real estate security investments. Securities Lending. The fund may lend its investment securities in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets to approved institutional borrowers who need to borrow securities in order to complete certain transactions. The Main Risks of Investing in the Fund There are several risk factors that could hurt the fund's performance, cause you to lose money or cause the fund's performance to trail that of other investments. Stock Market Risk. As with most stock funds, the most important factor with this fund is how stock markets perform. When stock prices fall, you should expect the value of your investment to fall as well. Because a stock represents ownership in its issuer, stock prices can be hurt by poor management, shrinking product demand and other business risks. These may affect single companies as well as groups of companies. In addition, movements in financial markets may adversely affect a stock's price, regardless of how well the company performs. The market as a whole may not favor the types of investments the fund makes and the fund may not be able to get an attractive price for them. Foreign Investment Risk. Foreign investments involve certain special risks, including: o Political Risk. Some foreign governments have limited the outflow of profits to investors abroad, imposed restrictions on the exchange or export of foreign currency, extended diplomatic disputes to include trade and financial relations, seized foreign investment and imposed high taxes. o Information Risk. Companies based in foreign markets are usually not subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as stringent as those in the US. Therefore, their financial reports may present an incomplete, untimely or misleading picture of a foreign company, as compared to the financial reports of US companies. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. This fund is designed for investors interested in total return through a combination of current income and long-term capital appreciation through investment in real estate securities. 6 o Liquidity Risk. Investments that trade less can be more difficult or more costly to buy, or to sell, than more liquid or active investments. This liquidity risk is a factor of the trading volume of a particular investment, as well as the size and liquidity of the entire local market. On the whole, foreign exchanges are smaller and less liquid than the US market. This can make buying and selling certain investments more difficult and costly. Relatively small transactions in some instances can have a disproportionately large effect on the price and supply of securities. In certain situations, it may become virtually impossible to sell an investment in an orderly fashion at a price that approaches the managers' estimate of its value. For the same reason, it may at times be difficult to value the fund's foreign investments. o Regulatory Risk. There is generally less government regulation of foreign markets, companies and securities dealers than in the US. o Currency Risk. The fund invests in securities denominated in foreign currencies. This creates the possibility that changes in exchange rates between foreign currencies and the US dollar will affect the US dollar value of foreign securities or the income or gain received on these securities. o Limited Legal Recourse Risk. Legal remedies for investors may be more limited than the remedies available in the US. o Trading Practice Risk. Brokerage commissions and other fees are generally higher for foreign investments than for US investments. The procedures and rules governing foreign transactions and custody may also involve delays in payment, delivery or recovery of money or investments. o Taxes. Foreign withholding and certain other taxes may reduce the amount of income available to distribute to shareholders of the fund. In addition, special US tax considerations may apply to the fund's foreign investments. 7 Emerging Market Risk. All of the risks of investing in foreign securities, as discussed above, are increased in connection with investments in emerging markets securities. In addition, profound social changes and business practices that depart from norms in developed countries' economies have hindered the orderly growth of emerging economies and their markets in the past and have caused instability. High levels of debt tend to make emerging economies heavily reliant on foreign capital and vulnerable to capital flight. These countries are also more likely to experience high levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluation, which could also hurt their economies and securities markets. For these and other reasons, investments in emerging markets are often considered speculative. Securities Lending Risk. Any loss in the market price of securities loaned by the fund that occurs during the term of the loan would be borne by the fund and would adversely affect the fund's performance. Also, there may be delays in recovery of securities loaned or even a loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially while the loan is outstanding. However, loans will be made only to borrowers selected by the fund's delegate after a review of relevant facts and circumstances, including the creditworthiness of the borrower. Pricing Risk. At times, market conditions might make it hard to value some investments accurately, and the fund may use a subjective valuation methodology, such as fair value pricing. Given the subjective nature of such methodologies, it is possible that the value determined for an investment is different than the value realized upon such investment's sale. If the fund has valued its securities too highly, you may end up paying too much for fund shares when you buy into the fund. If the fund underestimates its price, you may not receive the full market value for your fund shares when you sell. Concentration Risk. The fund concentrates its investments in real estate securities, including REITs. A fund with a concentrated portfolio is vulnerable to the risks of the industry in which it invests and is subject to greater risks and market fluctuations than funds investing in a broader range of industries. Real estate securities are susceptible to many of the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate that may lead to declines in property values, such as: 8 o general or local economic conditions; o increases in property taxes and operating expenses; o liability or losses due to environmental problems; o falling rents due to poor demand, increased competition and/or overbuilding or limitations on rents; o zoning changes; o rising interest rates; and o losses from casualty or condemnation. In addition, many real estate companies, including REITs, utilize leverage (and some may be highly leveraged), which increases investment risk. Non-Diversification Risk. The fund is classified as "non-diversified" under the 1940 Act. This means that it may invest in securities of relatively few issuers. Thus, the performance of one or a small number of portfolio holdings can affect overall performance more than if the fund invested in a larger number of issuers. Security Selection Risk. A risk that pervades all investing is the risk that the securities in the fund's portfolio will decline in value. Other factors that could affect performance include: o the managers could be incorrect in their analysis of industries, companies, economic trends, the relative attractiveness of different sizes of stocks, geographical trends or other matters o derivatives could produce disproportionate losses due to a variety of factors, including the unwillingness or inability of the counterparty to meet its obligations or unexpected price or interest rate movements (see "Secondary risks" for more information) The Fund's Performance History As the fund has not yet been in operation for one full calendar year, no performance information is available as of the date of this prospectus. 9 How Much Investors Pay This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold fund shares. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fee Table Class A Class C - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shareholder Fees, paid directly from your investment - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases 5.75%(1) None (as % of offering price) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (Load) None(2) 1.00% (as % of redemption proceeds) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Redemption/Exchange fee, on shares owned less 2.00 2.00 than 30 days (as % of redemption proceeds)(3) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Operating Expenses, deducted from fund assets - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Management Fee(4) 1.10% 1.10% - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Distribution/Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25 1.00 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Expenses(5) 0.56 0.55 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Annual Operating Expenses 1.91 2.65 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Less Expense Waiver/Reimbursement 0.16 0.20 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net Annual Operating Expenses(6) 1.75 2.45 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) Because of rounding in the calculation of the offering price, the actual maximum front-end sales charge paid by an investor may be higher than the percentage noted (see "Choosing a Share Class -- Class A shares"). (2) The redemption of shares purchased at net asset value under the Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege (see "Choosing a Share Class -- Class A shares") may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% if redeemed within 12 months of purchase and 0.50% if redeemed during the next six months following purchase. (3) This fee is charged on all applicable redemptions or exchanges. Please see "Policies You Should Know About -- Policies about transactions" for further information. (4) Includes 0.10% administration fee. (5) "Other Expenses" are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. Actual expenses may be different. (6) Through July 4, 2007, the advisor has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its management fee and reimburse or pay operating expenses of the fund to the extent necessary to maintain the fund's total operating expenses at 1.75% and 2.45% for Class A and Class C shares, respectively, excluding certain expenses such as extraordinary expenses, taxes, brokerage, interest, and organizational and offering expenses. Although there can be no assurances that the current (or any) waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement will be maintained beyond July 4, 2007, the advisor has committed to review the continuance of waiver/expense reimbursement arrangements by July 4, 2007. 10 Based on the costs above (including one year of capped expenses in each period), this example helps you compare the expenses of each share class to those of other mutual funds. This example assumes the expenses above remain the same. It also assumes that you invested $10,000, earned 5% annual returns and reinvested all dividends and distributions. This is only an example; actual expenses will be different. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Example 1 Year 3 Years - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Expenses, assuming you sold your shares at the end of each period - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class A shares $743 $1,126 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class C shares 348 804 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Expenses, assuming you kept your shares - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class A shares $743 $1,126 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class C shares 248 804 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Other Policies and Secondary Risks While the previous pages describe the main points of the fund's strategy and risks, there are a few other issues to know about: o Although major changes tend to be infrequent, the fund's Board could change the fund's investment objective without seeking shareholder approval. In addition, the fund's Board will provide shareholders with at least 60 days' notice prior to making any changes to the fund's 80% investment policy. o As a temporary defensive measure, the fund could shift up to 100% of assets into investments such as money market securities. This measure could prevent losses, but, while engaged in a temporary defensive position, the fund will not be pursuing its investment objective. However, the portfolio managers may choose not to use these strategies for various reasons, even in very volatile market conditions. o The fund's equity investments are mainly common stocks, but may also include other types of equities such as preferred stocks or convertible securities. o The fund may trade securities actively. This could raise transaction costs (thus lowering return) and could mean higher taxable distributions. Secondary risks Derivatives Risk. Although not one of its principal investment strategies, the fund may invest in certain types of derivatives. Risks associated with derivatives include: the risk that the derivative is not well correlated with the security, index or currency to which it relates; the risk that derivatives used for risk management may not have the intended effects and may result in losses or missed opportunities; the risk that the fund will be unable to sell the derivative because of an illiquid secondary market; the risk that a counterparty is unwilling or unable to meet its obligations; the risk of interest rate movements; and the risk that the derivatives transaction could expose the fund to the effects of leverage, which could increase the fund's exposure to the market and magnify potential losses. There is no guarantee that derivatives activities will be employed or that they will work, and their use could cause lower returns or even losses to the fund. 12 For more information This prospectus doesn't tell you about every policy or risk of investing in the fund. If you want more information on the fund's allowable securities and investment practices and the characteristics and risks of each one, you may want to request a copy of the Statement of Additional Information (the back cover tells you how to do this). Keep in mind that there is no assurance that any mutual fund will achieve its goal. A complete list of the fund's portfolio holdings is posted on www.dws-scudder.com as of the month-end on or after the last day of the following month. This posted information generally remains accessible at least until the date on which the fund files its Form N-CSR or N-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the period that includes the date as of which the posted information is current. In addition, the fund's top ten holdings and other information about the fund is posted on www.dws-scudder.com as of the calendar quarter-end on or after the 15th day following quarter-end. The fund's Statement of Additional Information includes a description of the fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the fund's portfolio holdings. Who Manages and Oversees the Fund DWS Scudder is part of Deutsche Asset Management, which is the marketing name in the US for the asset management activities of Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. ("DeIM"), Deutsche Asset Management, Inc., Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas and DWS Trust Company. Deutsche Asset Management is a global asset management organization that offers a wide range of investing expertise and resources, including hundreds of portfolio managers and analysts and an office network that reaches the world's major investment centers. This well-resourced global investment platform brings together a wide variety of experience and investment insight across industries, regions, asset classes and investing styles. 13 DeIM is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG. Deutsche Bank AG is a major global banking institution that is engaged in a wide range of financial services, including investment management, mutual funds, retail, private and commercial banking, investment banking and insurance. The investment advisor DeIM is the investment advisor for the fund. Under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, DeIM, with headquarters at 345 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10154, supervises the activities of the subadvisor and the sub-subadvisors. DeIM and its predecessors have more than 80 years of experience managing mutual funds and DeIM provides a full range of investment advisory services to institutional and retail clients. DeIM is also responsible for selecting brokers and dealers and for negotiating brokerage commissions and dealer charges. As compensation for its services, DeIM is entitled to receive from the fund a fee (based upon the fund's average daily net assets) in accordance with the following schedule: - --------------------------------------------------------------------- Average daily net assets Fee rate - --------------------------------------------------------------------- first $500 million 1.000% - --------------------------------------------------------------------- next $500 million 0.985% - --------------------------------------------------------------------- next $1 billion 0.960% - --------------------------------------------------------------------- over $2 billion 0.945% - --------------------------------------------------------------------- The subadvisor RREEF America L.L.C. ("RREEF") is the subadvisor for the fund. While DeIM is the investment advisor to the fund, the day-to-day activities of managing the fund's portfolio have been delegated to RREEF. DeIM compensates RREEF out of the management fee it receives from the fund. The sub-subadvisors Pursuant to investment sub-subadvisory agreements between RREEF and Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH, RREEF Global Advisers Limited, Deutsche Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited and Deutsche Investments Australia Limited (the "sub-subadvisors"), these entities act as sub-subadvisors to the fund. As sub-subadvisors, under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, DeIM and RREEF, the sub-subadvisors manage the fund's investments in specific foreign markets. 14 Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH, Mainzer Landstrasse 178-190, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, manages stock selection decisions for the European portion of the fund's portfolio. Currently, RREEF Global Advisers Limited, Winchester House, 1 Great Winchester Street, London, United Kingdom, EC2N 2DB, acts as an adviser to Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH with respect to the fund. Deutsche Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited, 55/F Cheung Kong Centre, 2 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong, China, and Deutsche Investments Australia Limited, Level 21, 83 Clarence Street, Sydney, Australia, NSW, 2000, manage the stock selection decisions for the Asian and Australian portions of the fund's portfolio. The fund's shareholder report for the period ended December 31, 2006 will contain a discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees' approval of the investment management agreement, the subadvisory agreement and the sub-subadvisory agreements for the fund (see "Shareholder reports" on the back cover). The portfolio managers The fund is managed by a team of investment professionals who each play an important role in the fund's management process. The team works for the advisor or its affiliates and is supported by a large staff of economists, research analysts, traders and other investment specialists. The advisor or its affiliates believe(s) its team approach benefits fund investors by bringing together many disciplines and leveraging its extensive resources. The fund's team collaborates to implement the fund's investment strategy. The team is led by a lead portfolio manager who is responsible for developing the fund's investment strategy. Each portfolio manager on the team has authority over all aspects of the fund's investment portfolio, including, but not limited to, purchases and sales of individual securities, portfolio construction techniques, portfolio risk assessment and the management of daily cash flows in accordance with the portfolio holdings. 15 The following people handle the day-to-day management of the fund. John F. Robertson, CFA Kurt Klauditz Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Director of Deutsche Asset Management and Lead Portfolio Manager Management and Portfolio Manager of of the fund. the fund. o Joined RREEF in 1997, Deutsche o Joined Deutsche Asset Management Asset Management in 2002 and the in 2000 and the fund in 2006. fund in 2006. o Head of Liquid Assets and o Prior to that, Assistant Vice Financing: Germany. President of Lincoln Investment o Prior to that, senior positions Management responsible for REIT at Sal. Oppenhein, Paribas research. Capital Markets London, DG Bank o Over 15 years of investment Luxembourg and Shearson Lehman industry experience. Hamburg. o BA, Wabash College; MBA, Indiana o Over 15 years of investment University. industry experience. Daniel Ekins William Leung Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Vice President of Deutsche Asset Management and Portfolio Manager of Management and Portfolio Manager of the fund. the fund. o Joined RREEF in 1997, Deutsche o Joined Deutsche Asset Management Asset Management in 2002 and the in 2000 and the fund in 2006. fund in 2006. o Prior to that, equity research o Over 20 years of investment analyst at Merrill Lynch and UBS industry experience. Warburg, focusing on Hong Kong o BS, University of South Australia. and China at Merrill Lynch and UBS Warburg. John Hammond o Over nine years of investment Managing Director of Deutsche Asset industry experience. Management and Portfolio Manager of o MBA, Hong Kong University of the fund. Science & Technology. o Joined RREEF and Deutsche Asset Management in 2004 and the fund in 2006. o Prior to that, Director at Schroder Property Investment Management; Director at Henderson Global Investors. o Over 14 years of investment industry experience. o BSc, University of Reading, UK. The fund's Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the portfolio managers' investments in the fund, a description of their compensation structure and information regarding other accounts they manage. 16 Market timing related regulatory and litigation matters Since at least July 2003, federal, state and industry regulators have been conducting ongoing inquiries and investigations ("inquiries") into the mutual fund industry, and have requested information from numerous mutual fund companies, including DWS Scudder. The DWS funds' advisors have been cooperating in connection with these inquiries and are in discussions with the regulators concerning proposed settlements. Publicity about mutual fund practices arising from these industrywide inquiries serves as the general basis of a number of private lawsuits against the DWS funds. These lawsuits, which previously have been reported in the press, involve purported class action and derivative lawsuits, making various allegations and naming as defendants various persons, including certain DWS funds, the funds' investment advisors and their affiliates, and certain individuals, including in some cases fund Trustees/Directors, officers, and other parties. Each DWS fund's investment advisor has agreed to indemnify the applicable DWS funds in connection with these lawsuits, or other lawsuits or regulatory actions that may be filed making allegations similar to these lawsuits regarding market timing, revenue sharing, fund valuation or other subjects arising from or related to the pending inquiries. It is not possible to determine with certainty what the outcome of these inquiries will be or what the effect, if any, would be on the funds or their advisors. With respect to the lawsuits, based on currently available information, the funds' investment advisors believe the likelihood that the pending lawsuits will have a material adverse financial impact on a DWS fund is remote and such actions are not likely to materially affect their ability to perform under their investment management agreements with the DWS funds. With respect to the regulatory matters, Deutsche Asset Management ("DeAM") has advised the funds as follows: DeAM expects to reach final agreements with regulators in 2006 regarding allegations of improper trading in the DWS funds. DeAM expects that it will reach settlement agreements with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York Attorney General and the Illinois Secretary of State providing for payment of disgorgement, penalties, and investor education contributions totaling approximately 17 $134 million. Approximately $127 million of this amount would be distributed to shareholders of the affected DWS funds in accordance with a distribution plan to be developed by an independent distribution consultant. DeAM does not believe that any of the DWS funds will be named as respondents or defendants in any proceedings. The funds' investment advisors do not believe these amounts will have a material adverse financial impact on them or materially affect their ability to perform under their investment management agreements with the DWS funds. The above-described amounts are not material to Deutsche Bank, and they have already been reserved. Based on the settlement discussions thus far, DeAM believes that it will be able to reach a settlement with the regulators on a basis that is generally consistent with settlements reached by other advisors, taking into account the particular facts and circumstances of market timing at DeAM and at the legacy Scudder and Kemper organizations prior to their acquisition by DeAM in April 2002. Among the terms of the expected settled orders, DeAM would be subject to certain undertakings regarding the conduct of its business in the future, including maintaining existing management fee reductions for certain funds for a period of five years. DeAM expects that these settlements would resolve regulatory allegations that it violated certain provisions of federal and state securities laws (i) by entering into trading arrangements that permitted certain investors to engage in market timing in certain DWS funds and (ii) by failing more generally to take adequate measures to prevent market timing in the DWS funds, primarily during the 1999-2001 period. With respect to the trading arrangements, DeAM expects that the settlement documents will include allegations related to one legacy DeAM arrangement, as well as three legacy Scudder and six legacy Kemper arrangements. All of these trading arrangements originated in businesses that existed prior to the current DeAM organization, which came together in April 2002 as a result of the various mergers of the legacy Scudder, Kemper and Deutsche fund groups, and all of the arrangements were terminated prior to the start of the regulatory investigations that began in the summer of 2003. No current DeAM employee approved the trading arrangements. 18 There is no certainty that the final settlement documents will contain the foregoing terms and conditions. The independent Trustees/Directors of the DWS funds have carefully monitored these regulatory investigations with the assistance of independent legal counsel and independent economic consultants. Additional information announced by DeAM regarding the terms of the expected settlements will be made available at www.dws-scudder.com/regulatory_settlements, which will also disclose the terms of any final settlement agreements once they are announced. Other regulatory matters DeAM is also engaged in settlement discussions with the Enforcement Staffs of the SEC and the NASD regarding DeAM's practices during 2001-2003 with respect to directing brokerage commissions for portfolio transactions by certain DWS funds to broker-dealers that sold shares in the DWS funds and provided enhanced marketing and distribution for shares in the DWS funds. In addition, on January 13, 2006, DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc. received a Wells notice from the Enforcement Staff of the NASD regarding DWS Scudder Distributors' payment of non-cash compensation to associated persons of NASD member firms, as well as DWS Scudder Distributors' procedures regarding non-cash compensation regarding entertainment provided to such associated persons. Additional information announced by DeAM regarding the terms of the expected settlements will be made available at www.dws-scudder.com/regulatory_settlements, which will also disclose the terms of any final settlement agreements once they are announced. Financial Highlights Because the fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus, the fund has no financial information to report. 19 How to Invest in the Fund The following pages tell you about many of the services, choices and benefits of being a shareholder. You'll also find information on how to check the status of your account using the method that's most convenient for you. You can find out more about the topics covered here by speaking with your financial advisor or a representative of your workplace retirement plan or other investment provider. Choosing a Share Class This prospectus offers two share classes for the fund. Each class has its own fees and expenses, offering you a choice of cost structures. The fund offers other classes of shares separately. Class A and Class C shares are intended for investors seeking the advice and assistance of a financial advisor, who will typically receive compensation for those services. Before you invest, take a moment to look over the characteristics of each share class, so that you can be sure to choose the class that's right for you. You may want to ask your financial advisor to help you with this decision. We describe each share class in detail on the following pages. But first, you may want to look at the table below, which gives you a brief comparison of the main features of each class. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Classes and features Points to help you compare - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class A o Sales charges of up to 5.75%, charged o Some investors may be able to reduce when you buy shares or eliminate their sales charges; see next page o In most cases, no charges when you sell shares o Total annual operating expenses are lower than those for Class C o Up to 0.25% annual shareholder servicing fee - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class C o No sales charges when you buy shares o Unlike Class A, Class C shares do not have a sales charge when buying o Deferred sales charge of 1.00%, shares, but have higher annual charged when you sell shares you expenses than those for Class A bought within the last year shares and a deferred sales charge o Up to 0.75% annual distribution fee and up to 0.25% annual shareholder servicing fee - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your financial advisor will typically be paid a fee when you buy shares and may receive different levels of compensation depending upon which class of shares you buy. In addition to these payments, the fund's advisor, administrator or their affiliates may provide compensation to your financial advisor for distribution, administrative and promotional services. Financial advisors may also receive compensation from the fund for the services they provide to their clients. 21 Class A shares Class A shares have a 12b-1 plan, under which a shareholder servicing fee of up to 0.25% is deducted from class assets each year. Class A shares have a sales charge that varies with the amount you invest: - --------------------------------------------------------------------- Front-end Sales Front-end Sales Charge Charge as a % of as a % of your net Your investment offering price(1),(2) investment(2) - --------------------------------------------------------------------- Up to $50,000 5.75% 6.10% - --------------------------------------------------------------------- $50,000-$99,999 4.50 4.71 - --------------------------------------------------------------------- $100,000-$249,999 3.50 3.63 - --------------------------------------------------------------------- $250,000-$499,999 2.60 2.67 - --------------------------------------------------------------------- $500,000-$999,999 2.00 2.04 - --------------------------------------------------------------------- $1 million or more See below and page 24 - --------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) The offering price includes the sales charge. (2) Because of rounding in the calculation of the offering price, the actual maximum front-end sales charge paid by an investor may be higher or lower than the percentage noted above. You may be able to lower your Class A sales charges if: o you plan to invest at least $50,000 in Class A shares (including Class A shares in other retail DWS funds) over the next 24 months ("Letter of Intent") o the amount of Class A shares you already own (including Class A shares in other retail DWS funds) plus the amount you're investing now in Class A shares is at least $50,000 ("Cumulative Discount") o you are investing a total of $50,000 or more in Class A shares of several retail DWS funds on the same day ("Combined Purchases") The point of these three features is to let you count investments made at other times and in certain other funds for purposes of calculating your present sales charge. Any time you can use the privileges to "move" your investment into a lower sales charge category in the table above, it's generally beneficial for you to do so. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. Class A shares may make sense for long-term investors, especially those who are eligible for reduced or eliminated sales charges. 22 For purposes of determining whether you are eligible for a reduced Class A sales charge, you and your immediate family (your spouse or life partner and your children or stepchildren age 21 or younger) may aggregate your investments in the DWS family of funds. This includes, for example, investments held in a retirement account, an employee benefit plan, or at a financial advisor other than the one handling your current purchase. These combined investments will be valued at their current offering price to determine whether your current investment qualifies for a reduced sales charge. To receive a reduction in your Class A initial sales charge, you must let your financial advisor or Shareholder Services know at the time you purchase shares that you qualify for such a reduction. You may be asked by your financial advisor or Shareholder Services to provide account statements or other information regarding related accounts of you or your immediate family in order to verify your eligibility for a reduced sales charge. For more information about sales charge discounts, please visit the "Individual Investors" section of www.dws-scudder.com (click on the link entitled "Fund Sales Charge and Breakpoint Schedule"), consult with your financial advisor or refer to the section entitled "Purchase or Redemption of Shares" in the fund's Statement of Additional Information. 23 You may be able to buy Class A shares without sales charges when you are: o reinvesting dividends or distributions o participating in an investment advisory or agency commission program under which you pay a fee to an investment advisor or other firm for portfolio management or brokerage services o exchanging an investment in Class A shares of another fund in the DWS family of funds for an investment in the fund o a current or former director or trustee of the Deutsche or DWS mutual funds o an employee (including the employee's spouse or life partner and children or stepchildren age 21 or younger) of Deutsche Bank or its affiliates or of a subadvisor to any fund in the DWS family of funds or of a broker-dealer authorized to sell shares of such funds There are a number of additional provisions that apply in order to be eligible for a sales charge waiver. The fund may waive the sales charges for investors in other situations as well. Your financial advisor or Shareholder Services can answer your questions and help you determine if you are eligible. If you're investing $1 million or more, either as a lump sum or through one of the sales charge reduction features described above, you may be eligible to buy Class A shares without sales charges ("Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege"). However, you may be charged a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) of 1.00% on any shares you sell within 12 months of purchase and a similar charge of 0.50% on shares you sell during the next six months of owning them. This CDSC is waived under certain circumstances (see "Policies You Should Know About"). Your financial advisor or Shareholder Services can answer your questions and help you determine if you're eligible. 24 Class C shares With Class C shares, you pay no up-front sales charges. Class C shares have a 12b-1 plan under which a distribution fee of 0.75% and a shareholder servicing fee of up to 0.25% are deducted from class assets each year. Because of these fees, the annual expenses for Class C shares are higher than those for Class A shares (and the performance of Class C shares is correspondingly lower than that of Class A shares). Class C shares do NOT automatically convert to Class A shares after six years, so they continue to have higher annual expenses. Class C shares have a CDSC, but only on shares you sell within one year of buying them: - --------------------------------------------------------------------- Year after you bought shares CDSC on shares you sell - --------------------------------------------------------------------- First year 1.00% - --------------------------------------------------------------------- Second year and later None - --------------------------------------------------------------------- This CDSC is waived under certain circumstances (see "Policies You Should Know About"). Your financial advisor or Shareholder Services can answer your questions and help you determine if you're eligible. While Class C shares don't have any front-end sales charge, their higher annual expenses mean that over the years, you could end up paying more than the equivalent of the maximum allowable front-end sales charge. Orders to purchase Class C shares of $500,000 or more will be declined with the exception of orders received from financial representatives acting for clients whose shares are held in an omnibus account and certain employer-sponsored employee benefit plans. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. Class C shares may appeal to investors who plan to sell some or all of their shares within six years of buying them or who aren't certain of their investment time horizon. 25 How to Buy Shares Once you've chosen a share class, use these instructions to make investments. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- First investment Additional investments - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $1,000 or more for regular accounts $50 or more for regular accounts and IRA accounts $500 or more for IRAs $50 or more with an Automatic $50 or more with an Automatic Investment Plan Investment Plan - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Through a financial advisor o Contact your advisor using the method o Contact your advisor using the that's most convenient for you method that's most convenient for you - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By mail or express mail (see below) o Fill out and sign an application o Send a check made out to "DWS Scudder" and a DWS Scudder o Send it to us at the appropriate investment slip to us at the address, along with an investment check appropriate address below o If you don't have an investment slip, simply include a letter with your name, account number, the full name of the fund and the share class and your investment instructions - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By wire o Call (800) 621-1048 for instructions o Call (800) 621-1048 for instructions - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By phone Not available o Call (800) 621-1048 for instructions - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With an automatic investment plan o Fill in the information on your o To set up regular investments from application and include a voided check. a bank checking account, call (800) 621-1048 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the Internet Not available o Go to www.dws-scudder.com and register o Follow the instructions for buying shares with money from your bank account - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regular mail: First Investment: DWS Scudder, PO Box 219356, Kansas City, MO 64121-9356 Additional Investments: DWS Scudder, PO Box 219154, Kansas City, MO 64121-9154 Express, registered or certified mail: DWS Scudder, 210 W. 10th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105-1614 26 How to Exchange or Sell Shares Use these instructions to exchange or sell shares in your account. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Exchanging into another fund Selling shares - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $1,000 or more to open a new account Some transactions, including most for ($500 for IRAs) over $100,000, can only be ordered in writing with a signature guarantee; if $50 or more for exchanges between you're in doubt, see page 35 existing accounts - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Through a financial advisor o Contact your advisor by the method o Contact your advisor by the method that's most convenient for you that's most convenient for you - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By phone or wire o Call (800) 621-1048 for instructions o Call (800) 621-1048 for instructions - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By mail or express mail (see previous page) Write a letter that includes: Write a letter that includes: o the fund, class and account number o the fund, class and account number you're exchanging out of from which you want to sell shares o the dollar amount or number of shares o the dollar amount or number of you want to exchange shares you want to sell o the name and class of the fund you o your name(s), signature(s) and want to exchange into address, as they appear on your account o your name(s), signature(s) and address, as they appear on your account o a daytime telephone number o a daytime telephone number - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With an automatic exchange plan o To set up regular exchanges from a Not available fund account, call (800) 621-1048 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With an automatic withdrawal plan Not available o To set up regular cash payments from a fund account, call (800) 621-1048 (minimum $50) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the Internet o Register at www.dws-scudder.com o Register at www.dws-scudder.com o Follow the instructions for making o Follow the instructions for making on-line exchanges on-line redemptions - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27 Policies You Should Know About Along with the instructions on the previous pages, the policies below may affect you as a shareholder. Some of this information, such as the section on dividends and taxes, applies to all investors, including those investing through a financial advisor. If you are investing through a financial advisor or through a retirement plan, check the materials you received from them about how to buy and sell shares because particular financial advisors or other intermediaries may adopt policies, procedures or limitations that are separate from those described by the fund. Please note that a financial advisor may charge fees separate from those charged by the fund. In either case, keep in mind that the information in this prospectus applies only to the fund's Class A and Class C shares. The fund has other share classes, which are described in separate prospectuses and which have different fees, expenses, requirements and services. In order to reduce the amount of mail you receive and to help reduce expenses, we generally send a single copy of any shareholder report and prospectus to each household. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those for other members of your household, please contact your financial advisor or call (800) 621-1048. Policies about transactions The fund is open for business each day the New York Stock Exchange is open. The fund calculates its share price for each class every business day, as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (typically 4 p.m. Eastern time, but sometimes earlier, as in the case of scheduled half-day trading or unscheduled suspensions of trading). You can place an order to buy or sell shares at any time. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. The DWS Scudder Web site can be a valuable resource for shareholders with Internet access. Go to www.dws- scudder.com to get up-to-date information, review balances or even place orders for exchanges. 28 To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. What this means to you: when you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. Some or all of this information will be used to verify the identity of all persons opening an account. We might request additional information about you (which may include certain documents, such as articles of incorporation for companies) to help us verify your identity, and in some cases the information and/or documents may be required to conduct the verification. The information and documents will be used solely to verify your identity. We will attempt to collect any missing required and requested information by contacting you or your financial advisor. If we are unable to obtain this information within the time frames established by the fund then we may reject your application and order. The fund will not invest your purchase until all required and requested identification information has been provided and your application has been submitted in "good order." After we receive all the information, your application is deemed to be in good order and we accept your purchase, you will receive the net asset value per share next calculated (less any applicable sales charges). In addition, while we attempt to verify your identity, we may limit your ability to purchase or exchange fund shares. If we are unable to verify your identity within time frames established by the fund, after a reasonable effort to do so, you will receive written notification. The fund generally will not accept new account applications to establish an account with a non-US address (APO/FPO and US territories are acceptable) or for a non-resident alien. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. If you ever have difficulty placing an order by phone or Internet, you can send us your order in writing. 29 Because orders placed through a financial advisor must be forwarded to the transfer agent before they can be processed, you'll need to allow extra time. A representative of your financial advisor should be able to tell you approximately when your order will be processed. It is the responsibility of your financial advisor to forward your order to the transfer agent in a timely manner. Market Timing Policies and Procedures. Short-term and excessive trading of fund shares may present risks to the fund's long-term shareholders, including potential dilution in the value of fund shares, interference with the efficient management of the fund's portfolio (including losses on the sale of investments), taxable gains to remaining shareholders and increased brokerage and administrative costs. These risks may be more pronounced for funds investing in certain securities such as those that trade in foreign markets, are illiquid or do not otherwise have "readily available market quotations." Certain investors may seek to employ short-term trading strategies aimed at exploiting variations in portfolio valuation that arise from the nature of the securities held by the fund (e.g., "time zone arbitrage"). The fund discourages short-term and excessive trading. The fund will take steps to detect and deter short-term and excessive trading pursuant to the fund's policies as described in this prospectus and approved by the Board. The fund generally defines short-term trading as purchase and redemption activity, including exchanges, that occurs within the time period for imposition of redemption fees. The fund may also take trading activity that occurs over longer periods into account if the fund reasonably believes such activity is of an amount or frequency that may be harmful to long-term shareholders or disruptive to portfolio management. 30 The fund's policies include: o a 2% redemption fee on fund shares held for less than a specified holding period (subject to certain exceptions discussed below under "Redemption fees"); o the fund reserves the right to reject or cancel a purchase or exchange order for any reason when, in the opinion of the advisor, there appears to be a pattern of short-term or excessive trading activity by a shareholder or any other trading activity deemed harmful or disruptive to the fund; and o the fund has adopted certain fair valuation practices reasonably designed to protect the fund from "time zone arbitrage" with respect to its foreign securities holdings and other trading practices that seek to exploit variations in portfolio valuation that arise from the nature of the securities held by the fund. (See "How the fund calculates share price.") When a pattern of short-term or excessive trading activity or other trading activity deemed harmful or disruptive to the fund by an investor is detected, the advisor may determine to prohibit that investor from future purchases in the fund or to limit or terminate the investor's exchange privilege. The detection of these patterns and the banning of further trading are inherently subjective and therefore involve some selectivity in their application. The advisor seeks to make such determinations in a manner consistent with the interests of the fund's long-term shareholders. There is no assurance that these policies and procedures will be effective in limiting short-term and excessive trading in all cases. For example, the advisor may not be able to effectively monitor, detect or limit short-term or excessive trading by underlying shareholders that occurs through omnibus accounts maintained by broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries. Depending on the amount of fund shares held in such omnibus accounts (which may represent most of the fund's shares) short-term and/or excessive trading of fund shares could adversely affect long-term shareholders in the fund. It is important to note that shareholders that invest through omnibus accounts also may be subject to the policies and procedures of their financial intermediaries with respect to short-term and excessive trading in the fund. 31 The fund's policies and procedures may be modified or terminated at any time. Redemption fees. The fund imposes a redemption fee of 2% of the total redemption amount (calculated at net asset value, without regard to the effect of any contingent deferred sales charge; any contingent deferred sales charge is also assessed on the total redemption amount without regard to the assessment of the 2% redemption fee) on all fund shares redeemed or exchanged within 30 days of buying them (either by purchase or exchange). The redemption fee is paid directly to the fund, and is designed to encourage long-term investment and to offset transaction and other costs associated with short-term or excessive trading. For purposes of determining whether the redemption fee applies, shares held the longest time will be treated as being redeemed first and shares held the shortest time will be treated as being redeemed last. The redemption fee is applicable to fund shares purchased either directly or through a financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer. Transactions through financial intermediaries typically are placed with the fund on an omnibus basis and include both purchase and sale transactions placed on behalf of multiple investors. These purchase and sale transactions are generally netted against one another and placed on an aggregate basis; consequently the identities of the individuals on whose behalf the transactions are placed generally are not known to the fund. For this reason, the fund has undertaken to notify financial intermediaries of their obligation to assess the redemption fee on customer accounts and to collect and remit the proceeds to the fund. However, due to operational requirements, the intermediaries' methods for tracking and calculating the fee may be inadequate or differ in some respects from the fund's. Subject to approval by DeAM or the fund's Board, intermediaries who transact business on an omnibus basis may implement the redemption fees according to their own operational guidelines (which may be different than the fund's policies) and remit the fees to the fund. In addition, certain intermediaries that do not currently have the capacity to collect redemption fees at an account level may be granted a temporary waiver from the fund's policies until such time as they can develop and implement a system to collect the redemption fees. 32 The redemption fee will not be charged in connection with the following exchange or redemption transactions: (i) transactions on behalf of participants in certain research wrap programs; (ii) transactions on behalf of participants in certain group retirement plans and financial intermediaries whose processing systems are incapable of properly applying the redemption fee to underlying shareholders; (iii) transactions on behalf of a shareholder to return any excess IRA contributions to the shareholder; (iv) transactions on behalf of a shareholder to effect a required minimum distribution on an IRA; (v) transactions on behalf of any mutual fund advised by the fund's investment advisor and its affiliates (e.g., "funds of funds") or, in the case of a master/feeder relationship, redemptions by the feeder fund from the master portfolio; (vi) transactions following death or disability of any registered shareholder, beneficial owner or grantor of a living trust with respect to shares purchased before death or disability; (vii) transactions involving hardship of any registered shareholder; (viii) systematic transactions with predefined trade dates for purchases, exchanges or redemptions, such as automatic account rebalancing, or loan origination and repayments; (ix) transactions involving shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends or other distributions; (x) transactions involving shares transferred from another account in the same fund or converted from another class of the same fund (e.g., shares converting from Class B to Class A) (the redemption fee period will carry over to the acquired shares); (xi) transactions initiated by a fund or administrator (e.g., redemptions for not meeting account minimums, to pay account fees funded by share redemptions, or in the event of the liquidation or merger of a fund); or (xii) transactions in cases when there are legal or contractual limitations or restrictions on the imposition of the redemption fee (as determined by the fund or its agents in their sole discretion). 33 The fund expects that the waiver for certain group retirement plans and financial intermediaries will be eliminated over time as their respective operating systems are improved. Until such time that these operating systems are improved, the fund's investment advisor will attempt to monitor the trading activity in these accounts and will take appropriate corrective action if it appears that a pattern of short-term or excessive trading or other harmful or disruptive trading by underlying shareholders exists. The fund reserves the right to withdraw waivers, and to modify or terminate these waivers or the redemption fee at any time. InvestorACCESS, the automated information line, is available 24 hours a day by calling (800) 972-3060. You can use InvestorACCESS to get information on DWS funds generally and on accounts held directly at DWS Scudder. You can also use it to make exchanges and sell shares. QuickBuy and QuickSell let you set up a link between a DWS fund account and a bank account. Once this link is in place, you can move money between the two with a phone call. You'll need to make sure your bank has Automated Clearing House (ACH) services. Transactions take two to three days to be completed and there is a $50 minimum and a $250,000 maximum. To set up QuickBuy or QuickSell on a new account, see the account application; to add it to an existing account, call (800) 621-1048. Telephone and electronic transactions. Generally, you are automatically entitled to telephone and electronic transaction privileges, but you may elect not to have them when you open your account or by contacting Shareholder Services at a later date. Since many transactions may be initiated by telephone or electronically, it's important to understand that as long as we take reasonable steps to ensure that an order to purchase or redeem shares is genuine, such as recording calls or requesting personalized security codes or other information, we are not responsible for any losses that may occur as a result. For transactions conducted over the Internet, we recommend the use of a secure Internet browser. In addition, you should verify the accuracy of your confirmation statements immediately after you receive them. 34 The fund accepts payment for shares only in US dollars by check, by bank or Federal Funds wire transfer, or by electronic bank transfer. Please note that the fund cannot accept cash, traveler's checks, starter checks, money orders, third party checks, checks drawn on foreign banks, or checks issued by credit card companies or Internet-based companies. When you ask us to send or receive a wire, please note that while we don't charge a fee to send or receive wires, it's possible that your bank may do so. Wire transactions are generally completed within 24 hours. The fund can only send wires of $1,000 or more and accept wires of $50 or more. We do not issue share certificates. When you want to sell more than $100,000 worth of shares or send proceeds to a third party or to a new address, you'll usually need to place your order in writing and include a signature guarantee. However, if you want money wired to a bank account that is already on file with us, you don't need a signature guarantee. Also, you don't generally need a signature guarantee for an exchange, although we may require one in certain other circumstances. A signature guarantee is simply a certification of your signature -- a valuable safeguard against fraud. You can get a signature guarantee from an eligible guarantor institution, including commercial banks, savings and loans, trust companies, credit unions, member firms of a national stock exchange, or any member or participant of an approved signature guarantor program. Note that you can't get a signature guarantee from a notary public, and we must be provided the original guarantee. Selling shares of trust accounts and business or organization accounts may require additional documentation. Please contact your financial advisor for more information. When you sell shares that have a CDSC, we calculate the CDSC as a percentage of what you paid for the shares or what you are selling them for -- whichever results in the lower charge to you. In processing orders to sell shares, the shares with the lowest CDSC are sold first. Exchanges from one fund into another fund don't affect CDSCs. For each investment you make, the date you first bought shares is the date we use to calculate a CDSC on that particular investment. 35 There are certain cases in which you may be exempt from a CDSC. These include: o the death or disability of an account owner (including a joint owner). This waiver applies only under certain conditions. Please contact your financial advisor or Shareholder Services to determine if the conditions exist o withdrawals made through an automatic withdrawal plan. Such withdrawals may be made at a maximum of 12% per year of the net asset value of the account o withdrawals related to certain retirement or benefit plans o redemptions for certain loan advances, hardship provisions or returns of excess contributions from retirement plans o for Class A shares purchased through the Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege, redemption of shares whose dealer of record at the time of the investment notifies DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc., the fund's distributor, that the dealer waives the applicable commission o for Class C shares, redemption of shares purchased through a dealer-sponsored asset allocation program maintained on an omnibus record-keeping system, provided the dealer of record has waived the advance of the first year distribution and service fees applicable to such shares and has agreed to receive such fees quarterly In each of these cases, there are a number of additional provisions that apply in order to be eligible for a CDSC waiver. Your financial advisor or Shareholder Services can answer your questions and help you determine if you are eligible. If you sell shares in a DWS fund and then decide to invest with DWS Scudder again within six months, you can take advantage of the "reinstatement feature." With this feature, you can put your money back into the same class of a DWS fund at its current NAV and for purposes of sales charges it will be treated as if it had never left DWS Scudder. You'll be reimbursed (in the form of fund shares) for any CDSC you paid when you sold. Future CDSC calculations will be based on your original investment date, rather than your reinstatement date. You can only use the reinstatement feature once for any given group of shares. To take advantage of this feature, contact Shareholder Services or your financial advisor. 36 Money from shares you sell is normally sent out within one business day of when your order is processed (not when it is received), although it could be delayed for up to seven days. There are also two circumstances when it could be longer: when you are selling shares you bought recently by check and that check hasn't cleared yet (maximum delay: 10 days) or when unusual circumstances prompt the SEC to allow further delays. Certain expedited redemption processes may also be delayed when you are selling recently purchased shares. You may obtain additional information about other ways to sell your shares by contacting your financial advisor. How the fund calculates share price To calculate net asset value per share, or NAV, the fund uses the following equation: TOTAL ASSETS - TOTAL LIABILITIES -------------------------------------------- = NAV TOTAL NUMBER OF SHARES OUTSTANDING The price at which you buy shares is the NAV, although for Class A shares it will be adjusted to allow for any applicable sales charges (see "Choosing a Share Class"). The price at which you sell shares is the NAV, although for Class C investors a CDSC may be taken out of the proceeds, (see "Choosing a Share Class"). The fund charges a short-term redemption fee equal to 2.00% of the value of shares redeemed or exchanged within 30 days of purchase. Please see "Policies about transactions -- Redemption fees" for further information. We typically value securities using information furnished by an independent pricing service or market quotations, where appropriate. However, we may use methods approved by the fund's Board, such as a fair valuation model, which are intended to reflect fair value when pricing service information or market quotations are not readily available or when a security's value or a meaningful portion of the value of the fund's portfolio is believed to have been materially affected by a significant event, such as a natural disaster, an economic event like a bankruptcy filing, or a substantial fluctuation in domestic or foreign markets, that has occurred between the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded (for example, a foreign exchange or market) and the close of the New York Stock Exchange. In such a case, the fund's value for a 37 security is likely to be different from the last quoted market price or pricing service information. In addition, due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, it is possible that the value determined for a particular asset may be materially different from the value realized upon such asset's sale. It is expected that the greater the percentage of fund assets that is invested in non-US securities, the more extensive will be the fund's use of fair value pricing. This is intended to reduce the fund's exposure to "time zone arbitrage" and other harmful trading practices. (See "Market Timing Policies and Procedures.") Because the fund invests in securities that are traded primarily in foreign markets, the value of its holdings could change at a time when you aren't able to buy or sell fund shares. This is because some foreign markets are open on days or at times when the fund doesn't price its shares. (Note that prices for securities that trade on foreign exchanges can change significantly on days when the New York Stock Exchange is closed and you cannot buy or sell fund shares. Price changes in the securities the fund owns may ultimately affect the price of fund shares the next time the NAV is calculated.) Other rights we reserve You should be aware that we may do any of the following: o withdraw or suspend the offering of shares at any time o withhold a portion of your distributions as federal income tax if we have been notified by the IRS that you are subject to backup withholding or if you fail to provide us with a correct taxpayer ID number or certification that you are exempt from backup withholding o reject a new account application if you don't provide any required or requested identifying information, or for any other reasons o refuse, cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order; freeze any account (meaning you will not be able to purchase fund shares in your account); suspend account services; and/or involuntarily redeem your account if we think that the account is being used for fraudulent or illegal purposes; one or more of these actions will be taken when, at our sole discretion, they are deemed to be in the fund's best interest or when the fund is requested or compelled to do so by governmental authority or by applicable law 38 o close and liquidate your account if we are unable to verify your identity, or for other reasons; if we decide to close your account, your fund shares will be redeemed at the net asset value per share next calculated after we determine to close your account (less any applicable sales charges or redemption fees); you may be subject to gain or loss on the redemption of your fund shares and you may incur tax liability o close your account and send you the proceeds if your balance falls below $1,000; we will give you 60 days' notice (90 days for retirement accounts) so you can either increase your balance or close your account (this policy doesn't apply to investors with $100,000 or more in DWS fund shares, investors with an Automatic Investment Plan established with $50 or more per month, or in any case where a fall in share price created the low balance) o pay you for shares you sell by "redeeming in kind," that is, by giving you marketable securities (which typically will involve brokerage costs for you to liquidate) rather than cash; in most cases, the fund generally won't make a redemption in kind unless your requests over a 90-day period total more than $250,000 or 1% of the value of the fund's net assets, whichever is less o change, add or withdraw various services, fees and account policies (for example, we may change or terminate the exchange privilege or adjust the fund's investment minimum at any time) o suspend or postpone redemptions as permitted pursuant to Section 22(e) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Generally, those circumstances are when: 1) the New York Stock Exchange is closed other than customary weekend or holiday closings; 2) trading on the New York Stock Exchange is restricted; 3) an emergency exists which makes the disposal of securities owned by the fund or the fair determination of the value of the fund's net assets not reasonably practicable; or 4) the SEC, by order, permits the suspension of the right of redemption. Redemption payments by wire may also be delayed in the event of a nonroutine closure of the Federal Reserve wire payment system. 39 Understanding Distributions and Taxes The fund intends to distribute to its shareholders virtually all of its net earnings. The fund can earn money in two ways: by receiving interest, dividends or other income from securities it holds and by selling securities for more than it paid for them. (The fund's earnings are separate from any gains or losses stemming from your own purchase and sale of fund shares.) The fund may not always pay a dividend or distribution for a given period. The fund intends to pay dividends and distributions to shareholders in November or December, and if necessary, may do so at other times as well. For federal income tax purposes, income and capital gains distributions are generally taxable. Dividends and distributions received by retirement plans qualifying for tax-exempt treatment under federal income tax laws will not be taxable. Similarly, there will be no tax consequences when a qualified retirement plan buys or sells fund shares. You can choose how to receive your dividends and distributions. You can have them all automatically reinvested in fund shares (at NAV), all deposited directly to your bank account or all sent to you by check, have one type reinvested and the other sent to you by check or have them invested in a different fund. Tell us your preference on your application. If you don't indicate a preference, your dividends and distributions will all be reinvested without applicable sales charges. Dividends and distributions are taxable whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. For retirement plans, reinvestment (at NAV) is the only option. Dividends and distributions received by retirement plans qualifying for tax-exempt treatment under federal income tax laws will not be taxable. Buying and selling fund shares will usually have tax consequences for you (except in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account). Your sales of shares may result in a capital gain or loss for you. The gain or loss will be long-term or short-term depending on how long you owned the shares that were sold. For federal income tax purposes, an exchange is treated the same as a sale. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. Because each shareholder's tax situation is unique, ask your tax professional about the tax consequences of your investments, including any state and local tax consequences. 40 The tax status of the fund's earnings you receive and your own fund transactions, generally depends on their type: - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Generally taxed at long-term Generally taxed at ordinary capital gain rates: income rates: - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Distributions from the fund o gains from the sale of o gains from the sale of securities held by the fund for securities held by the fund more than one year for one year or less o qualified dividend income o all other taxable income - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Transactions involving fund shares o gains from selling fund shares o gains from selling fund held for more than one year shares held for one year or less - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Any investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes. In that case, the fund's yield on those securities would generally be decreased. The fund may elect to pass through to its shareholders a credit or deduction for foreign taxes it has paid if, at the end of its fiscal year, more than 50% of the fund's total assets are stock or securities of foreign corporations and if certain other conditions are met. In addition, any investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the fund's recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the fund's distributions. For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2011, distributions of investment income designated by the fund as derived from qualified dividend income are eligible for taxation in the hands of individuals at long-term capital gain rates. Qualified dividend income generally includes dividends from domestic and some foreign corporations. It does not include income from investments in fixed-income securities. In addition, the fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the fund's shares for the lower tax rates to apply. Dividends received by the fund from a REIT may be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent the dividends are attributable to qualified dividend income received by such REIT. 41 For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2011, the maximum federal long-term capital gain rate applicable to individuals has been reduced to 15%. For more information, see the Statement of Additional Information, under "Taxes." Your fund will send you detailed tax information every January. These statements tell you the amount and the tax category of any dividends or distributions you received. They also have certain details on your purchases and sales of shares. The tax status of dividends and distributions is the same whether you reinvest them or not. Dividends or distributions declared in the last quarter of a given year are taxed in that year, even though you may not receive the money until the following January. Because the REITs invested in by the fund do not provide complete information about the taxability of their distributions until after the calendar year-end, the fund may not be able to determine how much of the fund's distribution is taxable to shareholders until after the January 31 deadline for issuing Form 1099-DIV. As a result, the fund may request permission from the Internal Revenue Service each year for an extension of time until February 28 to issue Form 1099-DIV. If you invest right before the fund pays a dividend, you'll be getting some of your investment back as a taxable dividend. You can avoid this, if you want, by investing after the fund declares a dividend. In tax-advantaged retirement accounts you don't need to worry about this. If the fund's distributions exceed its income and capital gains realized in any year, all or a portion of those distributions may be treated for tax purposes as a return of capital. A return of capital will generally not be taxable to you but will reduce the cost basis of your shares and result in a higher capital gain or a lower capital loss when you sell your shares. Corporations may be able to take a dividends-received deduction for a portion of income dividends they receive from the fund. The above discussion is applicable to shareholders who are US persons. If you are a non-US person, please consult your own tax advisor with respect to the US tax consequences of an investment in a fund. Additional information may be found in the fund's Statement of Additional Information. 42 Notes - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To Get More Information Shareholder reports -- These will include commentary from the fund's management team about recent market conditions and the effects of the fund's strategies on its performance. They also will have detailed performance figures, a list of everything the fund owns and its financial statements. Shareholders get these reports automatically. Because the fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus, the fund has not yet delivered a shareholder report. Statement of Additional Information (SAI) -- This tells you more about the fund's features and policies, including additional risk information. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this document (meaning that it's legally part of this prospectus). For a free copy of any of these documents or to request other information about the fund, call (800) 621-1048, or contact DWS Scudder at the address listed below. The fund's SAI and shareholder reports (when they become available) are also available through the DWS Scudder Web site at www.dws-scudder.com. These documents and other information about the fund are available from the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at www.sec.gov. If you like, you may obtain copies of this information, after paying a copying fee, by e-mailing a request to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the SEC at the address listed below. You can also review and copy these documents and other information about the fund, including the fund's SAI, at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Information on the operation of the SEC's Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330. DWS Scudder SEC Distributor - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PO Box 219669 100 F Street, N.E. DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc. Kansas City, MO 64121-9669 Washington, D.C. 20549 222 South Riverside Plaza www.dws-scudder.com www.sec.gov Chicago, IL 60606-5808 (800) 728-3337 (800) SEC-0330 (800) 621-1148 SEC File Number: DWS Advisor Funds 811-04760 [DWS SCUDDER Logo] Deutsche Bank Group JULY 1, 2006 PROSPECTUS ---------------- INSTITUTIONAL CLASS DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) does not approve or disapprove these shares or determine whether the information in this prospectus is truthful or complete. It is a criminal offense for anyone to inform you otherwise. [Logo]DWS SCUDDER Deutsche Bank Group Contents - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How the Fund Works How to Invest in the Fund 4 The Fund's Main Investment 20 Buying and Selling Strategy Institutional Class Shares 6 The Main Risks of Investing in 24 Policies You Should Know the Fund About 9 The Fund's Performance History 35 Understanding Distributions and Taxes 10 How Much Investors Pay 11 Other Policies and Secondary Risks 12 Who Manages and Oversees the Fund 18 Financial Highlights How the Fund Works On the next few pages, you'll find information about the fund's investment goal, the main strategies it uses to pursue that goal and the main risks that could affect performance. Whether you are considering investing in the fund or are already a shareholder, you'll want to look this information over carefully. You may want to keep it on hand for reference as well. Remember that mutual funds are investments, not bank deposits. They're not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. Their share prices will go up and down and you could lose money by investing in them. You can find DWS prospectuses on the Internet at www.dws-scudder.com. Institutional Class fund number 811 DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund The Fund's Main Investment Strategy The fund's investment objective is to seek total return through a combination of current income and long-term capital appreciation. The fund seeks to achieve this objective by investing primarily in publicly listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate operating companies on a global basis. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes (calculated at the time of any investment), in the equity securities of REITs and real estate operating companies listed on recognized stock exchanges around the world. Currently, the fund does not intend to borrow for investment purposes. Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock and securities convertible into common stock. A security will be considered part of the fund's investment universe if the issuer of such security has a market capitalization of at least $50 million and, in the opinion of the portfolio managers, at least 50% of its revenues or 50% of the market value of its assets at the time its securities are purchased by the fund are attributed to the ownership, construction, management or sale of real estate and it is listed on a recognized public foreign or domestic stock exchange or traded over the counter. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Investments. When the managers believe that it is prudent, the fund may invest a portion of its assets in other types of securities. These securities may include short-term securities, bonds, notes, securities of companies not principally engaged in the real estate industry, non-leveraged stock index futures contracts and other similar securities. Stock index futures contracts, a type of derivative security, can help the fund's cash assets remain liquid while performing more like stocks. The fund has a policy governing stock index futures and other derivatives which prohibits leverage of the fund's assets by investing in a derivative security. For example, the managers cannot invest in a derivative security if it would be possible for the fund to lose more money than it invested. 4 The fund may also invest in unlisted securities provided such securities are expected to be listed on a recognized public stock exchange or traded over the counter within six months from the time of investment. In addition, while the fund does not currently plan to hedge international currency risk, the fund may engage in foreign currency transactions, including foreign currency forward contracts, options, swaps and other similar transactions in connection with investments in securities of non-US companies. The strategy of the fund is to take advantage of the extensive expertise of the advisor's and its affiliates' (the "advisors") dedicated, in-house direct real estate investment teams located in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia, in order to invest in real estate securities on a global basis. In selecting securities for the fund's portfolio, the advisors will incorporate both "top-down" and "bottom-up" investment insights and analysis. "Top-down" research, analyzing market-wide investment conditions, is used to arrive at the fund's weighting across regional markets (i.e., the portfolio weighting across investments in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia) and within these regions, its strategy across investment sectors, such as office, industrial, retail, hospitality and residential apartment real estate sectors. This research includes analysis of various factors, including real estate market dynamics (e.g., supply/demand conditions, vacancy rates), the economic environment (e.g. interest rates, inflation and economic growth), expected capital flow dynamics and exchange rate conditions. "Bottom-up" research, analyzing the characteristics and investment prospects of a particular real estate security relative to others in its local market, is used to actively manage the fund's exposure to individual securities within each region. Disciplined valuation analysis performed in each region drives this decision-making process, guiding the portfolio managers to invest in securities that they believe can provide superior returns over the long term, and to sell those that they believe no longer represent the strongest prospects, relative to other opportunities. The focus of the fund's security selection strategy is to invest in securities with the potential for price appreciation, while maintaining a bias toward those securities paying attractive, reliable dividends. It is expected that the majority of returns from the fund will be generated by security-specific investment 5 decisions, which are the responsibility of portfolio managers located in the respective geographical regions. The allocation of the fund's investments across geographic regions is determined by the advisor's Global Property Asset Allocation Committee, comprising the portfolio managers from each region and chaired by the advisor's lead portfolio manager for global real estate security investments. Securities Lending. The fund may lend its investment securities in an amount up to 33(1)/3% of its total assets to approved institutional borrowers who need to borrow securities in order to complete certain transactions. The Main Risks of Investing in the Fund There are several risk factors that could hurt the fund's performance, cause you to lose money or cause the fund's performance to trail that of other investments. Stock Market Risk. As with most stock funds, the most important factor with this fund is how stock markets perform. When stock prices fall, you should expect the value of your investment to fall as well. Because a stock represents ownership in its issuer, stock prices can be hurt by poor management, shrinking product demand and other business risks. These may affect single companies as well as groups of companies. In addition, movements in financial markets may adversely affect a stock's price, regardless of how well the company performs. The market as a whole may not favor the types of investments the fund makes and the fund may not be able to get an attractive price for them. Foreign Investment Risk. Foreign investments involve certain special risks, including: o Political Risk. Some foreign governments have limited the outflow of profits to investors abroad, imposed restrictions on the exchange or export of foreign currency, extended diplomatic disputes to include trade and financial relations, seized foreign investment and imposed high taxes. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. This fund is designed for investors interested in total return through a combination of current income and long-term capital appreciation through investment in real estate securities. 6 o Information Risk. Companies based in foreign markets are usually not subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as stringent as those in the US. Therefore, their financial reports may present an incomplete, untimely or misleading picture of a foreign company, as compared to the financial reports of US companies. o Liquidity Risk. Investments that trade less can be more difficult or more costly to buy, or to sell, than more liquid or active investments. This liquidity risk is a factor of the trading volume of a particular investment, as well as the size and liquidity of the entire local market. On the whole, foreign exchanges are smaller and less liquid than the US market. This can make buying and selling certain investments more difficult and costly. Relatively small transactions in some instances can have a disproportionately large effect on the price and supply of securities. In certain situations, it may become virtually impossible to sell an investment in an orderly fashion at a price that approaches the managers' estimate of its value. For the same reason, it may at times be difficult to value the fund's foreign investments. o Regulatory Risk. There is generally less government regulation of foreign markets, companies and securities dealers than in the US. o Currency Risk. The fund invests in securities denominated in foreign currencies. This creates the possibility that changes in exchange rates between foreign currencies and the US dollar will affect the US dollar value of foreign securities or the income or gain received on these securities. o Limited Legal Recourse Risk. Legal remedies for investors may be more limited than the remedies available in the US. o Trading Practice Risk. Brokerage commissions and other fees are generally higher for foreign investments than for US investments. The procedures and rules governing foreign transactions and custody may also involve delays in payment, delivery or recovery of money or investments. o Taxes. Foreign withholding and certain other taxes may reduce the amount of income available to distribute to shareholders of the fund. In addition, special US tax considerations may apply to the fund's foreign investments. 7 Emerging Market Risk. All of the risks of investing in foreign securities, as discussed above, are increased in connection with investments in emerging markets securities. In addition, profound social changes and business practices that depart from norms in developed countries' economies have hindered the orderly growth of emerging economies and their markets in the past and have caused instability. High levels of debt tend to make emerging economies heavily reliant on foreign capital and vulnerable to capital flight. These countries are also more likely to experience high levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluation, which could also hurt their economies and securities markets. For these and other reasons, investments in emerging markets are often considered speculative. Securities Lending Risk. Any loss in the market price of securities loaned by the fund that occurs during the term of the loan would be borne by the fund and would adversely affect the fund's performance. Also, there may be delays in recovery of securities loaned or even a loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially while the loan is outstanding. However, loans will be made only to borrowers selected by the fund's delegate after a review of relevant facts and circumstances, including the creditworthiness of the borrower. Pricing Risk. At times, market conditions might make it hard to value some investments accurately, and the fund may use a subjective valuation methodology, such as fair value pricing. Given the subjective nature of such methodologies, it is possible that the value determined for an investment is different than the value realized upon such investment's sale. If the fund has valued its securities too highly, you may end up paying too much for fund shares when you buy into the fund. If the fund underestimates its price, you may not receive the full market value for your fund shares when you sell. Concentration Risk. The fund concentrates its investments in real estate securities, including REITs. A fund with a concentrated portfolio is vulnerable to the risks of the industry in which it invests and is subject to greater risks and market fluctuations than funds investing in a broader range of industries. Real estate securities are susceptible to many of the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate that may lead to declines in property values, such as: o general or local economic conditions; o increases in property taxes and operating expenses; 8 o liability or losses due to environmental problems; o falling rents due to poor demand, increased competition and/or overbuilding, or limitations on rents; o zoning changes; o rising interest rates; and o losses from casualty or condemnation. In addition, many real estate companies, including REITs, utilize leverage (and some may be highly leveraged), which increases investment risk. Non-Diversification Risk. The fund is classified as "non-diversified" under the 1940 Act. This means that it may invest in securities of relatively few issuers. Thus, the performance of one or a small number of portfolio holdings can affect overall performance more than if the fund invested in a larger number of issuers. Security Selection Risk. A risk that pervades all investing is the risk that the securities in the fund's portfolio will decline in value. Other factors that could affect performance include: o the managers could be incorrect in their analysis of industries, companies, economic trends, the relative attractiveness of different sizes of stocks, geographical trends or other matters o derivatives could produce disproportionate losses due to a variety of factors, including the unwillingness or inability of the counterparty to meet its obligations or unexpected price or interest rate movements (see "Secondary risks" for more information) The Fund's Performance History As the fund has not yet been in operation for one full calendar year, no performance information is available as of the date of this prospectus. 9 How Much Investors Pay This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Institutional Class shares of the fund. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fee Table - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shareholder Fees, paid directly from your investment - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Redemption/Exchange fee on shares owned less than 30 days 2.00% (as % of redemption proceeds)(1) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Operating Expenses, deducted from fund assets - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Management Fee(2) 1.10% - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Distribution/Service (12b-1) Fee None - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Expenses(3) 0.42 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Annual Operating Expenses 1.52 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Less Expense Waiver/Reimbursement 0.17 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net Annual Operating Expenses(4) 1.35 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) This fee is charged on all applicable redemptions or exchanges. Please see "Policies You Should Know About -- Policies about transactions" for further information. (2) Includes 0.10% administration fee. (3) "Other Expenses" are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. Actual expenses may be different. (4) Through July 4, 2007, the advisor has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its management fee and reimburse or pay operating expenses of the fund to the extent necessary to maintain the fund's total operating expenses at 1.35% for Institutional Class shares, excluding certain expenses such as extraordinary expenses, taxes, brokerage, interest, and organizational and offering expenses. Although there can be no assurances that the current (or any) waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement will be maintained beyond July 4, 2007, the advisor has committed to review the continuance of waiver/expense reimbursement arrangements by July 4, 2007. Based on the costs above (including one year of capped expenses in each period), this example helps you compare the fund's Institutional Class shares expenses to those of other mutual funds. This example assumes the expenses above remain the same. It also assumes that you invested $10,000, earned 5% annual returns and reinvested all dividends and distributions. This is only an example; actual expenses will be different. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Example 1 Year 3 Years - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Institutional Class $137 $464 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Other Policies and Secondary Risks While the previous pages describe the main points of the fund's strategy and risks, there are a few other issues to know about: o Although major changes tend to be infrequent, the fund's Board could change the fund's investment objective without seeking shareholder approval. In addition, the fund's Board will provide shareholders with at least 60 days' notice prior to making any changes to the fund's 80% investment policy. o As a temporary defensive measure, the fund could shift up to 100% of assets into investments such as money market securities. This measure could prevent losses, but, while engaged in a temporary defensive position, the fund will not be pursuing its investment objective. However, the portfolio managers may choose not to use these strategies for various reasons, even in very volatile market conditions. o The fund's equity investments are mainly common stocks, but may also include other types of equities such as preferred stocks or convertible securities. o The fund may trade securities actively. This could raise transaction costs (thus lowering return) and could mean higher taxable distributions Secondary risks Derivatives Risk. Although not one of its principal investment strategies, the fund may invest in certain types of derivatives. Risks associated with derivatives include: the risk that the derivative is not well correlated with the security, index or currency to which it relates; the risk that derivatives used for risk management may not have the intended effects and may result in losses or missed opportunities; the risk that the fund will be unable to sell the derivative because of an illiquid secondary market; the risk that a counterparty is unwilling or unable to meet its obligations; the risk of interest rate movements; and the risk that the derivatives transaction could expose the fund to the effects of leverage, which could increase the fund's exposure to the market and magnify potential losses. There is no guarantee that derivatives activities will be employed or that they will work, and their use could cause lower returns or even losses to the fund. 11 For more information This prospectus doesn't tell you about every policy or risk of investing in the fund. If you want more information on the fund's allowable securities and investment practices and the characteristics and risks of each one, you may want to request a copy of the Statement of Additional Information (the back cover tells you how to do this). Keep in mind that there is no assurance that any mutual fund will achieve its goal. A complete list of the fund's portfolio holdings is posted on www.dws-scudder.com as of the month-end on or after the last day of the following month. This posted information generally remains accessible at least until the date on which the fund files its Form N-CSR or N-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the period that includes the date as of which the posted information is current. In addition, the fund's top ten holdings and other information about the fund is posted on www.dws-scudder.com as of the calendar quarter-end on or after the 15th day following quarter-end. The fund's Statement of Additional Information includes a description of the fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the fund's portfolio holdings. Who Manages and Oversees the Fund DWS Scudder is part of Deutsche Asset Management, which is the marketing name in the US for the asset management activities of Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. ("DeIM"), Deutsche Asset Management, Inc., Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas and DWS Trust Company. Deutsche Asset Management is a global asset management organization that offers a wide range of investing expertise and resources, including hundreds of portfolio managers and analysts and an office network that reaches the world's major investment centers. This well-resourced global investment platform brings together a wide variety of experience and investment insight across industries, regions, asset classes and investing styles. 12 DeIM is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG. Deutsche Bank AG is a major global banking institution that is engaged in a wide range of financial services, including investment management, mutual funds, retail, private and commercial banking, investment banking and insurance. The investment advisor DeIM is the investment advisor for the fund. Under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, DeIM, with headquarters at 345 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10154, supervises the activities of the subadvisor and the sub-subadvisors. DeIM and its predecessors have more than 80 years of experience managing mutual funds and DeIM provides a full range of investment advisory services to institutional and retail clients. DeIM is also responsible for selecting brokers and dealers and for negotiating brokerage commissions and dealer charges. As compensation for its services, DeIM is entitled to receive from the fund a fee (based upon the fund's average daily net assets) in accordance with the following schedule: - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Average daily net assets Fee rate - -------------------------------------------------------------------- first $500 million 1.000% - -------------------------------------------------------------------- next $500 million 0.985% - -------------------------------------------------------------------- next $1 billion 0.960% - -------------------------------------------------------------------- over $2 billion 0.945% - -------------------------------------------------------------------- The subadvisor RREEF America L.L.C. ("RREEF") is the subadvisor for the fund. While DeIM is the investment advisor to the fund, the day-to-day activities of managing the fund's portfolio have been delegated to RREEF. DeIM compensates RREEF out of the management fee it receives from the fund. The sub-subadvisors Pursuant to investment sub-subadvisory agreements between RREEF and Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH, RREEF Global Advisers Limited, Deutsche Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited and Deutsche Investments Australia Limited (the "sub-subadvisors"), these entities act as sub-subadvisors to the fund. As sub-subadvisors, under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, DeIM and RREEF, the sub-subadvisors manage the fund's investments in specific foreign markets. 13 Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH, Mainzer Landstrasse 178-190, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, manages stock selection decisions for the European portion of the fund's portfolio. Currently, RREEF Global Advisers Limited, Winchester House, 1 Great Winchester Street, London, United Kingdom, EC2N 2DB, acts as an adviser to Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH, with respect to the fund. Deutsche Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited, 55/F Cheung Kong Centre, 2 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong, China, and Deutsche Investments Australia Limited, Level 21, 83 Clarence Street, Sydney, Australia, NSW, 2000, manage the stock selection decisions for the Asian and Australian portions of the fund's portfolio. The fund's shareholder report for the period ended December 31, 2006 will contain a discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees' approval of the investment management agreement, the subadvisory agreement and the sub-subadvisory agreements for the fund (see "Shareholder reports" on the back cover). The portfolio managers The fund is managed by a team of investment professionals who each play an important role in the fund's management process. This team works for the advisor or its affiliates and is supported by a large staff of economists, research analysts, traders and other investment specialists. The advisor or its affiliates believe(s) its team approach benefits fund investors by bringing together many disciplines and leveraging its extensive resources. The fund's team collaborates to implement the fund's investment strategy. The team is led by a lead portfolio manager who is responsible for developing the fund's investment strategy. Each portfolio manager on the team has authority over all aspects of the fund's investment portfolio, including but not limited to, purchases and sales of individual securities, portfolio construction techniques, portfolio risk assessment, and the management of daily cash flows in accordance with portfolio holdings. 14 The following people handle the day-to-day management of the fund. John F. Robertson, CFA Kurt Klauditz Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Director of Deutsche Asset Management and Lead Portfolio Manager Management and Portfolio Manager of of the fund. the fund. o Joined RREEF in 1997, Deutsche o Joined Deutsche Asset Management Asset Management in 2002 and the in 2000 and the fund in 2006. fund in 2006. o Head of Liquid Assets and o Prior to that, Assistant Vice Financing: Germany. President of Lincoln Investment o Prior to that, senior positions Management responsible for REIT at Sal. Oppenhein, Paribas research. Capital Markets London, DG Bank o Over 15 years of investment Luxembourg and Shearson Lehman industry experience. Hamburg. o BA, Wabash College; MBA, Indiana o Over 15 years of investment University. industry experience. Daniel Ekins William Leung Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Vice President of Deutsche Asset Management and Portfolio Manager of Management and Portfolio Manager of the fund. the fund. o Joined RREEF in 1997, Deutsche o Joined Deutsche Asset Management Asset Management in 2002 and the in 2000 and the fund in 2006. fund in 2006. o Prior to that, equity research o Over 20 years of investment analyst at Merrill Lynch and UBS industry experience. Warburg, focusing on Hong Kong o BS, University of South Australia. and China at Merrill Lynch and John Hammond UBS Warburg. Managing Director of Deutsche Asset o Over nine years of investment Management and Portfolio Manager of industry experience. the fund. o MBA, Hong Kong University of o Joined RREEF and Deutsche Asset Science & Technology. Management in 2004 and the fund in 2006. o Prior to that, Director at Schroder Property Investment Management; Director at Henderson Global Investors. o Over 14 years of investment industry experience. o BSc, University of Reading, UK. The fund's Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the portfolio managers' investments in the fund, a description of their compensation structure and information regarding other accounts they manage. 15 Market timing related regulatory and litigation matters Since at least July 2003, federal, state and industry regulators have been conducting ongoing inquiries and investigations ("inquiries") into the mutual fund industry, and have requested information from numerous mutual fund companies, including DWS Scudder. The DWS funds' advisors have been cooperating in connection with these inquiries and are in discussions with the regulators concerning proposed settlements. Publicity about mutual fund practices arising from these industrywide inquiries serves as the general basis of a number of private lawsuits against the DWS funds. These lawsuits, which previously have been reported in the press, involve purported class action and derivative lawsuits, making various allegations and naming as defendants various persons, including certain DWS funds, the funds' investment advisors and their affiliates, and certain individuals, including in some cases fund Trustees/Directors, officers, and other parties. Each DWS fund's investment advisor has agreed to indemnify the applicable DWS funds in connection with these lawsuits, or other lawsuits or regulatory actions that may be filed making allegations similar to these lawsuits regarding market timing, revenue sharing, fund valuation or other subjects arising from or related to the pending inquiries. It is not possible to determine with certainty what the outcome of these inquiries will be or what the effect, if any, would be on the funds or their advisors. With respect to the lawsuits, based on currently available information, the funds' investment advisors believe the likelihood that the pending lawsuits will have a material adverse financial impact on a DWS fund is remote and such actions are not likely to materially affect their ability to perform under their investment management agreements with the DWS funds. With respect to the regulatory matters, Deutsche Asset Management ("DeAM") has advised the funds as follows: DeAM expects to reach final agreements with regulators in 2006 regarding allegations of improper trading in the DWS funds. DeAM expects that it will reach settlement agreements with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York Attorney General and the Illinois Secretary of State providing for payment of disgorgement, penalties, and investor education contributions totaling approximately 16 $134 million. Approximately $127 million of this amount would be distributed to shareholders of the affected DWS funds in accordance with a distribution plan to be developed by an independent distribution consultant. DeAM does not believe that any of the DWS funds will be named as respondents or defendants in any proceedings. The funds' investment advisors do not believe these amounts will have a material adverse financial impact on them or materially affect their ability to perform under their investment management agreements with the DWS funds. The above-described amounts are not material to Deutsche Bank, and they have already been reserved. Based on the settlement discussions thus far, DeAM believes that it will be able to reach a settlement with the regulators on a basis that is generally consistent with settlements reached by other advisors, taking into account the particular facts and circumstances of market timing at DeAM and at the legacy Scudder and Kemper organizations prior to their acquisition by DeAM in April 2002. Among the terms of the expected settled orders, DeAM would be subject to certain undertakings regarding the conduct of its business in the future, including maintaining existing management fee reductions for certain funds for a period of five years. DeAM expects that these settlements would resolve regulatory allegations that it violated certain provisions of federal and state securities laws (i) by entering into trading arrangements that permitted certain investors to engage in market timing in certain DWS funds and (ii) by failing more generally to take adequate measures to prevent market timing in the DWS funds, primarily during the 1999-2001 period. With respect to the trading arrangements, DeAM expects that the settlement documents will include allegations related to one legacy DeAM arrangement, as well as three legacy Scudder and six legacy Kemper arrangements. All of these trading arrangements originated in businesses that existed prior to the current DeAM organization, which came together in April 2002 as a result of the various mergers of the legacy Scudder, Kemper and Deutsche fund groups, and all of the arrangements were terminated prior to the start of the regulatory investigations that began in the summer of 2003. No current DeAM employee approved the trading arrangements. 17 There is no certainty that the final settlement documents will contain the foregoing terms and conditions. The independent Trustees/Directors of the DWS funds have carefully monitored these regulatory investigations with the assistance of independent legal counsel and independent economic consultants. Additional information announced by DeAM regarding the terms of the expected settlements will be made available at www.dws-scudder.com/regulatory_settlements, which will also disclose the terms of any final settlement agreements once they are announced. Other regulatory matters DeAM is also engaged in settlement discussions with the Enforcement Staffs of the SEC and the NASD regarding DeAM's practices during 2001-2003 with respect to directing brokerage commissions for portfolio transactions by certain DWS funds to broker-dealers that sold shares in the DWS funds and provided enhanced marketing and distribution for shares in the DWS funds. In addition, on January 13, 2006, DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc. received a Wells notice from the Enforcement Staff of the NASD regarding DWS Scudder Distributors' payment of non-cash compensation to associated persons of NASD member firms, as well as DWS Scudder Distributors' procedures regarding non-cash compensation regarding entertainment provided to such associated persons. Additional information announced by DeAM regarding the terms of the expected settlements will be made available at www.dws-scudder.com/regulatory_settlements, which will also disclose the terms of any final settlement agreements once they are announced. Financial Highlights Because the fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus, the fund has no financial information to report. 18 How to Invest in the Fund The following pages tell you about many of the services, choices and benefits of being a shareholder. You'll also find information on how to check the status of your account using the method that's most convenient for you. You can find out more about the topics covered here by speaking with your financial advisor or a representative of your workplace retirement plan or other investment provider. Buying and Selling Institutional Class Shares You may buy Institutional Class shares through your securities dealer or through any financial institution that is authorized to act as a shareholder servicing agent ("financial advisor"). Contact them for details on how to enter and pay for your order. The fund's advisor, administrator or their affiliates may provide compensation to financial advisors for distribution, administrative and promotional services. You may also buy Institutional Class shares by sending your check (along with a completed Application Form) directly to DWS Scudder Investments Service Company (the "transfer agent"). Your purchase order may not be accepted if the fund withdraws the offering of fund shares, the sale of fund shares has been suspended or if it is determined that your purchase would be detrimental to the interests of the fund's shareholders. Eligibility requirements You may buy Institutional Class shares if you are any of the following: o An eligible institution (e.g., a financial institution, corporation, trust, estate or educational, religious or charitable institution). o An employee benefit plan with assets of at least $50 million. o A registered investment advisor or financial planner purchasing on behalf of clients and charging an asset-based or hourly fee. o A client of the private banking division of Deutsche Bank AG. o A current or former director or trustee of the Deutsche or DWS mutual funds. o An employee, the employee's spouse or life partner and children or stepchildren age 21 or younger of Deutsche Bank or its affiliates or a subadvisor to any fund in the DWS family of funds or a broker-dealer authorized to sell shares in the funds. 20 Investment minimums Your initial investment must be at least $1,000,000. There are no minimum subsequent investment requirements. The minimum initial investment is waived for: o Shareholders with existing accounts prior to August 13, 2004 who met the previous minimum eligibility requirement. o Investment advisory affiliates of Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. or DWS funds purchasing shares for the accounts of their investment advisory clients. o Employee benefit plans with assets of at least $50 million. o Clients of the private banking division of Deutsche Bank AG. o Institutional clients and qualified purchasers that are clients of a division of Deutsche Bank AG. o A current or former director or trustee of the Deutsche or DWS mutual funds. o An employee, the employee's spouse or life partner and children or stepchildren age 21 or younger of Deutsche Bank or its affiliates or a subadvisor to any fund in the DWS family of funds or a broker-dealer authorized to sell shares of the fund. The fund and its service providers reserve the right to waive or modify the above eligibility requirements and investment minimums from time to time at their discretion. How to contact the transfer agent - ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Phone: (800) 730-1313 - ------------------------------------------------------------------- First Investments DWS Scudder Investments Service Company By Mail: P.O. Box 219356 Kansas City, MO 64121-9356 - ------------------------------------------------------------------- Additional DWS Scudder Investments Service Company Investments P.O. Box 219154 By Mail: Kansas City, MO 64121-9154 - ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Overnight Mail: DWS Scudder Investments Service Company 210 W. 10th Street Kansas City, MO 64105-1614 - ------------------------------------------------------------------- You can reach InvestorACCESS, the automated information line, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling (800) 972-3060. 21 How to open your fund account - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAIL: Complete and sign the account application that accompanies this prospectus. (You may obtain additional applications by calling the transfer agent.) Mail the completed application along with a check payable to the fund you have selected to the transfer agent. The applicable addresses are shown under "How to contact the transfer agent." Be sure to include the fund number. For the fund number, see below. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- WIRE: Call the transfer agent to set up a wire account. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- FUND NAME AND DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund -- FUND NUMBER: Institutional Class -- 811 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note that your account cannot become activated until we receive a completed application. How to buy and sell shares MAIL: Buying: Send your check, payable to "DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund -- Institutional Class -- 811" to the transfer agent. The addresses are shown above under "How to contact the transfer agent." Be sure to include the fund number and your account number (see your account statement) on your check. If you are investing in more than one fund, make your check payable to "DWS Scudder" and include your account number, the names and numbers of the funds you have selected, and the dollar amount or percentage you would like invested in each fund. Selling: Send a signed letter to the transfer agent with your name, your fund number and account number, the fund's name, and either the number of shares you wish to sell or the dollar amount you wish to receive. Unless exchanging into another DWS fund, you must submit a written authorization to sell shares in a retirement account. 22 WIRE: Buying: You may buy shares by wire only if your account is authorized to do so. Please note that you or your financial advisor must call Shareholder Services at (800) 730-1313 to notify us in advance of a wire transfer purchase. Inform Shareholder Services of the amount of your purchase and receive a trade confirmation number. Instruct your bank to send payment by wire using the wire instructions noted below. All wires must be received by 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) the next business day following your purchase. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bank Name: State Street Bank, Boston - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Routing No: 011000028 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Attn: DWS Scudder - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DDA No: 9903-5552 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FBO: (Account name) (Account number) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Credit DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund -- Institutional Class -- 811 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Refer to your account statement for the account name and number. Wire transfers normally take two or more hours to complete. Wire transfers may be restricted on holidays and at certain other times. If your wire is not received by 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the next business day after the fund receives your request to purchase shares, your transaction will be canceled at your expense and risk. Selling: You may sell shares by wire only if your account is authorized to do so. You will be paid for redeemed shares by wire transfer of funds to your financial advisor or bank upon receipt of a duly authorized redemption request as promptly as feasible. For your protection, you may not change the destination bank account over the phone. To sell by wire, contact your financial advisor or Shareholder Services at (800) 730-1313. Inform Shareholder Services of the amount of your redemption and receive a trade confirmation number. The minimum redemption by wire is $1,000. The fund and its service agents reserve the right to waive the minimum from time to time at their discretion. We must receive your order by 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) to wire your account the next business day. 23 TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS: You may place orders to buy and sell over the phone by calling your financial advisor or Shareholder Services at (800) 730-1313. If your shares are in an account with the transfer agent, you may (1) redeem by check in an amount up to $100,000, or by wire (minimum $1,000), or (2) exchange the shares for Institutional Class shares of another DWS fund by calling Shareholder Services. You may make regular investments from a bank checking account. For more information on setting up an automatic investment plan or payroll investment plan, call Shareholder Services at (800) 730-1313. Policies You Should Know About Along with the instructions on the previous pages, the policies below may affect you as a shareholder. Some of this information, such as the section on dividends and taxes, applies to all investors, including those investing through a financial advisor. If you are investing through a financial advisor or through a retirement plan, check the materials you received from them about how to buy and sell shares because particular financial advisors or other intermediaries may adopt policies, procedures or limitations that are separate from those described by the funds. Please note that a financial advisor may charge fees separate from those charged by the fund. In either case, keep in mind that the information in this prospectus applies only to the fund's Institutional Class shares. The fund has other share classes, which are described in separate prospectuses and have different fees, expenses, requirements and services. In order to reduce the amount of mail you receive and to help reduce expenses, we generally send a single copy of any shareholder report and prospectus to each household. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those for other members of your household, please contact your financial advisor or call (800) 730-1313. 24 Policies about transactions The fund is open for business each day the New York Stock Exchange is open. The fund calculates its share price every business day, as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (typically 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, but sometimes earlier, as in the case of scheduled half-day trading or unscheduled suspensions of trading). You can place an order to buy or sell shares at any time. To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. What this means to you: When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth and other information that will allow us to identify you. Some or all of this information will be used to verify the identity of all persons opening an account. We might request additional information about you (which may include certain documents, such as articles of incorporation for companies) to help us verify your identity, and in some cases the information and/or documents may be required to conduct the verification. The information and documents will be used solely to verify your identity. We will attempt to collect any missing required and requested information by contacting you or your financial advisor. If we are unable to obtain this information within the time frames established by the fund then we may reject your application and order. The fund will not invest your purchase until all required and requested identification information has been provided and your application has been submitted in "good order." After we receive all the information, your application is deemed to be in good order and we accept your purchase, you will receive the net asset value per share next calculated. In addition, while we attempt to verify your identity, we may limit your ability to purchase or exchange fund shares. If we are unable to verify your identity within time frames established by the fund, after a reasonable effort to do so, you will receive written notification. In addition, while we attempt to verify your identity, we may limit your ability to purchase or exchange fund shares. 25 The fund generally will not accept new account applications to establish an account with a non-US address (APO/FPO and US territories are acceptable) or for a non-resident alien. Because orders placed through a financial advisor must be forwarded to the transfer agent before they can be processed, you'll need to allow extra time. A representative of your financial advisor should be able to tell you approximately when your order will be processed. It is the responsibility of your financial advisor to forward your order to the transfer agent in a timely manner. Market Timing Policies and Procedures. Short-term and excessive trading of fund shares may present risks to the fund's long-term shareholders, including potential dilution in the value of fund shares, interference with the efficient management of the fund's portfolio (including losses on the sale of investments), taxable gains to remaining shareholders and increased brokerage and administrative costs. These risks may be more pronounced for funds investing in certain securities such as those that trade in foreign markets, are illiquid or do not otherwise have "readily available market quotations." Certain investors may seek to employ short-term trading strategies aimed at exploiting variations in portfolio valuation that arise from the nature of the securities held by the fund (e.g., "time zone arbitrage"). The fund discourages short-term and excessive trading. The fund will take steps to detect and deter short-term and excessive trading pursuant to the fund's policies as described in this prospectus and approved by the Board. The fund generally defines short-term trading as purchase and redemption activity, including exchanges, that occurs within the time period for imposition of redemption fees. The fund may also take trading activity that occurs over longer periods into account if the fund reasonably believes such activity is of an amount or frequency that may be harmful to long-term shareholders or disruptive to portfolio management. 26 The fund's policies include: o a 2% redemption fee on fund shares held for less than a specified holding period (subject to certain exceptions discussed below under "Redemption fees"); o the fund reserves the right to reject or cancel a purchase or exchange order for any reason when, in the opinion of the advisor, there appears to be a pattern of short-term or excessive trading activity by a shareholder or any other trading activity deemed harmful or disruptive to the fund; and o the fund has adopted certain fair valuation practices reasonably designed to protect the fund from "time zone arbitrage" with respect to its foreign securities holdings and other trading practices that seek to exploit variations in portfolio valuation that arise from the nature of the securities held by the fund. (See "How the fund calculates share price.") When a pattern of short-term or excessive trading activity or other trading activity deemed harmful or disruptive to the fund by an investor is detected, the advisor may determine to prohibit that investor from future purchases in the fund or to limit or terminate the investor's exchange privilege. The detection of these patterns and the banning of further trading are inherently subjective and therefore involve some selectivity in their application. The advisor seeks to make such determinations in a manner consistent with the interests of the fund's long-term shareholders. There is no assurance that these policies and procedures will be effective in limiting short-term and excessive trading in all cases. For example, the advisor may not be able to effectively monitor, detect or limit short-term or excessive trading by underlying shareholders that occurs through omnibus accounts maintained by broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries. Depending on the amount of fund shares held in such omnibus accounts (which may represent most of the fund's shares) short-term and/or excessive trading of fund shares could adversely affect long-term shareholders in the fund. It is important to note that shareholders that invest through omnibus accounts also may be subject to the policies and procedures of their financial intermediaries with respect to short-term and excessive trading in the fund. 27 The fund's policies and procedures may be modified or terminated at any time. Redemption fees. The fund imposes a redemption fee of 2% of the total redemption amount (calculated at net asset value) on all fund shares redeemed or exchanged within 30 days of buying them (either by purchase or exchange). The redemption fee is paid directly to the fund, and is designed to encourage long-term investment and to offset transaction and other costs associated with short-term or excessive trading. For purposes of determining whether the redemption fee applies, shares held the longest time will be treated as being redeemed first and shares held the shortest time will be treated as being redeemed last. The redemption fee is applicable to fund shares purchased either directly or through a financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer. Transactions through financial intermediaries typically are placed with the fund on an omnibus basis and include both purchase and sale transactions placed on behalf of multiple investors. These purchase and sale transactions are generally netted against one another and placed on an aggregate basis; consequently the identities of the individuals on whose behalf the transactions are placed generally are not known to the fund. For this reason, the fund has undertaken to notify financial intermediaries of their obligation to assess the redemption fee on customer accounts and to collect and remit the proceeds to the fund. However, due to operational requirements, the intermediaries' methods for tracking and calculating the fee may be inadequate or differ in some respects from the fund's. Subject to approval by DeAM or the fund's Board, intermediaries who transact business on an omnibus basis may implement the redemption fees according to their own operational guidelines (which may be different than the fund's policies) and remit the fees to the fund. In addition, certain intermediaries that do not currently have the capacity to collect redemption fees at an account level may be granted a temporary waiver from the fund's policies until such time as they can develop and implement a system to collect the redemption fees. 28 The redemption fee will not be charged in connection with the following exchange or redemption transactions: (i) transactions on behalf of participants in certain research wrap programs; (ii) transactions on behalf of participants in certain group retirement plans and financial intermediaries whose processing systems are incapable of properly applying the redemption fee to underlying shareholders; (iii) transactions on behalf of a shareholder to return any excess IRA contributions to the shareholder; (iv) transactions on behalf of a shareholder to effect a required minimum distribution on an IRA; (v) transactions on behalf of any mutual fund advised by the funds' investment advisor and its affiliates (e.g., "funds of funds") or, in the case of a master/feeder relationship, redemptions by the feeder fund from the master portfolio; (vi) transactions following death or disability of any registered shareholder, beneficial owner or grantor of a living trust with respect to shares purchased before death or disability; (vii) transactions involving hardship of any registered shareholder; (viii) systematic transactions with predefined trade dates for purchases, exchanges or redemptions, such as automatic account rebalancing, or loan origination and repayments; (ix) transactions involving shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends or other distributions; (x) transactions involving shares transferred from another account in the same fund or converted from another class of the same fund (e.g., shares converting from Class B to Class A) (the redemption fee period will carry over to the acquired shares); (xi) transactions initiated by a fund or administrator (e.g., redemptions for not meeting account minimums, to pay account fees funded by share redemptions, or in the event of the liquidation or merger of a fund); or (xii) transactions in cases when there are legal or contractual limitations or restrictions on the imposition of the redemption fee (as determined by the fund or its agents in their sole discretion). 29 The fund expects that the waiver for certain group retirement plans and financial intermediaries will be eliminated over time as their respective operating systems are improved. Until such time that these operating systems are improved, the fund's investment advisor will attempt to monitor the trading activity in these accounts and will take appropriate corrective action if it appears that a pattern of short-term or excessive trading or other harmful or disruptive trading by underlying shareholders exists. The fund reserves the right to withdraw waivers, and to modify or terminate these waivers or the redemption fee at any time. InvestorACCESS, the automated information line, is available 24 hours a day by calling (800) 972-3060. You can use InvestorACCESS to get information on DWS funds generally and on accounts held directly at DWS Scudder. You can also use it to make exchanges and sell shares. QuickBuy and QuickSell let you set up a link between a DWS fund account and a bank account. Once this link is in place, you can move money between the two with a phone call. You'll need to make sure your bank has Automated Clearing House (ACH) services. Transactions take two to three days to be completed and there is a $50 minimum and a $250,000 maximum. To set up QuickBuy or QuickSell on a new account, see the account application; to add it to an existing account, call (800) 730-1313. Telephone and electronic transactions. Generally, you are automatically entitled to telephone and electronic transaction privileges, but you may elect not to have them when you open your account or by contacting Shareholder Services at a later date. Since many transactions may be initiated by telephone or electronically, it's important to understand that as long as we take reasonable steps to ensure that an order to purchase or redeem shares is genuine, such as recording calls or requesting personalized security codes or other information, we are not responsible for any losses that may occur as a result. For transactions conducted over the Internet, we recommend the use of a secure Internet browser. In addition, you should verify the accuracy of your confirmation statements immediately after you receive them. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. If you ever have difficulty placing an order by phone or Internet, you can send us your order in writing. 30 If you pay for shares by check and the check fails to clear, or if you order shares by phone and fail to pay for them by 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) the next business day, we have the right to cancel your order, hold you liable or charge you or your account for any losses or fees a fund or its agents have incurred. To sell shares, you must state whether you would like to receive the proceeds by wire or check. The fund accepts payment for shares only in US dollars by check, by bank or Federal Funds wire transfer, or by electronic bank transfer. Please note that the fund cannot accept cash, traveler's checks, starter checks, money orders, third party checks, checks drawn on foreign banks or checks issued by credit card companies or Internet-based companies. When you ask us to send or receive a wire, please note that while we don't charge a fee to send or receive wires, it's possible that your bank may do so. Wire transactions are generally completed within 24 hours. The fund can only send wires of $1,000 or more and accept wires of $50 or more. We do not issue share certificates. When you want to sell more than $100,000 worth of shares or send proceeds to a third party or to a new address, you'll usually need to place your order in writing and include a signature guarantee. However, if you want money wired to a bank account that is already on file with us, you don't need a signature guarantee. Also, you don't generally need a signature guarantee for an exchange, although we may require one in certain other circumstances. A signature guarantee is simply a certification of your signature -- a valuable safeguard against fraud. You can get a signature guarantee from an eligible guarantor institution, including commercial banks, savings and loans, trust companies, credit unions, member firms of a national stock exchange, or any member or participant of an approved signature guarantor program. Note that you can't get a signature guarantee from a notary public and we must be provided with the original guarantee. Selling shares of trust accounts and business or organization accounts may require additional documentation. Please contact your financial advisor for more information. 31 Money from shares you sell is normally sent out within one business day of when your order is processed (not when it is received), although it could be delayed for up to seven days. There are also two circumstances when it could be longer: when you are selling shares you bought recently by check and that check hasn't cleared yet (maximum delay: 10 days) or when unusual circumstances prompt the SEC to allow further delays. Certain expedited redemption processes may also be delayed when you are selling recently purchased shares. You may obtain additional information about other ways to sell your shares by contacting your financial advisor. Account Statements: The fund or your financial advisor will generally furnish you with a written confirmation of every transaction that affects your account balance. You will also receive periodic statements reflecting the balances in your account. How the fund calculates share price To calculate net asset value per share, or NAV, the share class uses the following equation: TOTAL ASSETS - TOTAL LIABILITIES ---------------------------------- = NAV TOTAL NUMBER OF SHARES OUTSTANDING The price at which you buy and sell shares is the NAV. The fund charges a short-term redemption fee equal to 2.00% of the value of shares redeemed or exchanged within 30 days of purchase. Please see "Policies about transactions -- Redemption fees" for further information. We typically value securities using information furnished by an independent pricing service or market quotations, where appropriate. However, we may use methods approved by the fund's Board, such as a fair valuation model, which are intended to reflect fair value when pricing service information or market quotations are not readily available or when a security's value or a meaningful portion of the value of the fund's portfolio is believed to have been materially affected by a significant event, such as a natural disaster, an economic event like a bankruptcy filing, or a substantial fluctuation in domestic or foreign markets, that has occurred between the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded (for example, 32 a foreign exchange or market) and the close of the New York Stock Exchange. In such a case, the fund's value for a security is likely to be different from the last quoted market price or pricing service information. In addition, due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, it is possible that the value determined for a particular asset may be materially different from the value realized upon such asset's sale. It is expected that the greater the percentage of fund assets that is invested in non-US securities, the more extensive will be the fund's use of fair value pricing. This is intended to reduce the fund's exposure to "time zone arbitrage" and other harmful trading practices. (See "Market Timing Policies and Procedures.") Because the fund invests in securities that are traded primarily in foreign markets, the value of its holdings could change at a time when you aren't able to buy or sell fund shares. This is because some foreign markets are open on days or at times when the fund doesn't price its shares. (Note that prices for securities that trade on foreign exchanges can change significantly on days when the New York Stock Exchange is closed and you cannot buy or sell fund shares. Price changes in the securities the fund owns may ultimately affect the price of fund shares the next time the NAV is calculated.) Other rights we reserve You should be aware that we may do any of the following: o withdraw or suspend the offering of shares at any time o withhold a portion of your distributions as federal income tax if we have been notified by the IRS that you are subject to backup withholding, or if you fail to provide us with a correct taxpayer ID number or certification that you are exempt from backup withholding o reject a new account application if you don't provide any required or requested identifying information, or for any other reasons 33 o refuse, cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order; freeze any account (meaning you will not be able to purchase fund shares in your account); suspend account services; and/or involuntarily redeem your account if we think that the account is being used for fraudulent or illegal purposes; one or more of these actions will be taken when, at our sole discretion, they are deemed to be in the fund's best interest or when the fund is requested or compelled to do so by governmental authority or by applicable law o close and liquidate your account if we are unable to verify your identity, or for other reasons; if we decide to close your account, your fund shares will be redeemed at the net asset value per share next calculated after we determine to close your account (less any applicable redemption fees); you may be subject to gain or loss on the redemption of your fund shares and you may incur tax liability o redeem your shares or close your account on 60 days' notice if it fails to meet the minimum account balance requirement of $1,000,000 for any reason other than a change in market value o pay you for shares you sell by "redeeming in kind," that is, by giving you marketable securities (which typically will involve brokerage costs for you to liquidate) rather than cash; in most cases, the fund generally won't make a redemption in kind unless your requests over a 90-day period total more than $250,000 or 1% of the value of the fund's net assets, whichever is less o change, add, or withdraw various services, fees and account policies (for example, we may change or terminate the exchange privilege or adjust the fund's investment minimum at any time) o suspend or postpone redemptions as permitted pursuant to Section 22(e) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Generally, those circumstances are when: 1) the New York Stock Exchange is closed other than customary weekend or holiday closings; 2) trading on the New York Stock Exchange is restricted; 3) an emergency exists which makes the disposal of securities owned by the fund or the fair determination of the value of the fund's net assets not reasonably practicable; or 4) the SEC, by order, permits the suspension of the right of redemption. Redemption payments by wire may also be delayed in the event of a nonroutine closure of the Federal Reserve wire payment system. 34 Understanding Distributions and Taxes The fund intends to distribute to its shareholders virtually all of its net earnings. The fund can earn money in two ways: by receiving interest, dividends or other income from securities it holds and by selling securities for more than it paid for them. (The fund's earnings are separate from any gains or losses stemming from your own purchase and sale of fund shares.) The fund may not always pay a dividend or distribution for a given period. The fund intends to pay dividends and distributions to shareholders in November or December, and if necessary, may do so at other times as well. For federal income tax purposes, income and capital gains distributions are generally taxable. Dividends and distributions received by retirement plans qualifying for tax-exempt treatment under federal income tax laws will not be taxable. Similarly, there will be no tax consequences when a qualified retirement plan buys or sells fund shares. You can choose how to receive your dividends and distributions. You can have them all automatically reinvested in fund shares (at NAV), all deposited directly to your bank account or all sent to you by check, have one type reinvested and the other sent to you by check or have them invested in a different fund. Tell us your preference on your application. If you don't indicate a preference, your dividends and distributions will all be reinvested. Dividends and distributions are taxable whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. For retirement plans, reinvestment (at NAV) is the only option. Dividends and distributions received by retirement plans qualifying for tax-exempt treatment under federal income tax laws will not be taxable. Buying and selling fund shares will usually have tax consequences for you (except in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account). Your sale of shares may result in a capital gain or loss for you. The gain or loss will be long-term or short-term depending on how long you owned the shares that were sold. For federal income tax purposes, an exchange is treated the same as a sale. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. Because each shareholder's tax situation is unique, ask your tax professional about the tax consequences of your investments, including any state and local tax consequences. 35 The tax status of the fund's earnings you receive and your own fund transactions, generally depends on their type: - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Generally taxed at long-term Generally taxed at ordinary capital gain rates: income rates: - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Distributions from the fund o gains from the sale of o gains from the sale of securities held by the fund for securities held by the fund more than one year for one year or less o qualified dividend income o all other taxable income - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transactions involving fund shares o gains from selling fund shares o gains from selling fund held for more than one year shares held for one year or less - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Any investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes. In that case, the fund's yield on those securities would generally be decreased. The fund may elect to pass through to its shareholders a credit or deduction for foreign taxes it has paid if, at the end of its fiscal year, more than 50% of the fund's total assets are stock or securities of foreign corporations and if certain other conditions are met. In addition, any investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the fund's recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the fund's distributions. For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2011, distributions of investment income designated by the fund as derived from qualified dividend income are eligible for taxation in the hands of individuals at long-term capital gain rates. Qualified dividend income generally includes dividends from domestic and some foreign corporations. It does not include income from investments in fixed-income securities. In addition, the fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the fund's shares for the lower tax rates to apply. Dividends received by the fund from a REIT may be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent the dividends are attributable to qualified dividend income received by such REIT. 36 For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2011, the maximum federal long-term capital gain rate applicable to individuals has been reduced to 15%. For more information, see the Statement of Additional Information, under "Taxes." Your fund will send you detailed tax information every January. These statements tell you the amount and the tax category of any dividends or distributions you received. They also have certain details on your purchases and sales of shares. The tax status of dividends and distributions is the same whether you reinvest them or not. Dividends or distributions declared in the last quarter of a given year are taxed in that year, even though you may not receive the money until the following January. Because the REITs invested in by the fund do not provide complete information about the taxability of their distributions until after the calendar year-end, the fund may not be able to determine how much of the fund's distribution is taxable to shareholders until after the January 31 deadline for issuing Form 1099-DIV. As a result, the fund may request permission from the Internal Revenue Service each year for an extension of time until February 28 to issue Form 1099-DIV. If you invest right before the fund pays a dividend, you'll be getting some of your investment back as a taxable dividend. You can avoid this, if you want, by investing after the fund declares a dividend. In tax-advantaged retirement accounts you don't need to worry about this. If the fund's distributions exceed its income and capital gains realized in any year, all or a portion of those distributions may be treated for tax purposes as a return of capital. A return of capital will generally not be taxable to you but will reduce the cost basis of your shares and result in a higher capital gain or a lower capital loss when you sell your shares. Corporations may be able to take a dividends-received deduction for a portion of income dividends they receive from the fund. The above discussion is applicable to shareholders who are US persons. If you are a non-US person, please consult your own tax advisor with respect to the US tax consequences of an investment in the fund. Additional information may be found in the fund's Statement of Additional Information. 37 Notes - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To Get More Information Shareholder reports -- These will include commentary from the fund's management team about recent market conditions and the effects of the fund's strategies on its performance. They also will have detailed performance figures, a list of everything the fund owns, and its financial statements. Shareholders get these reports automatically. Because the fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus, the fund has not yet delivered a shareholder report. Statement of Additional Information (SAI) -- This tells you more about the fund's features and policies, including additional risk information. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this document (meaning that it's legally part of this prospectus). For a free copy of any of these documents or to request other information about the fund, call (800) 730-1313, or contact DWS Scudder at the address listed below. The fund's SAI and shareholder reports (when they become available) are also available through the DWS Scudder Web site at www.dws-scudder.com. These documents and other information about the fund are available from the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at www.sec.gov. If you like, you may obtain copies of this information, after paying a copying fee, by e-mailing a request to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the SEC at the address listed below. You can also review and copy these documents and other information about the fund, including the fund's SAI, at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Information on the operation of the SEC's Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330. DWS Scudder SEC Distributor - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PO Box 219669 100 F Street, N.E. DWS Scudder Distributors, Kansas City, MO 64121-9669 Washington, D.C. 20549 Inc. www.dws-scudder.com www.sec.gov 222 South Riverside Plaza (800) 730-1313 (800) SEC-0330 Chicago, IL 60606-5808 (800) 621-1148 SEC File Number: DWS Advisor Funds 811-04760 [DWS SCUDDER Logo] Deutsche Bank Group JULY 1, 2006 PROSPECTUS ---------------- CLASS S - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) does not approve or disapprove these shares or determine whether the information in this prospectus is truthful or complete. It is a criminal offense for anyone to inform you otherwise. ONE GLOBAL FORCE. ONE FOCUS. YOU. [DWS SCUDDER Logo] Deutsche Bank Group Contents - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How the Fund Works How to Invest in the Fund 4 The Fund's Main Investment 20 How to Buy, Sell and Strategy Exchange Shares 6 The Main Risks of Investing 22 Policies You Should Know in the Fund About 9 The Fund's Performance History 33 Understanding Distributions and Taxes 10 How Much Investors Pay 11 Other Policies and Secondary Risks 12 Who Manages and Oversees the Fund 18 Financial Highlights How the Fund Works On the next few pages, you'll find information about the fund's investment goal, the main strategies it uses to pursue that goal and the main risks that could affect performance. Whether you are considering investing in the fund or are already a shareholder, you'll want to look this information over carefully. You may want to keep it on hand for reference as well. Class S shares are generally only available to new investors through fee-based programs of broker-dealers and registered investment advisors who typically charge ongoing fees for services they provide and through certain group retirement plans. Remember that mutual funds are investments, not bank deposits. They're not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. Their share prices will go up and down and you could lose money by investing in them. You can find DWS prospectuses on the Internet at www.dws-scudder.com. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class S fund number 2365 DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Fund's Main Investment Strategy The fund's investment objective is to seek total return through a combination of current income and long-term capital appreciation. The fund seeks to achieve this objective by investing primarily in publicly listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate operating companies on a global basis. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes (calculated at the time of any investment), in the equity securities of REITs and real estate operating companies listed on recognized stock exchanges around the world. Currently, the fund does not intend to borrow for investment purposes. Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock and securities convertible into common stock. A security will be considered part of the fund's investment universe if the issuer of such security has a market capitalization of at least $50 million and, in the opinion of the portfolio managers, at least 50% of its revenues or 50% of the market value of its assets at the time its securities are purchased by the fund are attributed to the ownership, construction, management or sale of real estate and it is listed on a recognized public foreign or domestic stock exchange or traded over the counter. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER INVESTMENTS. When the managers believe that it is prudent, the fund may invest a portion of its assets in other types of securities. These securities may include short-term securities, bonds, notes, securities of companies not principally engaged in the real estate industry, non-leveraged stock index futures contracts and other similar securities. Stock index futures contracts, a type of derivative security, can help the fund's cash assets remain liquid while performing more like stocks. The fund has a policy governing stock index futures and other derivatives which prohibits leverage of the fund's assets by investing in a derivative security. For example, the managers cannot invest in a derivative security if it would be possible for the fund to lose more money than it invested. 4 The fund may also invest in unlisted securities provided such securities are expected to be listed on a recognized public stock exchange or traded over the counter within six months from the time of investment. In addition, while the fund does not currently plan to hedge international currency risk, the fund may engage in foreign currency transactions, including foreign currency forward contracts, options, swaps and other similar transactions in connection with investments in securities of non-US companies. The strategy of the fund is to take advantage of the extensive expertise of the advisor's and its affiliates' (the "advisors") dedicated, in-house direct real estate investment teams located in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia, in order to invest in real estate securities on a global basis. In selecting securities for the fund's portfolio, the advisors will incorporate both "top-down" and "bottom-up" investment insights and analysis. "Top-down" research, analyzing market-wide investment conditions, is used to arrive at the fund's weighting across regional markets (i.e., the portfolio weighting across investments in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia) and within these regions, its strategy across investment sectors, such as office, industrial, retail, hospitality and residential apartment real estate sectors. This research includes analysis of various factors, including real estate market dynamics (e.g., supply/demand conditions, vacancy rates), the economic environment (e.g., interest rates, inflation and economic growth), expected capital flow dynamics and exchange rate conditions. "Bottom-up" research, analyzing the characteristics and investment prospects of a particular real estate security relative to others in its local market, is used to actively manage the fund's exposure to individual securities within each region. Disciplined valuation analysis performed in each region drives this decision-making process, guiding the portfolio managers to invest in securities that they believe can provide superior returns over the long term, and to sell those that they believe no longer represent the strongest prospects, relative to other opportunities. The focus of the fund's security selection strategy is to invest in securities with the potential for price appreciation, while maintaining a bias toward those securities paying attractive, reliable dividends. It is expected that the majority of returns 5 from the fund will be generated by security-specific investment decisions, which are the responsibility of portfolio managers located in the respective geographical regions. The allocation of the fund's investments across geographic regions is determined by the advisor's Global Property Asset Allocation Committee, comprising the portfolio managers from each region and chaired by the advisor's lead portfolio manager for global real estate security investments. Securities Lending. The fund may lend its investment securities in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets to approved institutional borrowers who need to borrow securities in order to complete certain transactions. The Main Risks of Investing in the Fund There are several risk factors that could hurt the fund's performance, cause you to lose money or cause the fund's performance to trail that of other investments. Stock Market Risk. As with most stock funds, the most important factor with this fund is how stock markets perform. When stock prices fall, you should expect the value of your investment to fall as well. Because a stock represents ownership in its issuer, stock prices can be hurt by poor management, shrinking product demand and other business risks. These may affect single companies as well as groups of companies. In addition, movements in financial markets may adversely affect a stock's price, regardless of how well the company performs. The market as a whole may not favor the types of investments the fund makes and the fund may not be able to get an attractive price for them. Foreign Investment Risk. Foreign investments involve certain special risks, including: o Political Risk. Some foreign governments have limited the outflow of profits to investors abroad, imposed restrictions on the exchange or export of foreign currency, extended diplomatic disputes to include trade and financial relations, seized foreign investment and imposed high taxes. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. This fund is designed for investors interested in total return through a combination of current income and long-term capital appreciation through investment in real estate securities. 6 o Information Risk. Companies based in foreign markets are usually not subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as stringent as those in the US. Therefore, their financial reports may present an incomplete, untimely or misleading picture of a foreign company, as compared to the financial reports of US companies. o Liquidity Risk. Investments that trade less can be more difficult or more costly to buy, or to sell, than more liquid or active investments. This liquidity risk is a factor of the trading volume of a particular investment, as well as the size and liquidity of the entire local market. On the whole, foreign exchanges are smaller and less liquid than the US market. This can make buying and selling certain investments more difficult and costly. Relatively small transactions in some instances can have a disproportionately large effect on the price and supply of securities. In certain situations, it may become virtually impossible to sell an investment in an orderly fashion at a price that approaches the managers' estimate of its value. For the same reason, it may at times be difficult to value the fund's foreign investments. o Regulatory Risk. There is generally less government regulation of foreign markets, companies and securities dealers than in the US. o Currency Risk. The fund invests in securities denominated in foreign currencies. This creates the possibility that changes in exchange rates between foreign currencies and the US dollar will affect the US dollar value of foreign securities or the income or gain received on these securities. o Limited Legal Recourse Risk. Legal remedies for investors may be more limited than the remedies available in the US. o Trading Practice Risk. Brokerage commissions and other fees are generally higher for foreign investments than for US investments. The procedures and rules governing foreign transactions and custody may also involve delays in payment, delivery or recovery of money or investments. o Taxes. Foreign withholding and certain other taxes may reduce the amount of income available to distribute to shareholders of the fund. In addition, special US tax considerations may apply to the fund's foreign investments. 7 Emerging Market Risk. All of the risks of investing in foreign securities, as discussed above, are increased in connection with investments in emerging markets securities. In addition, profound social changes and business practices that depart from norms in developed countries' economies have hindered the orderly growth of emerging economies and their markets in the past and have caused instability. High levels of debt tend to make emerging economies heavily reliant on foreign capital and vulnerable to capital flight. These countries are also more likely to experience high levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluation, which could also hurt their economies and securities markets. For these and other reasons, investments in emerging markets are often considered speculative. Securities Lending Risk. Any loss in the market price of securities loaned by the fund that occurs during the term of the loan would be borne by the fund and would adversely affect the fund's performance. Also, there may be delays in recovery of securities loaned or even a loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially while the loan is outstanding. However, loans will be made only to borrowers selected by the fund's delegate after a review of relevant facts and circumstances, including the creditworthiness of the borrower. Pricing Risk. At times, market conditions might make it hard to value some investments accurately, and the fund may use a subjective valuation methodology, such as fair value pricing. Given the subjective nature of such methodologies, it is possible that the value determined for an investment is different than the value realized upon such investment's sale. If the fund has valued its securities too highly, you may end up paying too much for fund shares when you buy into the fund. If the fund underestimates its price, you may not receive the full market value for your fund shares when you sell. Concentration Risk. The fund concentrates its investments in real estate securities, including REITs. A fund with a concentrated portfolio is vulnerable to the risks of the industry in which it invests and is subject to greater risks and market fluctuations than funds investing in a broader range of industries. Real estate securities are susceptible to many of the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate that may lead to declines in property values, such as: 8 o general or local economic conditions; o increases in property taxes and operating expenses; o liability or losses due to environmental problems; o falling rents due to poor demand, increased competition and/or overbuilding or limitations or rents; o zoning changes; o rising interest rates; and o losses from casualty or condemnation. In addition, many real estate companies, including REITs, utilize leverage (and some may be highly leveraged), which increases investment risk. Non-Diversification Risk. The fund is classified as "non-diversified" under the 1940 Act. This means that it may invest in securities of relatively few issuers. Thus, the performance of one or a small number of portfolio holdings can affect overall performance more than if the fund invested in a larger number of issuers. Security Selection Risk. A risk that pervades all investing is the risk that the securities in the fund's portfolio will decline in value. Other factors that could affect performance include: o the managers could be incorrect in their analysis of industries, companies, economic trends, the relative attractiveness of different sizes of stocks, geographical trends or other matters o derivatives could produce disproportionate losses due to a variety of factors, including the unwillingness or inability of the counterparty to meet its obligations or unexpected price or interest rate movements (see "Secondary risks" for more information) The Fund's Performance History As the fund has not yet been in operation for one full calendar year, no performance information is available as of the date of this prospectus. 9 How Much Investors Pay The fund's Class S shares have no sales charges or other shareholder fees other than a short-term redemption/exchange fee. The fund does have annual operating expenses, and as a shareholder of Class S shares you pay them indirectly. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fee Table - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shareholder Fees, paid directly from your investment - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Redemption/Exchange fee on shares owned less than 30 days 2.00% (as % of redemption proceeds)(1) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Operating Expenses, deducted from fund assets - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Management Fee(2) 1.10% - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Distribution/Service (12b-1) Fee None - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Expenses(3) 0.73 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Annual Operating Expenses 1.83 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Less Expense Waiver/Reimbursement 0.43 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net Annual Operating Expenses(4) 1.40 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) This fee is charged on all applicable redemptions or exchanges. Please see "Policies You Should Know About -- Policies about transactions" for further information. (2) Includes 0.10% administration fee. (3) "Other Expenses" are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. Actual expenses may be different. (4) Through July 4, 2007, the advisor has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its management fee and reimburse or pay operating expenses of the fund to the extent necessary to maintain the fund's total operating expenses at 1.40% for Class S shares, excluding certain expenses such as extraordinary expenses, taxes, brokerage, interest, and organizational and offering expenses. Although there can be no assurances that the current (or any) waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement will be maintained beyond July 4, 2007, the advisor has committed to review the continuance of waiver/expense reimbursement arrangements by July 4, 2007. Based on the costs above (including one year of capped expenses in each period), this example helps you compare this fund's expenses to those of other mutual funds. This example assumes the expenses above remain the same and that you invested $10,000, earned 5% annual returns, reinvested all dividends and distributions and sold your shares at the end of each period. This is only an example; actual expenses will be different. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Example 1 Year 3 Years - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class S $143 $534 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Other Policies and Secondary Risks While the previous pages describe the main points of the fund's strategy and risks, there are a few other issues to know about: o Although major changes tend to be infrequent, the fund's Board could change the fund's investment objective without seeking shareholder approval. In addition, the fund's Board will provide shareholders with at least 60 days' notice prior to making any changes to the fund's 80% investment policy. o As a temporary defensive measure, the fund could shift up to 100% of assets into investments such as money market securities. This measure could prevent losses, but, while engaged in a temporary defensive position, the fund will not be pursuing its investment objective. However, the portfolio managers may choose not to use these strategies for various reasons, even in very volatile market conditions. o The fund's equity investments are mainly common stocks, but may also include other types of equities such as preferred stocks or convertible securities. o The fund may trade securities actively. This could raise transaction costs (thus lowering return) and could mean higher taxable distributions. Secondary risks Derivatives Risk. Although not one of its principal investment strategies, the fund may invest in certain types of derivatives. Risks associated with derivatives include: the risk that the derivative is not well correlated with the security, index or currency to which it relates; the risk that derivatives used for risk management may not have the intended effects and may result in losses or missed opportunities; the risk that the fund will be unable to sell the derivative because of an illiquid secondary market; the risk that a counterparty is unwilling or unable to meet its obligations; the risk of interest rate movements; and the risk that the derivatives transaction could expose the fund to the effects of leverage, which could increase the fund's exposure to the market and magnify potential losses. There is no guarantee that derivatives activities will be employed or that they will work, and their use could cause lower returns or even losses to the fund. 11 For more information This prospectus doesn't tell you about every policy or risk of investing in the fund. If you want more information on the fund's allowable securities and investment practices and the characteristics and risks of each one, you may want to request a copy of the Statement of Additional Information (the back cover tells you how to do this). Keep in mind that there is no assurance that any mutual fund will achieve its goal. A complete list of the fund's portfolio holdings is posted on www.dws-scudder.com as of the month-end on or after the last day of the following month. This posted information generally remains accessible at least until the date on which the fund files its Form N-CSR or N-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the period that includes the date as of which the posted information is current. In addition, the fund's top ten holdings and other information about the fund is posted on www.dws-scudder.com as of the calendar quarter-end on or after the 15th day following quarter-end. The fund's Statement of Additional Information includes a description of the fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the fund's portfolio holdings. Who Manages and Oversees the Fund DWS Scudder is part of Deutsche Asset Management, which is the marketing name in the US for the asset management activities of Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. ("DeIM"), Deutsche Asset Management, Inc., Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas and DWS Trust Company. Deutsche Asset Management is a global asset management organization that offers a wide range of investing expertise and resources, including hundreds of portfolio managers and analysts and an office network that reaches the world's major investment centers. This well-resourced global investment platform brings together a wide variety of experience and investment insight across industries, regions, asset classes and investing styles. 12 DeIM is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG. Deutsche Bank AG is a major global banking institution that is engaged in a wide range of financial services, including investment management, mutual funds, retail, private and commercial banking, investment banking and insurance. The investment advisor DeIM is the investment advisor for the fund. Under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, DeIM, with headquarters at 345 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10154, supervises the activities of the subadvisor and the sub-subadvisors. DeIM and its predecessors have more than 80 years of experience managing mutual funds and DeIM provides a full range of investment advisory services to institutional and retail clients. DeIM is also responsible for selecting brokers and dealers and for negotiating brokerage commissions and dealer charges. As compensation for its services, DeIM is entitled to receive from the fund a fee (based upon the fund's average daily net assets) in accordance with the following schedule: - --------------------------------------------------------------------- Average daily net assets Fee rate - --------------------------------------------------------------------- first $500 million 1.000% - --------------------------------------------------------------------- next $500 million 0.985% - --------------------------------------------------------------------- next $1 billion 0.960% - --------------------------------------------------------------------- over $2 billion 0.945% - --------------------------------------------------------------------- The subadvisor RREEF America L.L.C. ("RREEF") is the subadvisor for the fund. While DeIM is the investment advisor to the fund, the day-to-day activities of managing the fund's portfolio have been delegated to RREEF. DeIM compensates RREEF out of the management fee it receives from the fund. The sub-subadvisors Pursuant to investment sub-subadvisory agreements between RREEF and Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH, RREEF Global Advisers Limited, Deutsche Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited and Deutsche Investments Australia Limited (the "sub-subadvisors"), these entities act as sub-subadvisors to the fund. As sub-subadvisors, under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, DeIM and RREEF, the sub-subadvisors manage the fund's investments in specific foreign markets. 13 Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH, Mainzer Landstrasse 178-190, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, manages stock selection decisions for the European portion of the fund's portfolio. Currently, RREEF Global Advisers Limited, Winchester House, 1 Great Winchester Street, London, United Kingdom, EC2N 2DB, acts as an adviser to Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH with respect to the fund. Deutsche Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited, 55/F Cheung Kong Centre, 2 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong, China, and Deutsche Investments Australia Limited, Level 21, 83 Clarence Street, Sydney, Australia, NSW, 2000, manage the stock selection decisions for the Asian and Australian portions of the fund's portfolio. The fund's shareholder report for the period ended December 31, 2006 will contain a discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees' approval of the investment management agreement, the subadvisory agreement and the sub-subadvisory agreements for the fund (see "Shareholder reports" on the back cover). The portfolio managers The fund is managed by a team of investment professionals who each play an important role in the fund's management process. This team works for the advisor or its affiliates and is supported by a large staff of economists, research analysts, traders and other investment specialists. The advisor or its affiliates believe(s) its team approach benefits fund investors by bringing together many disciplines and leveraging its extensive resources. The fund's team collaborates to implement the fund's investment strategy. The team is led by a lead portfolio manager who is responsible for developing the fund's investment strategy. Each portfolio manager on the team has authority over all aspects of the fund's investment portfolio, including but not limited to, purchases and sales of individual securities, portfolio construction techniques, portfolio risk assessment, and the management of daily cash flows in accordance with portfolio holdings. 14 The following people handle the day-to-day management of the fund. John F. Robertson, CFA Kurt Klauditz Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Director of Deutsche Asset Management and Lead Portfolio Manager Management and Portfolio Manager of of the fund. the fund. o Joined RREEF in 1997, Deutsche o Joined Deutsche Asset Management Asset Management in 2002 and the in 2000 and the fund in 2006. fund in 2006. o Head of Liquid Assets and o Prior to that, Assistant Vice Financing: Germany. President of Lincoln Investment o Prior to that, senior positions Management responsible for REIT at Sal. Oppenhein, Paribas research. Capital Markets London, DG Bank o Over 15 years of investment Luxembourg and Shearson Lehman industry experience. Hamburg. o BA, Wabash College; MBA, Indiana o Over 15 years of investment University. industry experience. Daniel Ekins William Leung Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Vice President of Deutsche Asset Management and Portfolio Manager of Management and Portfolio Manager of the fund. the fund. o Joined RREEF in 1997, Deutsche o Joined Deutsche Asset Management Asset Management in 2002 and the in 2000 and the fund in 2006. fund in 2006. o Prior to that, equity research o Over 20 years of investment analyst at Merrill Lynch and UBS industry experience. Warburg, focusing on Hong Kong o BS, University of South Australia. and China at Merrill Lynch and UBS Warburg. John Hammond o Over nine years of investment Managing Director of Deutsche Asset industry experience. Management and Portfolio Manager of o MBA, Hong Kong University of the fund. Science & Technology. o Joined RREEF and Deutsche Asset Management in 2004 and the fund in 2006. o Prior to that, Director at Schroder Property Investment Management; Director at Henderson Global Investors. o Over 14 years of investment industry experience. o BSc, University of Reading, UK. The fund's Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the portfolio managers' investments in the fund, a description of their compensation structure and information regarding other accounts they manage. 15 Market timing related regulatory and litigation matters Since at least July 2003, federal, state and industry regulators have been conducting ongoing inquiries and investigations ("inquiries") into the mutual fund industry, and have requested information from numerous mutual fund companies, including DWS Scudder. The DWS funds' advisors have been cooperating in connection with these inquiries and are in discussions with the regulators concerning proposed settlements. Publicity about mutual fund practices arising from these industrywide inquiries serves as the general basis of a number of private lawsuits against the DWS funds. These lawsuits, which previously have been reported in the press, involve purported class action and derivative lawsuits, making various allegations and naming as defendants various persons, including certain DWS funds, the funds' investment advisors and their affiliates, and certain individuals, including in some cases fund Trustees/Directors, officers, and other parties. Each DWS fund's investment advisor has agreed to indemnify the applicable DWS funds in connection with these lawsuits, or other lawsuits or regulatory actions that may be filed making allegations similar to these lawsuits regarding market timing, revenue sharing, fund valuation or other subjects arising from or related to the pending inquiries. It is not possible to determine with certainty what the outcome of these inquiries will be or what the effect, if any, would be on the funds or their advisors. With respect to the lawsuits, based on currently available information, the funds' investment advisors believe the likelihood that the pending lawsuits will have a material adverse financial impact on a DWS fund is remote and such actions are not likely to materially affect their ability to perform under their investment management agreements with the DWS funds. With respect to the regulatory matters, Deutsche Asset Management ("DeAM") has advised the funds as follows: DeAM expects to reach final agreements with regulators in 2006 regarding allegations of improper trading in the DWS funds. DeAM expects that it will reach settlement agreements with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York Attorney General and the Illinois Secretary of State providing for payment of disgorgement, penalties, and investor education contributions totaling approximately 16 $134 million. Approximately $127 million of this amount would be distributed to shareholders of the affected DWS funds in accordance with a distribution plan to be developed by an independent distribution consultant. DeAM does not believe that any of the DWS funds will be named as respondents or defendants in any proceedings. The funds' investment advisors do not believe these amounts will have a material adverse financial impact on them or materially affect their ability to perform under their investment management agreements with the DWS funds. The above-described amounts are not material to Deutsche Bank, and they have already been reserved. Based on the settlement discussions thus far, DeAM believes that it will be able to reach a settlement with the regulators on a basis that is generally consistent with settlements reached by other advisors, taking into account the particular facts and circumstances of market timing at DeAM and at the legacy Scudder and Kemper organizations prior to their acquisition by DeAM in April 2002. Among the terms of the expected settled orders, DeAM would be subject to certain undertakings regarding the conduct of its business in the future, including maintaining existing management fee reductions for certain funds for a period of five years. DeAM expects that these settlements would resolve regulatory allegations that it violated certain provisions of federal and state securities laws (i) by entering into trading arrangements that permitted certain investors to engage in market timing in certain DWS funds and (ii) by failing more generally to take adequate measures to prevent market timing in the DWS funds, primarily during the 1999-2001 period. With respect to the trading arrangements, DeAM expects that the settlement documents will include allegations related to one legacy DeAM arrangement, as well as three legacy Scudder and six legacy Kemper arrangements. All of these trading arrangements originated in businesses that existed prior to the current DeAM organization, which came together in April 2002 as a result of the various mergers of the legacy Scudder, Kemper and Deutsche fund groups, and all of the arrangements were terminated prior to the start of the regulatory investigations that began in the summer of 2003. No current DeAM employee approved the trading arrangements. 17 There is no certainty that the final settlement documents will contain the foregoing terms and conditions. The independent Trustees/Directors of the DWS funds have carefully monitored these regulatory investigations with the assistance of independent legal counsel and independent economic consultants. Additional information announced by DeAM regarding the terms of the expected settlements will be made available at www.dws-scudder.com/regulatory_settlements, which will also disclose the terms of any final settlement agreements once they are announced. Other regulatory matters DeAM is also engaged in settlement discussions with the Enforcement Staffs of the SEC and the NASD regarding DeAM's practices during 2001-2003 with respect to directing brokerage commissions for portfolio transactions by certain DWS funds to broker-dealers that sold shares in the DWS funds and provided enhanced marketing and distribution for shares in the DWS funds. In addition, on January 13, 2006, DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc. received a Wells notice from the Enforcement Staff of the NASD regarding DWS Scudder Distributors' payment of non-cash compensation to associated persons of NASD member firms, as well as DWS Scudder Distributors' procedures regarding non-cash compensation regarding entertainment provided to such associated persons. Additional information announced by DeAM regarding the terms of the expected settlements will be made available at www.dws-scudder.com/regulatory_settlements, which will also disclose the terms of any final settlement agreements once they are announced. Financial Highlights Because the fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus, the fund has no financial information to report. 18 How to Invest in the Fund The following pages tell you how to invest in the fund and what to expect as a shareholder. If you're investing directly with DWS Scudder, all of this information applies to you. If you're investing through a "third party provider" -- for example, a workplace retirement plan, financial supermarket or financial advisor -- your provider may have its own policies or instructions and you should follow those. How to Buy, Sell and Exchange Shares Buying Shares: Use these instructions to invest directly. Make out your check to "DWS Scudder." - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- First investment Additional investments - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regular accounts: $50 or more for regular accounts and IRA accounts $2,500 or more $50 or more with an Automatic IRA accounts and Automatic Investment Plan Investment Plan: $1,000 or more - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By mail or express mail (see below) o Fill out and sign an application Send a DWS Scudder investment slip or short note that includes: o Send it to us at the appropriate address, along with an investment o fund and class name check o account number o check payable to "DWS Scudder" - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By wire o Call 1-800-728-3337 for instructions o Call 1-800-728-3337 for instructions - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By phone Not available o Call 1-800-728-3337 for instructions - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With an automatic investment plan o Fill in the information on your o To set up regular investments from application and include a voided check a bank checking account, call 1-800-728-3337 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using QuickBuy Not available o Call 1-800-728-3337 to speak to a representative o or, to use QuickBuy on SAILa, call 1-800-343-2890 and follow the instructions on how to purchase shares - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the Internet o Go to "funds and prices" at o Call 1-800-728-3337 to ensure you www.dws-scudder.com have electronic services o Print out a prospectus and a new o Register at www.dws-scudder.com account application o Follow the instructions for buying o Complete and return the application shares with money from your bank with your check account - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regular mail: First Investment: DWS Scudder, PO Box 219669, Kansas City, MO 64121-9669 Additional Investments: DWS Scudder, PO Box 219664, Kansas City, MO 64121-9664 Express, registered or certified mail: DWS Scudder, 210 West 10th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105-1614 20 Exchanging or Selling Shares: Use these instructions to exchange or sell shares in an account opened directly with Scudder. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Exchanging into another fund Selling shares - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $2,500 or more to open a new account Some transactions, including most for ($1,000 or more for IRAs) over $100,000, can only be ordered in writing with a signature guarantee; if $50 or more for exchanges between you're in doubt, see page 28 existing accounts - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By phone or wire o Call 1-800-728-3337 for instructions o Call 1-800-728-3337 for instructions - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using SAILa o Call 1-800-343-2890 for instructions o Call 1-800-343-2890 for instructions - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By mail or express mail (see previous page) Your instructions should include: Your instructions should include: o the fund, class and account number o the fund, class and account number you're exchanging out of from which you want to sell shares o the dollar amount or number of shares o the dollar amount or number of you want to exchange shares you want to sell o the name and class of the fund you o your name(s), signature(s) and want to exchange into address, as they appear on your account o your name(s), signature(s) and address, as they appear on your account o a daytime telephone number o a daytime telephone number - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With an automatic withdrawal plan Not available o To set up regular cash payments from a DWS fund account, call 1-800-728-3337 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using QuickSell Not available o Call 1-800-728-3337 for instructions - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the Internet o Register at www.dws-scudder.com o Register at www.dws-scudder.com o Follow the instructions for making o Follow the instructions for making on-line exchanges on-line redemptions - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To reach us: Web site: www.dws-scudder.com Telephone representative: 1-800-728-3337, M-F, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. ET TDD line: 1-800-972-3006, M-F, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. ET 21 Policies You Should Know About Along with the instructions on the previous pages, the policies below may affect you as a shareholder. Some of this information, such as the section on dividends and taxes, applies to all investors, including those investing through a financial advisor. If you are investing through a financial advisor or through a retirement plan, check the materials you received from them about how to buy and sell shares because particular financial advisors or other intermediaries may adopt policies, procedures or limitations that are separate from those described by the fund. Please note that a financial advisor may charge fees separate from those charged by the fund. In either case, keep in mind that the information in this prospectus applies only to the fund's Class S shares. The fund has other share classes, which are described in separate prospectuses and have different fees, expenses, requirements and services. In order to reduce the amount of mail you receive and to help reduce expenses, we generally send a single copy of any shareholder report and prospectus to each household. If you do not want the mailing of these documents to be combined with those for other members of your household, please contact your financial advisor or call (800) 728-3337. Policies about transactions The fund is open for business each day the New York Stock Exchange is open. The fund calculates its share price for each class every business day, as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (typically 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, but sometimes earlier, as in the case of scheduled half-day trading or unscheduled suspensions of trading). You can place an order to buy or sell shares at any time. To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. What this means to you: when you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. Some or all of this information will be used to verify the identity of all persons opening an account. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. Questions? You can speak to a DWS Scudder representative between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern time on any fund business day by calling 1-800-728-3337. 22 We might request additional information about you (which may include certain documents, such as articles of incorporation for companies) to help us verify your identity, and in some cases the information and/or documents may be required to conduct the verification. The information and documents will be used solely to verify your identity. We will attempt to collect any missing required and requested information by contacting you or your financial advisor. If we are unable to obtain this information within the time frames established by the fund then we may reject your application and order. The fund will not invest your purchase until all required and requested identification information has been provided and your application has been submitted in "good order." After we receive all the information, your application is deemed to be in good order and we accept your purchase, you will receive the net asset value per share next calculated. In addition, while we attempt to verify your identity, we many limit your ability to purchase or exchange fund shares. If we are unable to verify your identity within time frames established by the fund, after a reasonable effort to do so, you will receive written notification. The fund generally will not accept new account applications to establish an account with a non-US address (APO/FPO and US territories are acceptable) or for a non-resident alien. Because orders placed through a financial advisor must be forwarded to the transfer agent before they can be processed, you'll need to allow extra time. A representative of your financial advisor should be able to tell you approximately when your order will be processed. It is the responsibility of your financial advisor to forward your order to the transfer agent in a timely manner. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. The DWS Scudder Web site can be a valuable resource for shareholders with Internet access. To get up-to-date information, review balances or even place orders for exchanges, go to www.dws- scudder.com. 23 Market Timing Policies and Procedures. Short-term and excessive trading of fund shares may present risks to the fund's long-term shareholders, including potential dilution in the value of fund shares, interference with the efficient management of the fund's portfolio (including losses on the sale of investments), taxable gains to remaining shareholders and increased brokerage and administrative costs. These risks may be more pronounced for funds investing in certain securities such as those that trade in foreign markets, are illiquid or do not otherwise have "readily available market quotations." Certain investors may seek to employ short-term trading strategies aimed at exploiting variations in portfolio valuation that arise from the nature of the securities held by the fund (e.g., "time zone arbitrage"). The fund discourages short-term and excessive trading. The fund will take steps to detect and deter short-term and excessive trading pursuant to the fund's policies as described in this prospectus and approved by the Board. The fund generally defines short-term trading as purchase and redemption activity, including exchanges, that occurs within the time period for imposition of redemption fees. The fund may also take trading activity that occurs over longer periods into account if the fund reasonably believes such activity is of an amount or frequency that may be harmful to long-term shareholders or disruptive to portfolio management. The fund's policies include: o a 2% redemption fee on fund shares held for less than a specified holding period (subject to certain exceptions discussed below under "Redemption fees"); o the fund reserves the right to reject or cancel a purchase or exchange order for any reason when, in the opinion of the advisor, there appears to be a pattern of short-term or excessive trading activity by a shareholder or any other trading activity deemed harmful or disruptive to the fund; and o the fund has adopted certain fair valuation practices reasonably designed to protect the fund from "time zone arbitrage" with respect to its foreign securities holdings and other trading practices that seek to exploit variations in portfolio valuation that arise from the nature of the securities held by the fund. (See "How the fund calculates share price.") 24 When a pattern of short-term or excessive trading activity or other trading activity deemed harmful or disruptive to the fund by an investor is detected, the advisor may determine to prohibit that investor from future purchases in the fund or to limit or terminate the investor's exchange privilege. The detection of these patterns and the banning of further trading are inherently subjective and therefore involve some selectivity in their application. The advisor seeks to make such determinations in a manner consistent with the interests of the fund's long-term shareholders. There is no assurance that these policies and procedures will be effective in limiting short-term and excessive trading in all cases. For example, the advisor may not be able to effectively monitor, detect or limit short-term or excessive trading by underlying shareholders that occurs through omnibus accounts maintained by broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries. Depending on the amount of fund shares held in such omnibus accounts (which may represent most of the fund's shares) short-term and/or excessive trading of fund shares could adversely affect long-term shareholders in the fund. It is important to note that shareholders that invest through omnibus accounts also may be subject to the policies and procedures of their financial intermediaries with respect to short-term and excessive trading in the fund. The fund's policies and procedures may be modified or terminated at any time. Redemption fees. The fund imposes a redemption fee of 2% of the total redemption amount (calculated at net asset value) on all fund shares redeemed or exchanged within 30 days of buying them (either by purchase or exchange). The redemption fee is paid directly to the fund, and is designed to encourage long-term investment and to offset transaction and other costs associated with short-term or excessive trading. For purposes of determining whether the redemption fee applies, shares held the longest time will be treated as being redeemed first and shares held the shortest time will be treated as being redeemed last. 25 The redemption fee is applicable to fund shares purchased either directly or through a financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer. Transactions through financial intermediaries typically are placed with the fund on an omnibus basis and include both purchase and sale transactions placed on behalf of multiple investors. These purchase and sale transactions are generally netted against one another and placed on an aggregate basis; consequently the identities of the individuals on whose behalf the transactions are placed generally are not known to the fund. For this reason, the fund has undertaken to notify financial intermediaries of their obligation to assess the redemption fee on customer accounts and to collect and remit the proceeds to the fund. However, due to operational requirements, the intermediaries' methods for tracking and calculating the fee may be inadequate or differ in some respects from the fund's. Subject to approval by DeAM or the fund's Board, intermediaries who transact business on an omnibus basis may implement the redemption fees according to their own operational guidelines (which may be different than the fund's policies) and remit the fees to the fund. In addition, certain intermediaries that do not currently have the capacity to collect redemption fees at an account level may be granted a temporary waiver from the fund's policies until such time as they can develop and implement a system to collect the redemption fees. The redemption fee will not be charged in connection with the following exchange or redemption transactions: (i) transactions on behalf of participants in certain research wrap programs; (ii) transactions on behalf of participants in certain group retirement plans whose processing systems are incapable of properly applying the redemption fee to underlying shareholders; (iii) transactions on behalf of a shareholder to return any excess IRA contributions to the shareholder; (iv) transactions on behalf of a shareholder to effect a required minimum distribution on an IRA; (v) transactions on behalf of any mutual fund advised by the advisor and its affiliates (e.g., "funds of funds") or, in the case of a master/feeder relationship, redemptions by the feeder fund from the master portfolio; (vi) transactions following death or disability of any registered shareholder, beneficial owner or grantor of a living trust with respect to shares purchased before death or disability; (vii) transactions involving hardship of any registered shareholder; (viii) systematic 26 transactions with predefined trade dates for purchases, exchanges or redemptions, such as automatic account rebalancing, or loan origination and repayments; (ix) transactions involving shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends or other distributions; (x) transactions involving shares transferred from another account in the same fund or converted from another class of the same fund (e.g., shares converting from Class B to Class A) (the redemption fee period will carry over to the acquired shares); (xi) transactions initiated by a fund or administrator (e.g., redemptions for not meeting account minimums, to pay account fees funded by share redemptions, or in the event of the liquidation or merger of a fund); or (xii) transactions in cases when there are legal or contractual limitations or restrictions on the imposition of the redemption fee (as determined by the fund or its agents in their sole discretion). The fund expects that the waiver for certain group retirement plans and financial intermediaries will be eliminated over time as their respective operating systems are improved. Until such time that these operating systems are improved, the fund's advisor will attempt to monitor the trading activity in these accounts and will take appropriate corrective action if it appears that a pattern of short-term or excessive trading or other harmful or disruptive trading by underlying shareholders exists. The fund reserves the right to withdraw waivers, and to modify or terminate these waivers or the redemption fee at any time. Automated phone information is available 24 hours a day. You can use your automated phone services to get information on DWS funds generally and on accounts held directly at DWS Scudder. If you signed up for telephone services, you can also use this service to make exchanges and sell shares. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Call SAIL(TM), the Shareholder Automated Information Line, at 1-800-343-2890 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- QuickBuy and QuickSell let you set up a link between a DWS fund account and a bank account. Once this link is in place, you can move money between the two with a phone call. You'll need to make sure your bank has Automated Clearing House (ACH) services. Transactions take two to three days to be completed and there is a $50 minimum and a $250,000 maximum. To set up QuickBuy or QuickSell on a new account, see the account application; to add it to an existing account, call 1-800-728-3337. 27 Telephone and electronic transactions. Generally, you are automatically entitled to telephone and electronic transaction privileges, but you may elect not to have them when you open your account or by contacting Shareholder Services at a later date. Since many transactions may be initiated by telephone or electronically, it's important to understand that as long as we take reasonable steps to ensure that an order to purchase or redeem shares is genuine, such as recording calls or requesting personalized security codes or other information, we are not responsible for any losses that may occur as a result. For transactions conducted over the Internet, we recommend the use of a secure Internet browser. In addition, you should verify the accuracy of your confirmation statements immediately after you receive them. The fund accepts payment for shares only in US dollars by check, by bank or Federal Funds wire transfer, or by electronic bank transfer. Please note that the fund cannot accept cash, traveler's checks, starter checks, money orders, third party checks, checks drawn on foreign banks or checks issued by credit card companies or Internet-based companies. When you ask us to send or receive a wire, please note that while we don't charge a fee to send or receive wires, it's possible that your bank may do so. Wire transactions are generally completed within 24 hours. The fund can only send wires of $1,000 or more and accept wires of $50 or more. We do not issue share certificates. When you want to sell more than $100,000 worth of shares or send proceeds to a third party or to a new address, you'll usually need to place your order in writing and include a signature guarantee. However, if you want money wired to a bank account that is already on file with us; you don't need a signature guarantee. Also, you don't generally need a signature guarantee for an exchange, although we may require one in certain other circumstances. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. If you ever have difficulty placing an order by phone or Internet, you can send us your order in writing. 28 A signature guarantee is simply a certification of your signature -- a valuable safeguard against fraud. You can get a signature guarantee from an eligible guarantor institution, including commercial banks, savings and loans, trust companies, credit unions, member firms of a national stock exchange, or any member or participant of an approved signature guarantor program. Note that you can't get a signature guarantee from a notary public and we must be provided the original guarantee. Selling shares of trust accounts and business or organization accounts may require additional documentation. Please call 1-800-728-3337 or contact your financial advisor for more information. Money from shares you sell is normally sent out within one business day of when your order is processed (not when it is received), although it could be delayed for up to seven days. There are also two circumstances when it could be longer: when you are selling shares you bought recently by check and that check hasn't cleared yet (maximum delay: 10 days) or when unusual circumstances prompt the SEC to allow further delays. Certain expedited redemption processes may also be delayed when you are selling recently purchased shares. You may obtain additional information about other ways to sell your shares by contacting your financial advisor. How the fund calculates share price To calculate net asset value, or NAV, the share class uses the following equation: TOTAL ASSETS - TOTAL LIABILITIES -------------------------------------------- = NAV TOTAL NUMBER OF SHARES OUTSTANDING The price at which you buy and sell shares is the NAV. The fund will charge a short-term redemption fee equal to 2.00% of the value of shares redeemed or exchanged within 30 days of purchase. Please see "Policies about transactions -- Redemption fees" for further information. 29 We typically value securities using information furnished by an independent pricing service or market quotations, where appropriate. However, we may use methods approved by the fund's Board, such as a fair valuation model, which are intended to reflect fair value when pricing service information or market quotations are not readily available or when a security's value or a meaningful portion of the value of the fund's portfolio is believed to have been materially affected by a significant event, such as a natural disaster, an economic event like a bankruptcy filing, or a substantial fluctuation in domestic or foreign markets, that has occurred between the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded (for example, a foreign exchange or market) and the close of the New York Stock Exchange. In such a case, the fund's value for a security is likely to be different from the last quoted market price or pricing service information. In addition, due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, it is possible that the value determined for a particular asset may be materially different from the value realized upon such asset's sale. It is expected that the greater the percentage of fund assets that is invested in non-US securities, the more extensive will be the fund's use of fair value pricing. This is intended to reduce the fund's exposure to "time zone arbitrage" and other harmful trading practices. (See "Market Timing Policies and Procedures.") Because the fund invests in securities that are traded primarily in foreign markets, the value of its holdings could change at a time when you aren't able to buy or sell fund shares. This is because some foreign markets are open on days or at times when the fund doesn't price its shares. (Note that prices for securities that trade on foreign exchanges can change significantly on days when the New York Stock Exchange is closed and you cannot buy or sell fund shares. Price changes in the securities the fund owns may ultimately affect the price of fund shares the next time the NAV is calculated.) 30 Other rights we reserve You should be aware that we may do any of the following: o withdraw or suspend the offering of shares at any time o withhold a portion of your distributions as federal income tax if we have been notified by the IRS that you are subject to backup withholding or if you fail to provide us with a correct taxpayer ID number or certification that you are exempt from backup withholding o reject a new account application if you don't provide any required or requested identifying information, or for any other reasons o refuse, cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order; freeze any account (meaning you will not be able to purchase fund shares in your account); suspend account services; and/or involuntarily redeem your account if we think that the account is being used for fraudulent or illegal purposes; one or more of these actions will be taken when, at our sole discretion, they are deemed to be in the fund's best interest or when the fund is requested or compelled to do so by governmental authority or by applicable law o close and liquidate your account if we are unable to verify your identity or for other reasons; if we decide to close your account, your fund shares will be redeemed at the net asset value per share next calculated after we determine to close your account (less any applicable redemption fees); you may be subject to gain or loss on the redemption of your fund shares and you may incur tax liability o close your account and send you the proceeds if your balance falls below $2,500 (for regular accounts) or $1,000 (with an Automatic Investment Plan funded with $50 or more per month in subsequent investments) or $250 for retirement accounts; we will give you 60 days' notice (90 days for retirement accounts) so you can either increase your balance or close your account (these policies don't apply to investors with $100,000 or more in DWS fund shares, investors with an Automatic Investment Plan established with $50 or more per month or, in any case, where a fall in share price created the low balance) 31 o pay you for shares you sell by "redeeming in kind," that is, by giving you marketable securities (which typically will involve brokerage costs for you to liquidate) rather than cash; in most cases, the fund generally won't make a redemption in kind unless your requests over a 90-day period total more than $250,000 or 1% of the value of the fund's net assets, whichever is less o change, add or withdraw various services, fees and account policies (for example, we may change or terminate the exchange privilege or adjust the fund's investment minimum at any time) o suspend or postpone redemptions as permitted pursuant to Section 22(e) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Generally, those circumstances are when: 1) the New York Stock Exchange is closed other than customary weekend or holiday closings; 2) trading on the New York Stock Exchange is restricted; 3) an emergency exists which makes the disposal of securities owned by the fund or the fair determination of the value of the fund's net assets not reasonably practicable; or 4) the SEC, by order, permits the suspension of the right of redemption. Redemption payments by wire may also be delayed in the event of a non-routine closure of the Federal Reserve wire payment system. 32 Understanding Distributions and Taxes The fund intends to distribute to its shareholders virtually all of its net earnings. The fund can earn money in two ways: by receiving interest, dividends or other income from securities it holds and by selling securities for more than it paid for them. (The fund's earnings are separate from any gains or losses stemming from your own purchase and sale of fund shares.) The fund may not always pay a dividend or distribution for a given period. The fund intends to pay dividends and distributions to shareholders in November or December, and if necessary, may do so at other times as well. For federal income tax purposes, income and capital gains distributions are generally taxable. Dividends and distributions received by retirement plans qualifying for tax-exempt treatment under federal income tax laws will not be taxable. Similarly, there will be no tax consequences when a qualified retirement plan buys or sells fund shares. You can choose how to receive your dividends and distributions. You can have them all automatically reinvested in fund shares (at NAV), all deposited directly to your bank account or all sent to you by check, have one type reinvested and the other sent to you by check or have them invested in a different fund. Tell us your preference on your application. If you don't indicate a preference, your dividends and distributions will all be reinvested. Dividends and distributions are taxable whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. For retirement plans, reinvestment (at NAV) is the only option. Dividends and distributions received by retirement plans qualifying for tax-exempt treatment under federal income tax laws will not be taxable. Buying and selling fund shares will usually have tax consequences for you (except in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account). Your sale of shares may result in a capital gain or loss for you. The gain or loss will be long-term or short-term depending on how long you owned the shares that were sold. For federal income tax purposes, an exchange is treated the same as a sale. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. Because each shareholder's tax situation is unique, ask your tax professional about the tax consequences of your investments, including any state and local tax consequences. 33 The tax status of the fund's earnings you receive and your own fund transactions generally depends on their type: - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Generally taxed at long-term Generally taxed at ordinary capital gain rates: income rates: - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Distributions from the fund o gains from the sale of o gains from the sale of securities held by the fund for securities held by the fund more than one year for one year or less o qualified dividend income o all other taxable income - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Transactions involving fund shares o gains from selling fund shares held for more than one year o gains from selling fund shares held for one year or less - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Any investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes. In that case, the fund's yield on those securities would generally be decreased. The fund may elect to pass through to its shareholders a credit or deduction for foreign taxes it has paid if, at the end of its fiscal year, more than 50% of the fund's total assets are stock or securities of foreign corporations and if certain other conditions are met. In addition, any investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the fund's recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the fund's distributions. For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2011, distributions of investment income designated by the fund as derived from qualified dividend income are eligible for taxation in the hands of individuals at long-term capital gain rates. Qualified dividend income generally includes dividends from domestic and some foreign corporations. It does not include income from investments in fixed-income securities. In addition, the fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the fund's shares for the lower tax rates to apply. Dividends received by the fund from a REIT may be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent the dividends are attributable to qualified dividend income received by such REIT. 34 For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2011, the maximum federal long-term capital gain rate applicable to individuals has been reduced to 15%. For more information, see the Statement of Additional Information, under "Taxes." Your fund will send you detailed tax information every January. These statements tell you the amount and the tax category of any dividends or distributions you received. They also have certain details on your purchases and sales of shares. The tax status of dividends and distributions is the same whether you reinvest them or not. Dividends or distributions declared in the last quarter of a given year are taxed in that year, even though you may not receive the money until the following January. Because the REITs invested in by the fund do not provide complete information about the taxability of their distributions until after the calendar year-end, the fund may not be able to determine how much of the fund's distribution is taxable to shareholders until after the January 31 deadline for issuing Form 1099-DIV. As a result, the fund may request permission from the Internal Revenue Service each year for an extension of time until February 28 to issue Form 1099-DIV. If you invest right before the fund pays a dividend, you'll be getting some of your investment back as a taxable dividend. You can avoid this, if you want, by investing after the fund declares a dividend. In tax-advantaged retirement accounts you don't need to worry about this. If the fund's distributions exceed its income and capital gains realized in any year, all or a portion of those distributions may be treated for tax purposes as a return of capital. A return of capital will generally not be taxable to you but will reduce the cost basis of your shares and result in a higher capital gain or a lower capital loss when you sell your shares. Corporations may be able to take a dividends-received deduction for a portion of income dividends they receive from the fund. The above discussion is applicable to shareholders who are US persons. If you are a non-US person, please consult your own tax advisor with respect to the US tax consequences of an investment in the fund. Additional information may be found in the fund's Statement of Additional Information. 35 Notes - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To Get More Information Shareholder reports -- These will include commentary from the fund's management team about recent market conditions and the effects of the fund's strategies on its performance. They also will have detailed performance figures, a list of everything the fund owns, and its financial statements. Shareholders get these reports automatically. Because the fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus, the fund has not yet delivered a shareholder report. Statement of Additional Information (SAI) -- This tells you more about the fund's features and policies, including additional risk information. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this document (meaning that it's legally part of this prospectus). For a free copy of any of these documents or to request other information about the fund, call 1-800-728-3337, or contact DWS Scudder at the address listed below. The fund's SAI and shareholder reports (when they become available) are also available through the DWS Scudder Web site at www.dws-scudder.com. These documents and other information about the fund are available from the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at www.sec.gov. If you like, you may obtain copies of this information, after paying a copying fee, by e-mailing a request to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the SEC at the address listed below. You can also review and copy these documents and other information about the fund, including the fund's SAI, at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Information on the operation of the SEC's Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330. DWS Scudder SEC Distributor - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PO Box 219669 100 F Street, N.E. DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc. Kansas City, MO 64121-9669 Washington, D.C. 20549 222 South Riverside Plaza www.dws-scudder.com www.sec.gov Chicago, IL 60606-5808 1-800-728-3337 1-800-SEC-0330 1-800-621-1148 SEC File Number: DWS Advisor Funds 811-04760 [DWS SCUDDER Logo] Deutsche Bank Group STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund (Class A, Class C and Institutional Class Shares) July 1, 2006 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606 1-800-621-1048 This Statement of Additional Information is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the prospectuses (each a "Prospectus" and collectively, the "Prospectuses") dated July 1, 2006 for Class A, Class C and Institutional Class shares of DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund (the "Fund"), a non-diversified series of DWS Advisor Funds (the "Trust") as amended from time to time, copies of which may be obtained without charge by contacting DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc., 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606-5808 or calling 1-800-621-1148, or by contacting the firm from which this Statement of Additional Information was obtained. This information is also available along with other related materials on the Securities and Exchange Commission's (the "SEC" or the "Commission") Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov). When issued, the Annual Report to Shareholders will accompany this Statement of Additional Information and will be incorporated herein by reference and will be deemed to be part of this Statement of Additional Information. This Statement of Additional Information is incorporated by reference into the corresponding Prospectus for each class of shares of the Fund. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ---- INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS........................................................1 INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES..............................................2 Investment Objective and Policies.....................................3 INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES.............................................5 Portfolio Holdings Information.......................................29 MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND........................................................30 Investment Advisor...................................................30 Compensation of Portfolio Managers...................................33 Principal Underwriter................................................40 FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS........................................................41 Custodian, Transfer Agent and Shareholder Service Agent..............41 Fund Accounting Agent................................................42 Legal Counsel........................................................42 PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES.............................................42 TAXES.........................................................................53 NET ASSET VALUE...............................................................58 TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS.........................................................59 TRUST ORGANIZATION............................................................66 PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES.......................................................67 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS..........................................................68 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION........................................................68 RATINGS OF INVESTMENTS........................................................70 No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations not contained in this SAI or in the Prospectuses in connection with the offering made by each Prospectus and, if given or made, such information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Trust or its Distributor. Each Prospectus does not constitute an offering by the Trust or by the Distributor in any jurisdiction in which such offering may not lawfully be made. Shares of the Fund may not available in certain states. Please call 1-800-621-1148 or 1-800-730-1313 for the Institutional Class, to determine availability in your state. i INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS Except as otherwise indicated, the Fund's investment objective and policies are not fundamental and may be changed without a vote of shareholders. If there is a change in the Fund's investment objective, shareholders should consider whether the Fund remains an appropriate investment in light of their then financial position and needs. There can be no assurance that the Fund's objective will be met. Unless otherwise indicated, with the exception of the percentage limitations on borrowing, the following restrictions apply at the time transactions are entered into. Accordingly, any later increase or decrease beyond the specified limitation resulting from a change in the Fund's net assets will not be considered in determining whether it has complied with its investment restrictions. Fundamental policies: The following investment restrictions are fundamental policies of the Fund and may not be changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund which, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and the rules thereunder and as used in this Statement of Additional Information, means the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the voting securities present at such meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present in person or represented by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. 1. The Fund may not borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time. 2. The Fund may not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time. 3. The Fund may not engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by others, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities. 4. The Fund may not purchase or sell real estate, which term does not include securities of companies which deal in real estate or mortgages or investments secured by real estate or interests therein, except that the Fund reserves freedom of action to hold and to sell real estate acquired as a result of the Fund's ownership of securities. 5. The Fund may not purchase or sell commodities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by the regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time. 6. The Fund may not make loans except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time. Other Investment Policies. The Fund has voluntarily adopted certain policies and restrictions, which are observed in the conduct of the Fund's affairs. These nonfundamental policies represent the intentions of the Trustees based upon current circumstances. Nonfundamental policies may be changed by the Trustees without shareholder approval. Nonfundamental policies: (a) Borrowings. The Fund may not purchase additional investment securities at any time during which outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of the total assets of the Fund. (b) Liquidity. The Fund may not purchase any security or enter into a repurchase agreement if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in repurchase agreements not entitling the holder to payment of principal and interest within seven days and in securities that are illiquid by virtue of legal or contractual restrictions on resale or the absence of a readily available market. 1 (c) Short Sales. The Fund may not sell securities short unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short, and provided that transactions in futures contracts and options are not deemed to constitute selling securities short. (d) Margin. The Fund may not purchase securities on margin, except to obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions and provided that margin payments in connection with futures contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin. (e) Futures and Options. The Fund may enter into futures contracts, and write and buy put and call options relating to futures contracts. The Fund may not, however, enter into leveraged futures transactions if it would be possible for the Fund to lose more money than it invested. (f) Concentration. The Fund may not invest 25% or more of its total assets in securities of companies principally engaged in any one industry, except that the Fund may invest without limitation in securities of companies engaged principally in the real estate industry. (g) Investment in Other Investment Companies. The Fund may not acquire securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act imposes additional restrictions on acquisition by the Fund of securities issued by insurance companies, broker-dealers, underwriters or investment advisors, and on transactions with affiliated persons as defined in the 1940 Act. It also defines and forbids the creation of cross and circular ownership. Neither the SEC nor any other agency of the federal or state government participates in or supervises the management of the Fund or its investment practices or policies. For purposes of determining industry groups in connection with this restriction, the SEC ordinarily uses the Standard Industry Classification codes developed by the US Office of Management and Budget. The Fund monitors industry concentration using a more restrictive list of industry groups than that recommended by the SEC. Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. ("DeIM" or the "Advisor") believes that these classifications are reasonable and are not so broad that the primary economic characteristics of the companies in a single class are materially different. The use of these restrictive industry classifications may, however, cause the Fund to forego investment possibilities that may otherwise be available to it under the 1940 Act. Fund Name. The Fund plans, under normal circumstances, to invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes (calculated at the time of any investment), in the equity securities of real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate companies listed on recognized stock exchanges around the world, as the Fund's name suggests. Currently, the Fund does not intend to borrow for investment purposes. Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock and securities convertible into common stock. If market fluctuations or shareholder actions cause the Fund's investments to fall below this percentage, the Fund will act to remedy the situation as promptly as possible, normally within three business days. However, the Fund will not be required to dispose of portfolio holdings or purchase additional investments immediately if the Advisor believes such action may expose the Fund to losses or unreasonable risks of loss. Also, the Fund may occasionally depart from this percentage. For example, the Fund may depart from this percentage to respond to unusually large cash inflows or redemptions, or to avoid losses caused by adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. The Fund will provide its shareholders with at least sixty days' prior notice of any change in the Fund's 80% investment policy described above. INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES The following is a description of the Fund's investment objective and policies. There can, of course, be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The following supplements the information contained in the Prospectuses concerning the investment objectives and policies of the Fund. 2 Investment Objective and Policies The fund's investment objective is to seek total return through a combination of current income and long-term capital appreciation. The fund seeks to achieve this objective by investing primarily in publicly listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate operating companies on a global basis. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowing tar investment purposes (calculated at the time of any investment), in the equity securities of REITs and real estate operating companies listed on recognized stock exchanges around the world, including the United States. Currently, the fund does not intend to borrow for investment purposes. Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock and securities convertible into common stock. An issuer will be considered part of the fund's investment universe if it has a market capitalization of at least $50 million and, in the opinion of the portfolio managers, at least 50% of its revenues or 50% of the market value of its assets at the time its securities are purchased by the fund are attributed to the ownership, construction, management or sale of real estate and it is listed on a recognized public foreign or domestic stock exchange or traded over the counter. The fund may also invest in unlisted securities provided such securities are expected to be listed on a recognized public stock exchange or traded over the counter within six months from the time of investment. The strategy of the fund is to take advantage of the extensive expertise of the advisors and its affiliates' (the "advisors") dedicated, in-house direct real estate investment teams located in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia in order to invest in real estate securities on a global basis. In selecting securities for the fund's portfolio, the advisors will incorporate both "top down" and "bottom-up" investment insights and analysis. "Top-down" research, analyzing market investment conditions, is used to arrive at the fund weighting across regional markets (i.e. the portfolio weighting across investments in the Americas, Europe Asia and Australia) and within these regions, its strategy across investment sectors, such as office, industrial, retail, hospitality and residential apartment real estate sectors. This research includes analysis of various factors, including real estate market dynamics (e.g., supply/demand conditions, vacancy rates), the economic environment (e.g. interest rates, inflation and economic growth), expected capital flow dynamics and exchange rate conditions. "Bottom-up" research, analyzing the characteristics and investment prospects of a particular real estate security relative to others in its local market, is used to actively manage the fund's exposure to individual securities within each region. Disciplined valuation analysis performed in each region drives this decision-making process, guiding the portfolio managers to invest in securities that they believe can provide superior returns over the long term and to sell those that they believe no longer represent the strongest prospects, relative to other opportunities. The focus of the fund security selection strategy is to invest in securities with the potential for price appreciation, while maintaining a bias toward those securities paying attractive, reliable dividends, It is expected that the majority of returns from the fund will be generated by security-specific investment decisions, which are the responsibility of portfolio managers located in the respective geographical regions. The allocation of the fund's investments across geographic regions is determined by the advisors Global Property Asset Allocation Committee, comprising the portfolio managers from each region and chaired by the advisor's lead portfolio manager for global real estate security investments. Investment Policies The following is a chart of the various types of securities and investment strategies employed by the Fund. Unless otherwise indicated, the Fund is permitted, but not obligated, to pursue any of the following strategies and does not represent that these techniques are available now or will be available at any time in the future. If the Fund's investment in a particular type of security is limited to a certain percentage of the Fund's assets, that percentage limitation is listed in the chart. Following the chart is a description of how each type of security and investment strategy may be used by the Fund. 3
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DWS RREEF Global Real Estate INVESTMENT PRACTICE Securities Fund ======================================================================================================================== - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ KEY TO TABLE: * Permitted without stated limit # Permitted without stated limited, but not expected to be used to a significant extent X Not permitted 20% Italic type (e.g. 20%) represents an investment limitation as a percentage of net fund assets; does not indicate actual use 20% Roman type (e.g. 20%) represents an investment limitation as a percentage of total fund assets; does not indicate actual use - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EQUITY SECURITIES - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Common Stock * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Warrants * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Preferred Stock * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Convertible Securities * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Medium Capitalization Stocks * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Small Capitalization Stocks * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Micro Capitalization Stocks * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FIXED INCOME SECURITIES & MONEY MARKET INSTRUMENTS - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Short-Term Instruments 20% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Obligations of Banks and Other Financial Institutions 20% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Certificates of Deposit and Banker's Acceptances 20% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Commercial Paper 20% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Variable Rate Master Demand Notes # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- U.S. Government Securities 20% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Custodial Receipts # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Zero Coupon Securities and Deferred Interest Bonds # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Variable Rate Securities 20% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Inverse Floating Rate Securities 5% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Lower-Rated Debt Securities 5% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Registered Loans # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- DERIVATIVE SECURITIES (OPTIONS) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Options on Securities * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Options on Securities Indices * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Options on Non-US Securities Indices * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Yield Curve Options * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Spreadlocks * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- DERIVATIVE SECURITIES (FUTURES CONTRACTS AND OPTIONS ON FUTURES CONTRACTS) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Futures Contracts * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Futures Contracts on Securities Indices * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Options on Futures Contracts (including Contracts on Securities Indices) * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- DERIVATIVE SECURITIES (HEDGING STRATEGIES) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Swaps Agreements * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- DERIVATIVE SECURITIES (HEDGING STRATEGIES) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hedging Strategies * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- MORTGAGE-BACKED AND ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Government Guaranteed Mortgage-Backed Securities # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Ginnie Mae Certificates # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------
4
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DWS RREEF Global Real Estate INVESTMENT PRACTICE Securities Fund ======================================================================================================================== - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ KEY TO TABLE: * Permitted without stated limit # Permitted without stated limited, but not expected to be used to a significant extent X Not permitted 20% Italic type (e.g. 20%) represents an investment limitation as a percentage of net fund assets; does not indicate actual use 20% Roman type (e.g. 20%) represents an investment limitation as a percentage of total fund assets; does not indicate actual use - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fannie Mae Certificates # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Freddie Mac Certificates # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Multi-Class Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMOs and REMICs) # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Private Issued Mortgage -Backed Securities # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Mortgage Pass-Through Securities # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Stripped-Mortgage Backed Securities # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Adjustable Rate Mortgages # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Asset-Backed Securities # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- SECURITIES OF NON-U.S. ISSUERS - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Foreign Securities & Depositary Receipts (ADRs, EDRs, GDRs and IDRs) * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Foreign Corporate Debt Securities # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Foreign Government Debt Securities # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Brady Bonds # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Investments in Emerging Markets * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Region and Country Investing * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- CURRENCY MANAGEMENT - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Currency Exchange Transactions * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Currency Hedging Transactions * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Cross Hedging * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Forward Currency Exchange Contracts * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Options on Foreign Currencies * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- OTHER INVESTMENTS AND INVESTMENT PRACTICES - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Illiquid Securities 15% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities * - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Repurchase Agreements 20% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Reverse Repurchase Agreements 33 1/3% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Mortgage Dollar Rolls # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Lending of Portfolio Securities 33 1/3% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Borrowing 33 1/3% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Short Sales # - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Other Investment Companies 10% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Temporary Defensive Investments 100% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES This section explains the extent to which the Advisor can use various investment vehicles and strategies in managing the Fund's assets. Descriptions of the investment techniques and risks associated with the Fund appear herein. In the case of the Fund's principal investment strategies, these descriptions elaborate upon discussions contained in the prospectus. 5 The Fund is a non-diversified series of the Trust, an open-end management company which continuously offers and redeems shares at net asset value. A non-diversified fund can invest a greater portion of its assets in a given company. The Fund is a series of the type commonly known as a mutual fund. The Fund offers the following classes of shares: Class A, Class C, Class S and Institutional Class. Each class has its own features and policies. Class S shares of the Fund are offered through a separate Statement of Additional Information. To meet federal income tax requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company, the Fund must limit its investments so that at the close of each quarter of its taxable year (1) no more than 25% of its total assets are invested in the securities of a single issuer (other than the US government or a regulated investment company), and (2) with respect to at least 50% of its total assets, no more than 5% of its total assets are invested in the securities of a single issuer. In general, within the restrictions outlined here and in the Fund's Prospectuses, the Advisor has broad powers to decide how to invest Fund assets, including the power to hold them uninvested. Investments are varied according to what is judged advantageous under changing economic conditions. It is the Advisor's policy to retain maximum flexibility in management without restrictive provisions as to the proportion of one or another class of securities that may be held, subject to the investment restrictions described herein. It is the Advisor's intention that the Fund generally will consist of common stocks and equity-equivalent securities. However, subject to the specific limitations applicable to the Fund, the Advisor may invest the assets of the Fund in varying amounts using other investment techniques, such as those reflected below, when such a course is deemed appropriate in order to attempt to attain the Fund's investment objective. Senior securities that are high-grade issues, in the opinion of the Advisor, also may be purchased for defensive purposes. Current income is part of the Fund's objective. As a result, a portion of the portfolio of the Fund may consist of debt securities. So long as a sufficient number of acceptable securities are available, the Advisor intends to keep the Fund fully invested. However, under exceptional conditions, the Fund may assume a defensive position, temporarily investing all or a substantial portion of its assets in cash or short-term securities. When the Fund is invested for temporary defensive purposes, it may not achieve its investment objective. The Advisor may use stock index futures and options as a way to expose the Fund's cash assets to the market while maintaining liquidity. However, the Advisor may not leverage the Fund's portfolio, so there is no greater market risk to the Fund than if it purchases stocks. Descriptions in this Statement of Additional Information of a particular investment practice or technique in which the Fund may engage (such as hedging, etc.) or a financial instrument which the Fund may purchase (such as options, forward foreign currency contracts, etc.) are meant to describe the spectrum of investments that the Advisor, in its discretion, might, but is not required to, use in managing the Fund's portfolio assets. The Advisor may, in its discretion, at any time, employ such practice, technique or instrument for one or more funds but not for all funds advised by it. Furthermore, it is possible that certain types of financial instruments or investment techniques described herein may not be available, permissible, economically feasible or effective for their intended purposes in all markets. Certain practices, techniques or instruments may not be principal activities of the Fund, but, to the extent employed, could, from time to time, have a material impact on the Fund's performance. REITS and Real Estate Companies The Fund intends to invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes (calculated at the time of any investment), in equity securities of REITs and real estate companies listed on recognized stock exchanges around the world or traded over the counter. A company is considered to be a real estate company if, in the opinion of the portfolio managers, at least 50% of its revenues or 50% of the market value of its assets at the time its securities are purchased by the Fund are attributed to the ownership, construction, management or sale of real estate and it is listed on a recognized stock exchange. 6 A REIT invests primarily in income-producing real estate or makes loans to persons involved in the real estate industry. Some REITs, called equity REITs, buy real estate and pay investors income from the rents received from the real estate owned by the REIT and from any profits on the sale of its properties. Other REITs, called mortgage REITs, lend money to building developers and other real estate companies and pay investors income from the interest paid on those loans. There are also hybrid REITs which engage in both owning real estate and making loans. If a REIT meets certain requirements, it is not taxed on the income it distributes to its investors. Equity Equivalents In addition to investing in common stocks, the Fund may invest in other equity securities and equity equivalents, including securities that permit the Fund to receive an equity interest in an issuer, the opportunity to acquire an equity interest in an issuer or the opportunity to receive a return on its investment that permits the Fund to benefit from the growth over time in the equity of an issuer. Examples of equity securities and equity security equivalents include preferred stock, convertible preferred stock and convertible debt securities. The Fund will limit its holdings of convertible debt securities to those that, at the time of purchase, are rated at least B- by the Standard & Poor's Corporation ("S&P") or B3 by Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's"), or, if not rated by S&P and Moody's, are of equivalent investment quality as determined by the Advisor. The Fund's investments in convertible debt securities and other high-yield/high-risk, nonconvertible debt securities rated below investment-grade will comprise less than 20% of the Fund's net assets. Debt securities rated below the four highest categories are not considered investment-grade obligations. These securities have speculative characteristics and present more credit risk than investment-grade obligations. Equity equivalents also may include securities whose value or return is derived from the value or return of a different security. Debt Securities The Fund may invest in debt securities because the Fund has current income is part of the Fund's objective. As a result, the Fund may invest in debt securities when the Advisor believes such securities represent an attractive investment for the Fund. It is intended that the Fund may invest in debt securities for income or as a defensive strategy when the Advisor believes adverse economic or market conditions exist. The value of the debt securities in which the Fund may invest will fluctuate based upon changes in interest rates and the credit quality of the issuer. Debt securities that comprise part of the Fund's fixed-income portfolio will be limited primarily to investment-grade obligations. However, the Fund may invest up to 5% of its assets in "high-yield/high-risk" securities. Investment grade means that at the time of purchase, such obligations are rated within the four highest categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (for example, at least Baa by Moody's or BBB by S&P), or, if not rated, are of equivalent investment quality as determined by the Advisor. According to Moody's, bonds rated Baa are medium-grade and possess some speculative characteristics. A BBB rating by S&P indicates S&P's belief that a security exhibits a satisfactory degree of safety and capacity for repayment but is more vulnerable to adverse economic conditions and changing circumstances. "High-yield" securities, sometimes referred to as "junk bonds," are higher risk, non-convertible debt obligations that are rated below investment-grade securities, or are unrated, but with similar credit quality. There are no credit or maturity restrictions on the fixed-income securities in which the high-yield portion of the Fund's portfolio may be invested. Debt securities rated lower than Baa by Moody's or BBB by S&P or their equivalent are considered by many to be predominantly speculative. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to make principal and interest payments on such securities than is the case with higher quality debt securities. Regardless of rating levels, all debt securities considered for purchase by the Fund are analyzed by the Advisor to determine, to the extent reasonably possible, that the planned investment is sound, given the investment objective of the Fund. 7 The Fund will not necessarily dispose of high-yield securities if the aggregate value of such securities exceeds 5% of the Fund's assets, if such level is exceeded as a result of market appreciation of the value of such securities or market depreciation of the value of the other assets of the Fund. Rather, the Advisor will cease purchasing any additional high-yield securities until the value of such securities is less than 5% of the Fund's assets and will monitor such investments to determine whether continuing to hold such investments is likely to assist the Fund in meeting its investment objective. In addition, the value of the Fund's investments in fixed-income securities will change as prevailing interest rates change. In general, the prices of such securities vary inversely with interest rates. As prevailing interest rates fall, the prices of bonds and other securities that trade on a yield basis generally rise. When prevailing interest rates rise, bond prices generally fall. These changes in value may, depending upon the particular amount and type of fixed-income securities holdings of the Fund, impact the net asset value of the Fund's shares. Notwithstanding the fact that the Fund will invest primarily in equity securities, under adverse market or economic conditions, the Fund may temporarily invest all or a substantial portion of its assets in cash or investment-grade short-term securities (denominated in US dollars or foreign currencies). To the extent that the Fund assumes a defensive position, it will not be investing for capital appreciation. When the Fund is invested for temporary defensive purposes, it may not pursue or achieve its investment objective. Convertible Debt Securities A convertible debt security is a fixed-income security that offers the potential for capital appreciation through a conversion feature that enables the holder to convert the fixed-income security into a stated number of shares of common stock. As fixed-income securities, convertible debt securities provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than common stocks. Because convertible debt securities offer the potential to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock, they generally offer lower yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality. Like all fixed-income securities, there can be no assurance of current income because the issuers of the convertible securities may default on their obligations. In addition, there can be no assurance of capital appreciation because the value of the underlying common stock will fluctuate. Convertible debt securities generally are subordinated to other similar but non-convertible debt securities of the same issuer, although convertible bonds, as corporate debt obligations, enjoy seniority in right of payment to all equity securities. Because of the subordination feature, however, convertible securities typically have lower ratings than similar non-convertible securities. Convertible debt securities that comprise part of the Fund's fixed-income portfolio will be subject to the same limitations with respect to quality as those described above under "Debt Securities." Investment of Uninvested Cash Balances The Fund may have cash balances that have not been invested in portfolio securities ("Uninvested Cash"). Uninvested Cash may result from a variety of sources, including dividends or interest received from portfolio securities, unsettled securities transactions, reserves held for investment strategy purposes, scheduled maturity of investments, liquidation of investment securities to meet anticipated redemptions or dividend payments and new cash received from investors. Uninvested Cash may be invested directly in money market instruments or other short-term debt obligations. Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, the Fund may use Uninvested Cash to purchase shares of affiliated funds, including money market funds and Cash Management Investment Trust, or entities for which the Advisor may act as investment advisor now or in the future that operate as cash management investment vehicles but are excluded from the definition of investment company pursuant to Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act (collectively, the "Central Funds") in excess of the limitations of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. Investment by the Fund in shares of the Central Funds will comply with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act and will be in accordance with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions. The Fund will invest Uninvested Cash in Central Funds only to the extent that the Fund's aggregate investment in the Central Funds does not exceed 25% of its total assets. Purchase and sales of shares of Central Funds are made at net asset value. 8 Short Sales The Fund may engage in short sales, if, at the time of the short sale, the Fund owns or has the right to acquire securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities being sold short. In a short sale, the seller does not immediately deliver the securities sold and is said to have a short position in those securities until delivery occurs. To make delivery to the purchaser, the executing broker borrows the securities being sold short on behalf of the seller. While the short position is maintained, the seller collateralizes its obligation to deliver the securities sold short in an amount equal to the proceeds of the short sale plus an additional margin amount established by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. If the Fund engages in a short sale, the collateral account will be maintained by State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Fund's custodian. While the short sale is open, the Fund will maintain, in a segregated custodial account, an amount of securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, such equivalent securities at no additional cost. These securities would constitute the Fund's long position. The Fund may make a short sale, as described above, when it wants to sell the security it owns at a current attractive price, but also wishes to defer recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. There will be certain additional transaction costs associated with short sales, but the Fund will endeavor to offset these costs with returns from the investment of the cash proceeds of short sales. Portfolio Lending In order to realize additional income, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities. Such loans may not exceed 33 1/3% of the Fund's total assets except (1) through the purchase of debt securities in accordance with its investment objectives, policies and limitations, or (2) by engaging in repurchase agreements with respect to portfolio securities. Derivative Securities To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, the Fund may invest in securities that are commonly referred to as derivative securities. Generally, a derivative is a financial arrangement, the value of which is based on or derived from a traditional security, asset or market index. Certain derivative securities are described more accurately as index-structured securities. Index-structured securities are derivative securities whose value or performance is linked to other equity securities (such as depository receipts), currencies, interest rates, indices or other financial indicators (reference indices). Some derivatives, such as mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, are in many respects like any other investment, although they may be more volatile or less liquid than more traditional debt securities. There are many different types of derivatives and many different ways to use them. Futures and options are commonly used for traditional hedging purposes to attempt to protect the Fund from exposure to changing interest rates, securities prices or currency exchange rates, and for cash management purposes as a low-cost method of gaining exposure to a particular securities market without investing directly in those securities. The Fund may not invest in a derivative security unless the reference index or the instrument to which it relates is an eligible investment for the Fund. The return on a derivative security may increase or decrease, depending upon changes in the reference index or instrument to which it relates. There is a range of risks associated with derivative investments, including: o The risk that the underlying security, interest rate, market index or other financial asset will not move in the direction the Advisor anticipates. 9 o The possibility that there may be no liquid secondary market, or the possibility that price fluctuation limits may be imposed by the exchange, either of which may make it difficult or impossible to close out a position when desired. o The risk that adverse price movements in an instrument can result in a loss substantially greater than the Fund's initial investment. o The risk that the other party will fail to perform its obligations. Other Investment Companies The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in other mutual funds, including those advised by the Advisor, if any, provided that the investment is consistent with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund's investment in such securities, subject to certain exceptions, currently is limited to (a) 3% of the total voting stock of any one investment company; (b) 5% of the Fund's total assets with respect to any one investment company; and (c) 10% of the Fund's total assets in the aggregate. Such purchases will be made in the open market where no commission or profit to a sponsor or dealer results from the purchase other than the customary brokers' commissions. As a shareholder of another investment company, the Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company's expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the management fee than the Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations. Repurchase Agreements The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements when such transactions present an attractive short-term return on cash that is not otherwise committed to the purchase of securities pursuant to the investment policies of the Fund. A repurchase agreement occurs when, at the time the Fund purchases an interest-bearing obligation, the seller (a bank or a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act")) agrees to purchase it on a specified date in the future at an agreed-upon price. The repurchase price reflects an agreed-upon interest rate during the time the Fund's money is invested in the security. Because the security purchased constitutes a security for the repurchase obligation, a repurchase agreement can be considered a loan collateralized by the security purchased. The Fund's risk is the ability of the seller to pay the agreed-upon repurchase price on the repurchase date. If the seller defaults, the Fund may incur costs in disposing of the collateral, which would reduce the amount realized thereon. If the seller seeks relief under the bankruptcy laws, the disposition of the collateral may be delayed or limited. To the extent the value of the security decreases, the Fund could experience a loss. The Fund will limit repurchase agreement transactions to securities issued by the US government and its agencies and instrumentalities and will enter into such transactions with those banks and securities dealers who are deemed creditworthy pursuant to criteria adopted by the Fund's Board of Trustees or its designee. The Fund will not invest more than 15% of its net assets in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days. When-Issued and Forward Commitment Agreements The Fund may sometimes purchase new issues of securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis in which the transaction price and yield are each fixed at the time the commitment is made, but payment and delivery occur at a future date (typically 15 to 45 days later). When purchasing securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership, including the risks of price and yield fluctuations. Market rates of interest on debt securities at the time of delivery may be higher or lower than those contracted for on the when-issued security. Accordingly, the value of such a security may decline prior to delivery, which could result in a loss to the Fund. While the Fund will make 10 commitments to purchase or sell securities with the intention of actually receiving or delivering them, it may sell the securities before the settlement date if doing so is deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy. In purchasing securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, the Fund will establish and maintain a segregated account consisting of cash, cash equivalents or other appropriate liquid securities until the settlement date in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price. When the time comes to pay for the when-issued securities, the Fund will meet its obligations with available cash, through the sale of securities, or, although it would not normally expect to do so, by selling the when-issued securities themselves (which may have a market value greater or less than the Fund's payment obligation). Selling securities to meet when-issued or forward commitment obligations may generate taxable capital gains or losses. Restricted and Illiquid Securities The Fund may, from time to time, purchase securities that are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale ("restricted securities") or illiquid securities, including Rule 144A securities, when they present attractive investment opportunities that otherwise meet the Fund's criteria for investment. Rule 144A securities are securities that are privately placed with and traded among qualified institutional investors rather than the general public. Although Rule 144A securities are considered restricted securities, they are not necessarily illiquid. With respect to securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A, the staff of the SEC has taken the position that the liquidity of such securities in the portfolio of the Fund offering redeemable securities is a question of fact for the Board of that fund to determine, based upon a consideration of the readily available trading markets and the review of any contractual restrictions. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees of the Fund is responsible for developing and establishing the guidelines and procedures for determining the liquidity of Rule 144A securities. As allowed by Rule 144A, the Board has delegated the day-to-day function of determining the liquidity of Rule 144A securities to the Advisor. The Board retains the responsibility to monitor the implementation of the guidelines and procedures it has adopted. Because the secondary market for such securities is limited to certain qualified institutional investors, the liquidity of such securities may be limited accordingly, and the Fund may, from time to time, hold a Rule 144A or other security that is illiquid. In such an event, the Advisor will consider appropriate remedies to minimize the effect on the Fund's liquidity. Short-Term Securities In order to meet anticipated redemptions, to hold pending the purchase of additional securities for the Fund's portfolio, or, in some cases, for temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest a portion (up to 100%) of its assets in money market and other short-term securities. When the Fund is invested for temporary defensive purposes, it may not achieve or pursue its investment objective. Examples of short-term securities include: o Securities issued or guaranteed by the US government and its agencies and instrumentalities; o Commercial Paper; o Certificates of Deposit and Euro Dollar Certificates of Deposit; o Bankers' Acceptances; o Short-term notes, bonds, debentures or other debt instruments; and o Repurchase agreements. The Fund may also invest up to 5% of its total assets in any money market fund, including those advised by the Advisor, if any. 11 Futures and Options To the extent permitted by its investment objectives and policies, the Fund may enter into futures contracts, options or options on futures contracts. Generally, futures transactions may be used to: o Protect against a decline in market value of the Fund's securities (taking a short futures position); o Protect against the risk of an increase in market value for securities in which the Fund generally invests at a time when the Fund is not fully invested (taking a long futures position); and o Provide a temporary substitute for the purchase of an individual security that may not be purchased in an orderly fashion. Some futures and options strategies, such as selling futures, buying puts and writing calls, hedge the Fund's investments against price fluctuations. Other strategies, such as buying futures, writing puts and buying calls, tend to increase market exposure. Although other techniques may be used to control the Fund's exposure to market fluctuations, the use of futures contracts may be a more effective means of hedging this exposure. While the Fund pays brokerage commissions in connection with opening and closing out futures positions, these costs are lower than the transaction costs incurred in the purchase and sale of the underlying securities. For example, the sale of a future by the Fund means the Fund becomes obligated to deliver the security (or securities, in the case of an index future) at a specified price on a specified date. The purchase of a future means the Fund becomes obligated to buy the security (or securities) at a specified price on a specified date. Futures contracts provide for the sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specific security at a specified future time and price. The Advisor may engage in futures and options transactions based on securities indices that are consistent with the Fund's investment objectives. An example of an index that may be used is the S&P 500(R) Index. The managers also may engage in futures and options transactions based on specific securities, such as US Treasury bonds or notes. Futures contracts are traded on national futures exchanges. Futures exchanges and trading are regulated under the Commodity Exchange Act by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC"), a US government agency. Index futures contracts differ from traditional futures contracts in that when delivery takes place, no stocks or bonds change hands. Instead, these contracts settle in cash at the spot market value of the index. Although other types of futures contracts by their terms call for actual delivery or acceptance of the underlying securities, in most cases the contracts are closed out before the settlement date. A futures position may be closed by taking an opposite position in an identical contract (i.e., buying a contract that has previously been sold or selling a contract that has previously been bought). Unlike the situation in which the Fund purchases or sells an equity security, no price is paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of the future. Initially, the Fund will be required to deposit an amount of cash or securities equal to a varying specified percentage of the contract amount. This amount is known as initial margin. The margin deposit is intended to ensure completion of the contract (delivery or acceptance of the underlying security) if it is not terminated prior to the specified delivery date. A margin deposit does not constitute margin transactions for purposes of the Fund's investment restrictions. Minimum initial margin requirements are established by the futures exchanges and may be revised. In addition, brokers may establish margin deposit requirements that are higher than the exchange minimums. Cash held in the margin account is not income-producing. Subsequent payments to and from the broker, called variation margin, will be made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying debt securities or index fluctuates, making the future more or less valuable, a process known as marking the contract to market. Changes in variation margin are recorded by the Fund as unrealized gains or losses. At any time prior to expiration of the future, the Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position that will operate to terminate its position in the future. A final determination of variation margin is then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the Fund, and the Fund realizes a loss or gain. 12 Risks Related to Futures and Options Transactions Futures and options prices can be volatile, and trading in these markets involves certain risks. If the Advisor utilizes a hedge at an inappropriate time or judges interest rate or equity market trends incorrectly, futures and options strategies may lower the Fund's return. The Fund could suffer losses if it is unable to close out its position because of an illiquid secondary market. Futures contracts may be closed out only on an exchange that provides a secondary market for these contracts, and there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. Consequently, it may not be possible to close a futures position when the Advisor considers it appropriate or desirable to do so. In the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would be required to continue making daily cash payments to maintain its required margin. If the Fund had insufficient cash, it might have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily margin requirements at a time when the Advisor would not otherwise elect to do so. In addition, the Fund may be required to deliver or take delivery of instruments underlying futures contracts it holds. The Advisor will seek to minimize these risks by limiting the contracts entered into on behalf of the Fund to those traded on national futures exchanges and for which there appears to be a liquid secondary market. The Fund could suffer losses if the prices of its futures and options positions were poorly correlated with its other investments, or if securities underlying futures contracts purchased by the Fund had different maturities than those of the portfolio securities being hedged. Such imperfect correlation may give rise to circumstances in which the Fund loses money on a futures contract at the same time that it experiences a decline in the value of its hedged portfolio securities. The Fund also could lose margin payments it has deposited with a margin broker, if, for example, the broker became bankrupt. Most futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures 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 the 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 the limit. However, the daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and, therefore, does not limit potential losses. In addition, the daily limit may prevent 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. Options on Futures By purchasing an option on a futures contract, the Fund obtains the right, but not the obligation, to sell the futures contract (a put option) or to buy the contract (a call option) at a fixed strike price. The Fund can terminate its position in a put option by allowing it to expire or by exercising the option. If the option is exercised, the Fund completes the sale of the underlying security at the strike price. Purchasing an option on a futures contract does not require the Fund to make margin payments unless the option is exercised. Although it does not currently intend to do so, the Fund may write (or sell) call options that obligate them to sell (or deliver) the option's underlying instrument upon exercise of the option. While the receipt of option premiums would mitigate the effects of price declines, the Fund would give up some ability to participate in a price increase on the underlying security. If the Fund were to engage in options transactions, it would own the futures contract at the time a call was written and would keep the contract open until the obligation to deliver it pursuant to the call expired. Restrictions on the Use of Futures Contracts and Options Under the Commodity Exchange Act, the Fund may enter into futures and options transactions (a) for hedging purposes without regard to the percentage of assets committed to initial margin and option premiums or (b) for purposes other than hedging, provided that assets committed to initial margin and option premiums do not exceed 5% of the Fund's total assets. To the extent required by law, the Fund will segregate cash or securities on its records in an amount sufficient to cover its obligations under the futures contracts and options. 13 Eurodollar Obligations. Eurodollar bank obligations are US dollar-denominated certificates of deposit and time deposits issued outside the US capital markets by foreign branches of US banks and US branches of foreign banks. Eurodollar obligations are subject to the same risks that pertain to domestic issues, notably credit risk, market risk and liquidity risk. Additionally, Eurodollar obligations are subject to certain sovereign risks. Foreign Currencies. Because investments in foreign securities usually will involve currencies of foreign countries, and because the Fund may hold foreign currencies and forward contracts, futures contracts and options on foreign currencies and foreign currency futures contracts, the value of the assets of the Fund as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency exchange rates and exchange control regulations, and the Fund may incur costs and experience conversion difficulties and uncertainties in connection with conversions between various currencies. Fluctuations in exchange rates may also affect the earning power and asset value of the foreign entity issuing the security. The strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar against these currencies is responsible for part of the Fund's investment performance. If the dollar falls in value relative to the Japanese yen, for example, the dollar value of a Japanese stock held in the portfolio will rise even though the price of the stock remains unchanged. Conversely, if the dollar rises in value relative to the yen, the dollar value of the Japanese stock will fall. Many foreign currencies have experienced significant devaluation relative to the dollar. Although the Fund values its assets daily in terms of U.S. dollars, it does not intend to convert its holdings of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. It will do so from time to time, and investors should be aware of the costs of currency conversion. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the "spread") between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to the Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire to resell that currency to the dealer. The Fund will conduct its foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into options or forward or futures contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. Foreign Fixed Income Securities. Since most foreign fixed income securities are not rated, the Fund will invest in foreign fixed income securities based on the Advisor's analysis without relying on published ratings. Since such investments will be based upon the Advisor's analysis rather than upon published ratings, achievement of the Fund's goals may depend more upon the abilities of the Advisor than would otherwise be the case. The value of the foreign fixed income securities held by the Fund, and thus the net asset value of the Fund's shares, generally will fluctuate with (a) changes in the perceived creditworthiness of the issuers of those securities, (b) movements in interest rates, and (c) changes in the relative values of the currencies in which the Fund's investments in fixed income securities are denominated with respect to the US Dollar. The extent of the fluctuation will depend on various factors, such as the average maturity of the Fund's investments in foreign fixed income securities, and the extent to which the Fund hedges its interest rate, credit and currency exchange rate risks. A longer average maturity generally is associated with a higher level of volatility in the market value of such securities in response to changes in market conditions. Investments in sovereign debt, including Brady Bonds (Brady Bonds are debt securities issued under a plan implemented to allow debtor nations to restructure their outstanding commercial bank indebtedness), involve special risks. Foreign governmental issuers of debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or pay interest when due. In the event of default, there may be limited or no legal recourse in that, generally, remedies for defaults must be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party. Political conditions, especially a sovereign entity's willingness to meet the terms of its fixed income securities, are of considerable significance. Also, there can be no assurance that the holders of commercial bank loans to the same sovereign entity may not contest payments to the holders of sovereign debt in the event of default under commercial bank loan agreements. In addition, there is no bankruptcy proceeding with respect to sovereign debt on which a sovereign has defaulted, and the Fund may be unable to collect all or any part of its investment in a particular issue. Foreign investment in certain sovereign debt is restricted or controlled to varying degrees, including requiring governmental approval for the repatriation of income, capital or proceed of sales by foreign investors. These restrictions or controls may at times limit or preclude foreign investment in certain sovereign debt or increase the costs and expenses of the Fund. 14 Sovereign debt of emerging market governmental issuers is to be considered speculative. Emerging market governmental issuers are among the largest debtors to commercial banks, foreign governments, international financial organizations and other financial institutions. Certain emerging market governmental issuers have not been able to make payments of interest on or principal of debt obligations as those payments have come due. There is a history of defaults with respect to commercial bank loans by public and private entities issuing sovereign debt. All or a portion of the interest payments and/or principal repayment with respect to sovereign debt may be uncollateralized. Obligations arising from past restructuring agreements may affect the economic performance and political and social stability of those issuers. The ability of emerging market country governmental issuers to make timely payments on their obligations is likely to be influenced strongly by the issuer's balance of payments, including export performance, and its access to international credits and investments. An emerging market whose exports are concentrated in a few commodities could be vulnerable to a decline in the international prices of one or more of those commodities. Increased protectionism on the part of an emerging market's trading partners could also adversely affect the country's exports and diminish its trade account surplus, if any. To the extent that emerging markets receive payment for its exports in currencies other than dollars or non-emerging market currencies, its ability to make debt payments denominated in dollars or non-emerging market currencies could be affected. Another factor bearing on the ability of emerging market countries to repay debt obligations is the level of international reserves of the country. Fluctuations in the level of these reserves affect the amount of foreign exchange readily available for external debt payments and thus could have a bearing on the capacity of emerging market countries to make payments on these debt obligations. To the extent that an emerging market country cannot generate a trade surplus, it must depend on continuing loans from foreign governments, multilateral organizations or private commercial banks, aid payments from foreign governments and inflows of foreign investment. The access of emerging markets to these forms of external funding may not be certain, and a withdrawal of external funding could adversely affect the capacity of emerging market country governmental issuers to make payments on their obligations. In addition, the cost of servicing emerging market debt obligations can be affected by a change in international interest rates since the majority of these obligations carry interest rates that are adjusted periodically based upon international rates. Foreign Investment. Foreign securities are normally denominated and traded in foreign currencies. As a result, the value of the fund's foreign investments and the value of its shares may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency exchange rates relative to the US dollar. There may be less information publicly available about a foreign issuer than about a US issuer, and foreign issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the US. The securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and at times more volatile than securities of comparable US issuers. Foreign brokerage commissions and other fees are also generally higher than in the US. Foreign settlement procedures and trade regulations may involve certain risks (such as delay in payment or delivery of securities or in the recovery of the fund's assets held abroad) and expenses not present in the settlement of investments in US markets. Payment for securities without delivery may be required in certain foreign markets. In addition, foreign securities may be subject to the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets, imposition of currency exchange controls or restrictions on the repatriation of foreign currency, confiscatory taxation, political or financial instability and diplomatic developments which could affect the value of the fund's investments in certain foreign countries. Governments of many countries have exercised and continue to exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector through the ownership or control of many companies, including some of the largest in these countries. As a result, government actions in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions which may adversely affect prices of certain portfolio securities. There is also generally less government supervision and regulation of stock exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the US. Dividends or interest on, or proceeds from the sale of, foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, and special US tax considerations may apply. Moreover, foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the US economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. 15 Legal remedies available to investors in certain foreign countries may be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the US or in other foreign countries. The laws of some foreign countries may limit the fund's ability to invest in securities of certain issuers organized under the laws of those foreign countries. Of particular importance, many foreign countries are heavily dependent upon exports, particularly to developed countries, and, accordingly, have been and may continue to be adversely affected by trade barriers, managed adjustments in relative currency values, and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the US and other countries with which they trade. These economies also have been and may continue to be negatively impacted by economic conditions in the US and other trading partners, which can lower the demand for goods produced in those countries. The risks described above, including the risks of nationalization or expropriation of assets, typically are increased in connection with investments in "emerging markets." For example, political and economic structures in these countries may be in their infancy and developing rapidly, and such countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries (including amplified risk of war and terrorism). Certain of these countries have in the past failed to recognize private property rights and have at times nationalized and expropriated the assets of private companies. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative. The currencies of certain emerging market countries have experienced devaluations relative to the US dollar, and future devaluations may adversely affect the value of assets denominated in such currencies. In addition, currency hedging techniques may be unavailable in certain emerging market countries. Many emerging market countries have experienced substantial, and in some periods extremely high, rates of inflation or deflation for many years, and future inflation may adversely affect the economies and securities markets of such countries. In addition, unanticipated political or social developments may affect the value of investments in emerging markets and the availability of additional investments in these markets. Any change in the leadership or politics of emerging market countries, or the countries that exercise a significant influence over those countries, may halt the expansion of or reverse the liberalization of foreign investment policies now occurring and adversely affect existing investment opportunities. The small size, limited trading volume and relative inexperience of the securities markets in these countries may make investments in securities traded in emerging markets illiquid and more volatile than investments in securities traded in more developed countries. For example, limited market size may cause prices to be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions. In addition, the Fund may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements before making investments in securities traded in emerging markets. There may be little financial or accounting information available with respect to issuers of emerging market securities, and it may be difficult as a result to assess the value of prospects of an investment in such securities. The risk also exists that an emergency situation may arise in one or more emerging markets as a result of which trading of securities may cease or may be substantially curtailed and prices for the Fund's securities in such markets may not be readily available. The Fund may suspend redemption of its shares for any period during which an emergency exists, as determined by the SEC. Accordingly if the Fund believes that appropriate circumstances exist, it will promptly apply to the SEC for a determination that an emergency is present. During the period commencing from the Fund's identification of such condition until the date of the SEC action, the Fund's securities in the affected markets will be valued at fair value determined in good faith by or under the direction of the Fund's Board. Certain of the foregoing risks may also apply to some extent to securities of US issuers that are denominated in foreign currencies or that are traded in foreign markets, or securities of US issuers having significant foreign operations. High Yield/High Risk Bonds. The Fund may also purchase debt securities which are rated below investment-grade (commonly referred to as "junk bonds"), that is, rated below Baa by Moody's or below BBB by S&P and unrated securities judged to be of equivalent quality as determined by the Advisor. These securities usually entail greater risk (including the possibility of default or bankruptcy of the issuers of such securities), generally involve greater volatility of price and risk to principal and income, and may be less liquid, than securities in the higher rating categories. The lower the ratings of such debt securities, the more their risks render them like equity securities. Securities rated D may be in default with respect to payment of principal or interest. 16 Issuers of such high yielding securities often are highly leveraged and may not have available to them more traditional methods of financing. Therefore, the risk associated with acquiring the securities of such issuers generally is greater than is the case with higher rated securities. For example, during an economic downturn or a sustained period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers of high yield securities may experience financial stress. During such periods, such issuers may not have sufficient revenues to meet their interest payment obligations. The issuer's ability to service its debt obligations may also be adversely affected by specific corporate developments, or the issuer's inability to meet specific projected business forecasts, or the unavailability of additional financing. The risk of loss from default by the issuer is significantly greater for the holders of high yield securities because such securities are generally unsecured and are often subordinated to other creditors of the issuer. Prices and yields of high yield securities will fluctuate over time and, during periods of economic uncertainty, volatility of high yield securities may adversely affect the Fund's net asset value. In addition, investments in high yield zero coupon or pay-in-kind bonds, rather than income-bearing high yield securities, may be more speculative and may be subject to greater fluctuations in value due to changes in interest rates. The Fund may have difficulty disposing of certain high yield (high risk) securities because they may have a thin trading market. Because not all dealers maintain markets in all high yield securities, the Fund anticipates that such securities could be sold only to a limited number of dealers or institutional investors. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse effect on the market price and the Fund's ability to dispose of particular issues and may also make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing the Fund's assets. Market quotations generally are available on many high yield issues only from a limited number of dealers and may not necessarily represent firm bids of such dealers or prices for actual sales. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield securities. These securities may also involve special registration responsibilities, liabilities and costs, and liquidity and valuation difficulties. Credit quality in the high-yield securities market can change suddenly and unexpectedly, and even recently issued credit ratings may not fully reflect the actual risks posed by a particular high-yield security. For these reasons, it is generally the policy of the Advisor not to rely exclusively on ratings issued by established credit rating agencies, but to supplement such ratings with its own independent and on-going review of credit quality. The achievement of the Fund's investment objective by investment in such securities may be more dependent on the Advisor's credit analysis than is the case for higher quality bonds. Should the rating of a portfolio security be downgraded, the Advisor will determine whether it is in the best interests of the Fund to retain or dispose of such security. Illiquid Securities and Restricted Securities. The Fund may purchase securities that are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale ("restricted securities"). Generally speaking, restricted securities may be sold (i) only to qualified institutional buyers; (ii) in a privately negotiated transaction to a limited number of purchasers; (iii) 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; or (iv) in a public offering for which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"). Issuers of restricted securities may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements that would be applicable if their securities were publicly traded. Restricted securities are often illiquid, but they may also be liquid. For example, restricted securities that are eligible for resale under Rule 144A are often deemed to be liquid. The Trust's Board has approved guidelines for use by the Advisor in determining whether a security is liquid or illiquid. Among the factors the Advisor may consider in reaching liquidity decisions relating to Rule 144A securities are: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (4) the nature of the security and the nature of the market for the security (i.e., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of the transfer. Issuers of restricted securities may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirement that would be applicable if their securities were publicly traded. Where a registration statement is required for the resale of restricted securities, the Fund may be required to bear all or part of the registration expenses. The Fund may be deemed to be an "underwriter" for purposes of the 1933 Act, when selling restricted securities to the public and, in such event, the Fund may be liable to purchasers of such securities if the registration statement prepared by the issuer is materially inaccurate or misleading. 17 The Fund may also purchase securities that are not subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, but that are deemed illiquid. Such securities may be illiquid, for example, because there is a limited trading market for them. The Fund may be unable to sell a restricted or illiquid security. In addition, it may be more difficult to determine a market value for restricted or illiquid securities. Moreover, if adverse market conditions were to develop during the period between the Fund's decision to sell a restricted or illiquid security and the point at which the Fund is permitted or able to sell such security, the Fund might obtain a price less favorable than the price that prevailed when it decided to sell. IPO Risk. Securities issued through an initial public offering (IPO) can experience an immediate drop in value if the demand for the securities does not continue to support the offering price. Information about the issuers of IPO securities is also difficult to acquire since they are new to the market and may not have lengthy operating histories. The Fund may engage in short-term trading in connection with its IPO investments, which could produce higher trading costs and adverse tax consequences. The number of securities issued in an IPO is limited, so it is likely that IPO securities will represent a smaller component of the Fund's portfolio as the Fund's assets increase (and thus have a more limited effect on the Fund's performance). Interfund Borrowing and Lending Program. The Fund has received exemptive relief from the SEC, which permits the Fund to participate in an interfund lending program among certain investment companies advised by the Advisor. The interfund lending program allows the participating funds to borrow money from and loan money to each other for temporary or emergency purposes. The program is subject to a number of conditions designed to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all participating funds, including the following: (1) no fund may borrow money through the program unless it receives a more favorable interest rate than a rate approximating the lowest interest rate at which bank loans would be available to any of the participating funds under a loan agreement; and (2) no fund may lend money through the program unless it receives a more favorable return than that available from an investment in repurchase agreements and, to the extent applicable, money market cash sweep arrangements. In addition, the Fund may participate in the program only if and to the extent that such participation is consistent with the fund's investment objectives and policies (for instance, money market funds would normally participate only as lenders and tax exempt funds only as borrowers). Interfund loans and borrowings may extend only overnight, but could have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called on one day's notice. the Fund may have to borrow from a bank at a higher interest rate if an interfund loan is called or not renewed. Any delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional costs. The program is subject to the oversight and periodic review of the Board. To the extent the Fund is actually engaged in borrowing through the interfund lending program, the Fund will comply with its nonfundamental policy on borrowing. Investment Company Securities. The Fund may acquire securities of other investment companies to the extent consistent with its investment objective and subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by such other investment companies. For example, the Fund may invest in a variety of investment companies which seek to track the composition and performance of specific indexes or a specific portion of an index. These index-based investments hold substantially all of their assets in securities representing their specific index. Accordingly, the main risk of investing in index-based investments is the same as investing in a portfolio of equity securities comprising the index. The market prices of index-based investments will fluctuate in accordance with both changes in the market value of their underlying portfolio securities and due to supply and demand for the instruments on the exchanges on which they are traded (which may result in their trading at a discount or premium to their NAVs). Index-based investments may not replicate exactly the performance of their specified index because of transaction costs and because of the temporary unavailability of certain component securities of the index. Examples of index-based investments include: SPDRs(R): SPDRs, an acronym for "Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts," are based on the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price Index. They are issued by the SPDR Trust, a unit investment trust that holds shares of substantially all the companies in the S&P 500 in substantially the same weighting and seeks to closely track the price performance and dividend yield of the Index. 18 MidCap SPDRs(R): MidCap SPDRs are based on the S&P MidCap 400 Index. They are issued by the MidCap SPDR Trust, a unit investment trust that holds a portfolio of securities consisting of substantially all of the common stocks in the S&P MidCap 400 Index in substantially the same weighting and seeks to closely track the price performance and dividend yield of the Index. Select Sector SPDRs(R): Select Sector SPDRs are based on a particular sector or group of industries that are represented by a specified Select Sector Index within the Standard & Poor's Composite Stock Price Index. They are issued by The Select Sector SPDR Trust, an open-end management investment company with nine portfolios that each seeks to closely track the price performance and dividend yield of a particular Select Sector Index. DIAMONDS(SM): DIAMONDS are based on the Dow Jones Industrial Average(SM). They are issued by the DIAMONDS Trust, a unit investment trust that holds a portfolio of all the component common stocks of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and seeks to closely track the price performance and dividend yield of the Dow. Nasdaq-100 Shares: Nasdaq-100 Shares are based on the Nasdaq 100 Index. They are issued by the Nasdaq-100 Trust, a unit investment trust that holds a portfolio consisting of substantially all of the securities, in substantially the same weighting, as the component stocks of the Nasdaq 100 Index and seeks to closely track the price performance and dividend yield of the Index. WEBs(SM): WEBs, an acronym for "World Equity Benchmark Shares," are based on 17 country-specific Morgan Stanley Capital International Indexes. They are issued by the WEBs Index Fund, Inc., an open-end management investment company that seeks to generally correspond to the price and yield performance of a specific Morgan Stanley Capital International Index. Investment of Uninvested Cash Balances. The Fund may have cash balances that have not been invested in portfolio securities ("Uninvested Cash"). Uninvested Cash may result from a variety of sources, including dividends or interest received from portfolio securities, unsettled securities transactions, reserves held for investment strategy purposes, scheduled maturity of investments, liquidation of investment securities to meet anticipated redemptions and dividend payments, and new cash received from investors. Uninvested Cash may be invested directly in money market instruments or other short-term debt obligations. Pursuant to an Exemptive Order issued by the SEC, the Fund may use Uninvested Cash to purchase shares of affiliated funds including money market funds, short-term bond funds and Cash Management Investment Trust, or one or more future entities for which the Advisor acts as trustee or investment advisor that operate as cash management investment vehicles and that are excluded from the definition of investment company pursuant to section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act (collectively, the "Central Funds") in excess of the limitations of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. Investment by the Fund in shares of the Central Funds will be in accordance with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions as set forth in its registration statement. Certain of the Central Funds comply with rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act. The other Central Funds are or will be short-term bond funds that invest in fixed-income securities and maintain a dollar weighted average maturity of three years or less. Each of the Central Funds will be managed specifically to maintain a highly liquid portfolio, and access to them will enhance the Fund's ability to manage Uninvested Cash. The Fund will invest Uninvested Cash in Central Funds only to the extent that the Fund's aggregate investment in the Central Funds does not exceed 25% of its total assets. Purchase and sales of shares of Central Funds are made at net asset value. Lending of Portfolio Securities. The Fund may lend its investment securities to approved institutional borrowers who need to borrow securities in order to complete certain transactions, such as covering short sales, avoiding failures to deliver securities or completing arbitrage operations. By lending its investment securities, the Fund attempts to increase its net investment income through the receipt of interest on the loan. Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would belong to the Fund. The Fund may lend its investment securities so long as the terms, structure and the aggregate amount of such loans are not inconsistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and regulations or interpretations of the SEC thereunder, which currently require that (a) the borrower pledge and maintain with the Fund collateral consisting of liquid, unencumbered assets having a value at all times not less than 100% of the value of the securities loaned, (b) the borrower add to such collateral whenever the price of the securities loaned 19 rises (i.e., the borrower "marks to the market" on a daily basis), (c) the loan be made subject to termination by the Fund at any time, and (d) the Fund receives reasonable interest on the loan (which may include the Fund investing any cash collateral in interest bearing short-term investments), and distributions on the loaned securities and any increase in their market value. There may be risks of delay in recovery of the securities or even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially. However, loans will be made only to borrowers selected by the Fund's delegate after a commercially reasonable review of relevant facts and circumstances, including the creditworthiness of the borrower. At the present time, the staff of the SEC does not object if an investment company pays reasonable negotiated fees in connection with loaned securities, so long as such fees are set forth in a written contract and approved by the investment company's Board of Trustees. In addition, voting rights may pass with the loaned securities, but if a material event occurs affecting an investment on loan, the loan must be called and the securities voted. Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the SEC, cash collateral received by the Fund may be invested in a money market fund managed by the Advisor (or one of its affiliates). Micro-Cap Company Risk. While, historically, micro-capitalization company stocks have outperformed the stocks of large companies, the former have customarily involved more investment risk as well. There can be no assurance that this will continue to be true in the future. Micro-capitalization companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources; may lack management depth or experience; and may be more vulnerable to adverse general market or economic developments than large companies. The prices of micro-capitalization company securities are often more volatile than prices associated with large company issues, and can display abrupt or erratic movements at times, due to limited trading volumes and less publicly available information. Also, because micro-capitalization companies normally have fewer shares outstanding and these shares trade less frequently than large companies, it may be more difficult for the Fund to buy and sell significant amounts of such shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing market prices. Some of the companies in which the Fund may invest may distribute, sell or produce products which have recently been brought to market and may be dependent on key personnel. The securities of micro-capitalization companies are often traded over-the-counter and may not be traded in the volumes typical on a national securities exchange. Consequently, in order to sell this type of holding, the Fund may need to discount the securities from recent prices or dispose of the securities over a long period of time. Participation Interests. The Fund may purchase from financial institutions participation interests in securities in which the Fund may invest. A participation interest gives the Fund an undivided interest in the security in the proportion that the Fund's participation interest bears to the principal amount of the security. These instruments may have fixed, floating or variable interest rates, with remaining maturities of 397 days or less. If the participation interest is unrated, or has been given a rating below that which is permissible for purchase by the Fund, the participation interest will be backed by an irrevocable letter of credit or guarantee of a bank, or the payment obligation otherwise will be collateralized by US Government securities, or, in the case of unrated participation interest, determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality to those instruments in which the Fund may invest. For certain participation interests, the Fund will have the right to demand payment, on not more than seven days' notice, for all or any part of the Fund's participation interests in the security, plus accrued interest. As to these instruments, the Fund generally intends to exercise its right to demand payment only upon a default under the terms of the security. Privatized Enterprises. Investments in foreign securities may include securities issued by enterprises that have undergone or are currently undergoing privatization. The governments of certain foreign countries have, to varying degrees, embarked on privatization programs contemplating the sale of all or part of their interests in state enterprises. The Fund's investments in the securities of privatized enterprises may include privately negotiated investments in a government or state-owned or controlled company or enterprise that has not yet conducted an initial equity offering, investments in the initial offering of equity securities of a state enterprise or former state enterprise and investments in the securities of a state enterprise following its initial equity offering. In certain jurisdictions, the ability of foreign entities, such as the Fund, to participate in privatizations may be limited by local law, or the price or terms on which the Fund may be able to participate may be less advantageous than for 20 local investors. Moreover, there can be no assurance that governments that have embarked on privatization programs will continue to divest their ownership of state enterprises, that proposed privatizations will be successful or that governments will not re-nationalize enterprises that have been privatized. In the case of the enterprises in which the Fund may invest, large blocks of the stock of those enterprises may be held by a small group of stockholders, even after the initial equity offerings by those enterprises. The sale of some portion or all of those blocks could have an adverse effect on the price of the stock of any such enterprise. Prior to making an initial equity offering, most state enterprises or former state enterprises go through an internal reorganization or management. Such reorganizations are made in an attempt to better enable these enterprises to compete in the private sector. However, certain reorganizations could result in a management team that does not function as well as an enterprise's prior management and may have a negative effect on such enterprise. In addition, the privatization of an enterprise by its government may occur over a number of years, with the government continuing to hold a controlling position in the enterprise even after the initial equity offering for the enterprise. Prior to privatization, most of the state enterprises in which the Fund may invest enjoy the protection of and receive preferential treatment from the respective sovereigns that own or control them. After making an initial equity offering, these enterprises may no longer have such protection or receive such preferential treatment and may become subject to market competition from which they were previously protected. Some of these enterprises may not be able to operate effectively in a competitive market and may suffer losses or experience bankruptcy due to such competition. Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs"). REITs are sometimes informally categorized into equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Investment in REITs may subject the Fund to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate, such as decreases in real estate values, overbuilding, increased competition and other risks related to local or general economic conditions, increases in operating costs and property taxes, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, possible environmental liabilities, regulatory limitations on rent and fluctuations in rental income. Equity REITs generally experience these risks directly through fee or leasehold interests, whereas mortgage REITs generally experience these risks indirectly through mortgage interests, unless the mortgage REIT forecloses on the underlying real estate. Changes in interest rates may also affect the value of the Fund's investment in REITs. For instance, during periods of declining interest rates, certain mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that the mortgagors elect to prepay, which prepayment may diminish the yield on securities issued by those REITs. Certain REITs have relatively small market capitalizations, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of their securities. Furthermore, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code and to maintain exemption from the registration requirements of the 1940 Act. By investing in REITs indirectly through the Fund, a shareholder will bear not only his or her proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, expenses of the REITs. In addition, REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders. Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter in repurchase agreements pursuant to its investment guidelines. In a repurchase agreement, the Fund acquires ownership of a security and simultaneously commits to resell that security to the seller, typically a bank or broker/dealer. A repurchase agreement provides a means for the Fund to earn income on funds for periods as short as overnight. It is an arrangement under which the purchaser (i.e., the Fund) acquires a security ("Obligation") and the seller agrees, at the time of sale, to repurchase the Obligation at a specified time and price. Securities subject to a repurchase agreement are held in a segregated account and, as described in more detail below, and the value of such securities kept at least equal to the repurchase price on a daily basis. The repurchase price may be higher than the purchase price, the difference being income to the Fund, or the purchase and repurchase prices may be the same, with interest at a stated rate due to the Fund together with the repurchase price upon repurchase. In either case, the income to the Fund is unrelated to the interest rate on the Obligation itself. Obligations will be held by the Custodian or in the Federal Reserve Book Entry system. 21 It is not clear whether a court would consider the Obligation purchased by the Fund subject to a repurchase agreement as being owned by the Fund or as being collateral for a loan by the Fund to the seller. In the event of the commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings with respect to the seller of the Obligation before repurchase of the Obligation under a repurchase agreement, the Fund may encounter delay and incur costs before being able to sell the security. Delays may involve loss of interest or decline in price of the Obligation. If the court characterizes the transaction as a loan and the Fund has not perfected a security interest in the Obligation, the Fund may be required to return the Obligation to the seller's estate and be treated as an unsecured creditor of the seller. As an unsecured creditor, the Fund would be at risk of losing some or all of the principal and income involved in the transaction. As with any unsecured debt instrument purchased for the Fund, the Advisor seeks to minimize the risk of loss through repurchase agreements by analyzing the creditworthiness of the obligor, in this case the seller of the Obligation. Apart from the risk of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, there is also the risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the Obligation, in which case the Fund may incur a loss if the proceeds to the Fund of the sale to a third party are less than the repurchase price. However, if the market value (including interest) of the Obligation subject to the repurchase agreement becomes less than the repurchase price (including interest), the Fund will direct the seller of the Obligation to deliver additional securities so that the market value (including interest) of all securities subject to the repurchase agreement will equal or exceed the repurchase price. Repurchase Commitments. The Fund may enter into repurchase commitments with any party deemed creditworthy by the Advisor, including foreign banks and broker/dealers, if the transaction is entered into for investment purposes and the counterparty's creditworthiness is at least equal to that of issuers of securities which the Fund may purchase. Such transactions may not provide the Fund with collateral marked-to-market during the term of the commitment. Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into "reverse repurchase agreements," which are repurchase agreements in which the Fund, as the seller of the securities, agrees to repurchase them at an agreed time and price. The Fund maintains a segregated account in connection with outstanding reverse repurchase agreements. The Fund will enter into reverse repurchase agreements only when the Advisor believes that the interest income to be earned from the investment of the proceeds of the transaction will be greater than the interest expense of the transaction. Such transactions may increase fluctuations in the market value of Fund assets and its yield. Small Company Risk. The Advisor believes that many small companies may have sales and earnings growth rates which exceed those of larger companies, and that such growth rates may in turn be reflected in more rapid share price appreciation over time. However, investing in smaller company stocks involves greater risk than is customarily associated with investing in larger, more established companies. For example, smaller companies can have limited product lines, markets, or financial and managerial resources. Smaller companies may also be dependent on one or a few key persons, and may be more susceptible to losses and risks of bankruptcy. Also, the securities of smaller companies may be thinly traded (and therefore have to be sold at a discount from current market prices or sold in small lots over an extended period of time). Transaction costs in smaller company stocks may be higher than those of larger companies. Sovereign Debt. Investment in sovereign debt can involve a high degree of risk. The governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be able or willing to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt. A governmental entity's willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the governmental entity's policy toward the International Monetary Fund, and the political constraints to which a governmental entity may be subject. Governmental entities may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others abroad to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The commitment on the part of these governments, agencies and others to make such disbursements may be conditioned on a governmental entity's implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor's obligations. Failure to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of such third parties commitments to lend funds to the governmental entity, which may further impair such debtor's ability or willingness to service its debts in a timely manner. Consequently, governmental entities may default on their sovereign debt. Holders of sovereign debt may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to extend further loans to governmental entities. There is no bankruptcy proceeding by which sovereign debt on which governmental entities have defaulted may be collected in whole or in part. 22 Strategic Transactions and Derivatives. The Fund may, but is not required to, utilize various other investment strategies as described below for a variety of purposes, such as hedging various market risks, managing the effective maturity or duration of the fixed-income securities in the Fund's portfolio or enhancing potential gain. These strategies may be executed through the use of derivative contracts. In the course of pursuing these investment strategies, the Fund may purchase and sell exchange-listed and over-the-counter put and call options on securities, equity and fixed-income indices and other instruments, purchase and sell futures contracts and options thereon, enter into various transactions such as swaps, caps, floors, collars, currency forward contracts, currency futures contracts, currency swaps or options on currencies, or currency futures and various other currency transactions (collectively, all the above are called "Strategic Transactions"). In addition, strategic transactions may also include new techniques, instruments or strategies that are permitted as regulatory changes occur. Strategic Transactions may be used without limit (subject to certain limits imposed by the 1940 Act) to attempt to protect against possible changes in the market value of securities held in or to be purchased for the Fund's portfolio resulting from securities markets or currency exchange rate fluctuations, to protect the Fund's unrealized gains in the value of its portfolio securities, to facilitate the sale of such securities for investment purposes, to manage the effective maturity or duration of the Fund's portfolio, or to establish a position in the derivatives markets as a substitute for purchasing or selling particular securities. Some Strategic Transactions may also be used to enhance potential gain although no more than 5% of the Fund's assets will be committed to certain Strategic Transactions entered into for non-hedging purposes. Any or all of these investment techniques may be used at any time and in any combination, and there is no particular strategy that dictates the use of one technique rather than another, as use of any Strategic Transaction is a function of numerous variables including market conditions. The ability of the Fund to utilize these Strategic Transactions successfully will depend on the Advisor's ability to predict pertinent market movements, which cannot be assured. The Fund will comply with applicable regulatory requirements when implementing these strategies, techniques and instruments. Strategic Transactions will not be used to alter fundamental investment purposes and characteristics of the Fund, and the Fund will segregate assets (or as provided by applicable regulations, enter into certain offsetting positions) to cover its obligations under options, futures and swaps to limit leveraging of the Fund. Strategic Transactions, including derivative contracts, have risks associated with them including possible default by the other party to the transaction, illiquidity and, to the extent the Advisor's view as to certain market movements is incorrect, the risk that the use of such Strategic Transactions could result in losses greater than if they had not been used. Use of put and call options may result in losses to the Fund, force the sale or purchase of portfolio securities at inopportune times or for prices higher than (in the case of put options) or lower than (in the case of call options) current market values, limit the amount of appreciation the Fund can realize on its investments or cause the Fund to hold a security it might otherwise sell. The use of currency transactions can result in the Fund incurring losses as a result of a number of factors including the imposition of exchange controls, suspension of settlements, or the inability to deliver or receive a specified currency. The use of options and futures transactions entails certain other risks. In particular, the variable degree of correlation between price movements of futures contracts and price movements in the related portfolio position of the Fund creates the possibility that losses on the hedging instrument may be greater than gains in the value of the Fund's position. In addition, futures and options markets may not be liquid in all circumstances and certain over-the-counter options may have no markets. As a result, in certain markets, the Fund might not be able to close out a transaction without incurring substantial losses, if at all. Although the use of futures and options transactions for hedging should tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged position, at the same time they tend to limit any potential gain which might result from an increase in value of such position. Finally, the daily variation margin requirements for futures contracts would create a greater ongoing potential financial risk than would purchases of options, where the exposure is limited to the cost of the initial premium. Losses resulting from the use of Strategic Transactions would reduce net asset value, and possibly income, and such losses can be greater than if the Strategic Transactions had not been utilized. General Characteristics of Options. Put options and call options typically have similar structural characteristics and operational mechanics regardless of the underlying instrument on which they are purchased or sold. Thus, the following general discussion relates to each of the particular types of options discussed in greater detail below. In addition, many Strategic Transactions involving options require segregation of Fund assets in special accounts, as described below under "Use of Segregated and Other Special Accounts." 23 A put option gives the purchaser of the option, upon payment of a premium, the right to sell, and the writer the obligation to buy, the underlying security, commodity, index, currency or other instrument at the exercise price. For instance, the Fund's purchase of a put option on a security might be designed to protect its holdings in the underlying instrument (or, in some cases, a similar instrument) against a substantial decline in the market value by giving the Fund the right to sell such instrument at the option exercise price. A call option, upon payment of a premium, gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the seller the obligation to sell, the underlying instrument at the exercise price. The Fund's purchase of a call option on a security, financial future, index, currency or other instrument might be intended to protect the Fund against an increase in the price of the underlying instrument that it intends to purchase in the future by fixing the price at which it may purchase such instrument. An American style put or call option may be exercised at any time during the option period while a European style put or call option may be exercised only upon expiration or during a fixed period prior thereto. The Fund is authorized to purchase and sell exchange listed options and over-the-counter options ("OTC options"). Exchange listed options are issued by a regulated intermediary such as the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC"), which guarantees the performance of the obligations of the parties to such options. The discussion below uses the OCC as an example, but is also applicable to other financial intermediaries. With certain exceptions, OCC issued and exchange listed options generally settle by physical delivery of the underlying security or currency, although in the future cash settlement may become available. Index options and Eurodollar instruments are cash settled for the net amount, if any, by which the option is "in-the-money" (i.e., where the value of the underlying instrument exceeds, in the case of a call option, or is less than, in the case of a put option, the exercise price of the option) at the time the option is exercised. Frequently, rather than taking or making delivery of the underlying instrument through the process of exercising the option, listed options are closed by entering into offsetting purchase or sale transactions that do not result in ownership of the new option. The Fund's ability to close out its position as a purchaser or seller of an OCC or exchange listed put or call option is dependent, in part, upon the liquidity of the option market. Among the possible reasons for the absence of a liquid option market on an exchange are: (i) insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions on transactions imposed by an exchange; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities including reaching daily price limits; (iv) interruption of the normal operations of the OCC or an exchange; (v) inadequacy of the facilities of an exchange or OCC to handle current trading volume; or (vi) a decision by one or more exchanges to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the relevant market for that option on that exchange would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange would generally continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms. The hours of trading for listed options may not coincide with the hours during which the underlying financial instruments are traded. To the extent that the option markets close before the markets for the underlying financial instruments, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the option markets. OTC options are purchased from or sold to securities dealers, financial institutions or other parties ("Counterparties") through direct bilateral agreement with the Counterparty. In contrast to exchange listed options, which generally have standardized terms and performance mechanics, all the terms of an OTC option, including such terms as method of settlement, term, exercise price, premium, guarantees and security, are set by negotiation of the parties. The Fund will only sell OTC options (other than OTC currency options) that are subject to a buy-back provision permitting the Fund to require the Counterparty to sell the option back to the Fund at a formula price within seven days. The Fund expects generally to enter into OTC options that have cash settlement provisions, although it is not required to do so. Unless the parties provide for it, there is no central clearing or guaranty function in an OTC option. As a result, if the Counterparty fails to make or take delivery of the security, currency or other instrument underlying an OTC option it has entered into with the Fund or fails to make a cash settlement payment due in accordance with the terms of that option, the fund will lose any premium it paid for the option as well as any anticipated benefit of the transaction. Accordingly, the Advisor must assess the creditworthiness of each such Counterparty or any guarantor or credit enhancement of the Counterparty's credit to determine the likelihood that the terms of the OTC option will be satisfied. The Fund will engage in OTC option transactions only with US government securities dealers recognized by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York 24 as "primary dealers" or broker/dealers, domestic or foreign banks or other financial institutions which have received (or the guarantors of the obligation of which have received) a short-term credit rating of A-1 from S&P or P-1 from Moody's or an equivalent rating from any nationally recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO") or, in the case of OTC currency transactions, are determined to be of equivalent credit quality by the Advisor. The staff of the SEC currently takes the position that OTC options purchased by the Fund, and portfolio securities "covering" the amount of the Fund's obligation pursuant to an OTC option sold by it (the cost of the sell-back plus the in-the-money amount, if any) are illiquid, and are subject to the Fund's limitation on investing no more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. If the Fund sells a call option, the premium that it receives may serve as a partial hedge, to the extent of the option premium, against a decrease in the value of the underlying securities or instruments in its portfolio or will increase the Fund's income. The sale of put options can also provide income. The Fund may purchase and sell call options on securities including US Treasury and agency securities, mortgage-backed securities, foreign sovereign debt, corporate debt securities, equity securities (including convertible securities) and Eurodollar instruments that are traded on US and foreign securities exchanges and in the over-the-counter markets, and on securities indices, currencies and futures contracts. All calls sold by the fund must be "covered" (i.e., the Fund must own the securities or futures contract subject to the call) or must meet the asset segregation requirements described below as long as the call is outstanding. Even though the Fund will receive the option premium to help protect it against loss, a call sold by the Fund exposes the fund during the term of the option to possible loss of opportunity to realize appreciation in the market price of the underlying security or instrument and may require the Fund to hold a security or instrument which it might otherwise have sold. The Fund may purchase and sell put options on securities including US Treasury and agency securities, mortgage-backed securities, foreign sovereign debt, corporate debt securities, equity securities (including convertible securities) and Eurodollar instruments (whether or not it holds the above securities in its portfolio), and on securities indices, currencies and futures contracts other than futures on individual corporate debt and individual equity securities. The Fund will not sell put options if, as a result, more than 50% of the Fund's total assets would be required to be segregated to cover its potential obligations under such put options other than those with respect to futures and options thereon. In selling put options, there is a risk that the Fund may be required to buy the underlying security at a disadvantageous price above the market price. General Characteristics of Futures. The Fund may enter into futures contracts or purchase or sell put and call options on such futures as a hedge against anticipated interest rate, currency or equity market changes, and for duration management, risk management and return enhancement purposes. Futures are generally bought and sold on the commodities exchanges where they are listed with payment of initial and variation margin as described below. The sale of a futures contract creates a firm obligation by the Fund, as seller, to deliver to the buyer the specific type of financial instrument called for in the contract at a specific future time for a specified price (or, with respect to index futures and Eurodollar instruments, the net cash amount). Options on futures contracts are similar to options on securities except that an option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right in return for the premium paid to assume a position in a futures contract and obligates the seller to deliver such position. The Fund has claimed exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" adopted by the CFTC and the National Futures Association, which regulate trading in the futures markets. Therefore, the Fund is not subject to commodity pool operator registration and regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act. Futures and options on futures may be entered into for bona fide hedging, risk management (including duration management) or other portfolio and return enhancement management purposes to the extent consistent with the exclusion from commodity pool operator registration. Typically, maintaining a futures contract or selling an option thereon requires the Fund to deposit with a financial intermediary as security for its obligations an amount of cash or other specified assets (initial margin) which initially is typically 1% to 10% of the face amount of the contract (but may be higher in some circumstances). Additional cash or assets (variation margin) may be required to be deposited thereafter on a daily basis as the marked to market value of the contract fluctuates. The purchase of an option on financial futures involves payment of a premium for the option without any further obligation on the part of the Fund. If the Fund exercises an option on a futures contract it will be obligated to post initial margin (and potential subsequent variation margin) for the resulting futures position just as it would for any position. Futures contracts and options thereon are generally settled by entering into an offsetting transaction but there can be no assurance that the position can be offset prior to settlement at an advantageous price, nor that delivery will occur. 25 Options on Securities Indices and Other Financial Indices. The Fund also may purchase and sell call and put options on securities indices and other financial indices and in so doing can achieve many of the same objectives it would achieve through the sale or purchase of options on individual securities or other instruments. Options on securities indices and other financial indices are similar to options on a security or other instrument except that, rather than settling by physical delivery of the underlying instrument, they settle by cash settlement, i.e., an option on an index gives the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the option is based exceeds, in the case of a call, or is less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option (except if, in the case of an OTC option, physical delivery is specified). This amount of cash is equal to the excess of the closing price of the index over the exercise price of the option, which also may be multiplied by a formula value. The seller of the option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. The gain or loss on an option on an index depends on price movements in the instruments making up the market, market segment, industry or other composite on which the underlying index is based, rather than price movements in individual securities, as is the case with respect to options on securities. Currency Transactions. The Fund may engage in currency transactions with Counterparties primarily in order to hedge, or manage the risk of the value of portfolio holdings denominated in particular currencies against fluctuations in relative value. Currency transactions include forward currency contracts, exchange listed currency futures, exchange listed and OTC options on currencies, and currency swaps. A forward currency contract involves a privately negotiated obligation to purchase or sell (with delivery generally required) a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. A currency swap is an agreement to exchange cash flows based on the notional difference among two or more currencies and operates similarly to an interest rate swap, which is described below. The Fund may enter into currency transactions with Counterparties which have received (or the guarantors of the obligations which have received) a credit rating of A-1 or P-1 by S&P or Moody's, respectively, or that have an equivalent rating from a NRSRO or (except for OTC currency options) are determined to be of equivalent credit quality by the Advisor. The Fund's dealings in forward currency contracts and other currency transactions such as futures, options, options on futures and swaps generally will be limited to hedging involving either specific transactions or portfolio positions except as described below. Transaction hedging is entering into a currency transaction with respect to specific assets or liabilities of the fund, which will generally arise in connection with the purchase or sale of its portfolio securities or the receipt of income therefrom. Position hedging is entering into a currency transaction with respect to portfolio security positions denominated or generally quoted in that currency. The Fund generally will not enter into a transaction to hedge currency exposure to an extent greater, after netting all transactions intended wholly or partially to offset other transactions, than the aggregate market value (at the time of entering into the transaction) of the securities held in its portfolio that are denominated or generally quoted in or currently convertible into such currency, other than with respect to proxy hedging or cross hedging as described below. The Fund may also cross-hedge currencies by entering into transactions to purchase or sell one or more currencies that are expected to decline in value relative to other currencies to which the fund has or in which the Fund expects to have portfolio exposure. To reduce the effect of currency fluctuations on the value of existing or anticipated holdings of portfolio securities, the fund may also engage in proxy hedging. Proxy hedging is often used when the currency to which the Fund's portfolio is exposed is difficult to hedge or to hedge against the dollar. Proxy hedging entails entering into a commitment or option to sell a currency whose changes in value are generally considered to be correlated to a currency or currencies in which some or all of the Fund's portfolio securities are or are expected to be denominated, in exchange for US dollars. The amount of the commitment or option would not exceed the value of the fund's securities denominated in correlated currencies. For example, if the Advisor considers that the Austrian schilling is correlated to the German deutschemark (the "D-mark"), the fund holds securities denominated in schillings and the Advisor believes that the value of schillings will decline against the US dollar, the Advisor may 26 enter into a commitment or option to sell D-marks and buy dollars. Currency hedging involves some of the same risks and considerations as other transactions with similar instruments. Currency transactions can result in losses to the Fund if the currency being hedged fluctuates in value to a degree or in a direction that is not anticipated. Further, there is the risk that the perceived correlation between various currencies may not be present or may not be present during the particular time that the Fund is engaging in proxy hedging. If the Fund enters into a currency hedging transaction, the Fund will comply with the asset segregation requirements described below. Risks of Currency Transactions. Currency transactions are subject to risks different from those of other portfolio transactions. Because currency control is of great importance to the issuing governments and influences economic planning and policy, purchases and sales of currency and related instruments can be negatively affected by government exchange controls, blockages, and manipulations or exchange restrictions imposed by governments. These can result in losses to the Fund if it is unable to deliver or receive currency or funds in settlement of obligations and could also cause hedges it has entered into to be rendered useless, resulting in full currency exposure as well as incurring transaction costs. Buyers and sellers of currency futures are subject to the same risks that apply to the use of futures generally. Further, settlement of a currency futures contract for the purchase of most currencies must occur at a bank based in the issuing nation. Trading options on currency futures is relatively new, and the ability to establish and close out positions on such options is subject to the maintenance of a liquid market which may not always be available. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate based on factors extrinsic to that country's economy. Risks of Strategic Transactions Outside the US. When conducted outside the US, Strategic Transactions may not be regulated as rigorously as in the US, may not involve a clearing mechanism and related guarantees, and are subject to the risk of governmental actions affecting trading in, or the prices of, foreign securities, currencies and other instruments. The value of such positions also could be adversely affected by: (i) other complex foreign political, legal and economic factors, (ii) lesser availability than in the US of data on which to make trading decisions, (iii) delays in the Fund's ability to act upon economic events occurring in foreign markets during non-business hours in the US, (iv) the imposition of different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and margin requirements than in the US, and (v) lower trading volume and liquidity. Swaps, Caps, Floors and Collars. Among the Strategic Transactions into which the Fund may enter are interest rate, currency, index and other swaps and the purchase or sale of related caps, floors and collars. The Fund expects to enter into these transactions primarily to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio, to protect against currency fluctuations, as a duration management technique or to protect against any increase in the price of securities the fund anticipates purchasing at a later date. The Fund will not sell interest rate caps or floors where it does not own securities or other instruments providing the income stream the fund may be obligated to pay. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g., an exchange of floating rate payments for fixed rate payments with respect to a notional amount of principal. A currency swap is an agreement to exchange cash flows on a notional amount of two or more currencies based on the relative value differential among them and an index swap is an agreement to swap cash flows on a notional amount based on changes in the values of the reference indices. The purchase of a cap entitles the purchaser to receive payments on a notional principal amount from the party selling such cap to the extent that a specified index exceeds a predetermined interest rate or amount. The purchase of a floor entitles the purchaser to receive payments on a notional principal amount from the party selling such floor to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate or amount. A collar is a combination of a cap and a floor that preserves a certain return within a predetermined range of interest rates or values. Use of Segregated and Other Special Accounts. Many Strategic Transactions, in addition to other requirements, require that the Fund segregate cash or liquid assets with its custodian to the extent fund obligations are not otherwise "covered" through ownership of the underlying security, financial instrument or currency. In general, either the full amount of any obligation by the Fund to pay or deliver securities or assets must be covered at all times by the securities, instruments or currency required to be delivered, or, subject to any regulatory restrictions, an amount of cash or liquid assets at least equal to the current amount of the obligation must be segregated with the custodian. The segregated assets cannot be sold or transferred unless equivalent assets are substituted in their place or it is no longer necessary to segregate them. For example, a call option written by the Fund will require the Fund to hold the securities subject to the call (or securities convertible into the needed securities without additional consideration) or to segregate cash or liquid assets sufficient to purchase and deliver the securities if the call is 27 exercised. A call option sold by the Fund on an index will require the Fund to own portfolio securities which correlate with the index or to segregate cash or liquid assets equal to the excess of the index value over the exercise price on a current basis. A put option written by the Fund requires the Fund to segregate cash or liquid assets equal to the exercise price. Except when the Fund enters into a forward contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a particular currency, which requires no segregation, a currency contract which obligates the Fund to buy or sell currency will generally require the Fund to hold an amount of that currency or liquid assets denominated in that currency equal to the Fund's obligations or to segregate cash or liquid assets equal to the amount of the Fund's obligation. OTC options entered into by the Fund, including those on securities, currency, financial instruments or indices and OCC issued and exchange listed index options, will generally provide for cash settlement. As a result, when the Fund sells these instruments it will only segregate an amount of cash or liquid assets equal to its accrued net obligations, as there is no requirement for payment or delivery of amounts in excess of the net amount. These amounts will equal 100% of the exercise price in the case of a non cash-settled put, the same as an OCC guaranteed listed option sold by the Fund, or the in-the-money amount plus any sell-back formula amount in the case of a cash-settled put or call. In addition, when the Fund sells a call option on an index at a time when the in-the-money amount exceeds the exercise price, the Fund will segregate, until the option expires or is closed out, cash or cash equivalents equal in value to such excess. OCC issued and exchange listed options sold by the Fund other than those above generally settle with physical delivery, or with an election of either physical delivery or cash settlement and the Fund will segregate an amount of cash or liquid assets equal to the full value of the option. OTC options settling with physical delivery, or with an election of either physical delivery or cash settlement will be treated the same as other options settling with physical delivery. In the case of a futures contract or an option thereon, the Fund must deposit initial margin and possible daily variation margin in addition to segregating cash or liquid assets sufficient to meet its obligation to purchase or provide securities or currencies, or to pay the amount owed at the expiration of an index-based futures contract. Such liquid assets may consist of cash, cash equivalents, liquid debt or equity securities or other acceptable assets. With respect to swaps, the Fund will accrue the net amount of the excess, if any, of its obligations over its entitlements with respect to each swap on a daily basis and will segregate an amount of cash or liquid assets having a value equal to the accrued excess. Caps, floors and collars require segregation of assets with a value equal to the Fund's net obligation, if any. Strategic Transactions may be covered by other means when consistent with applicable regulatory policies. the Fund may also enter into offsetting transactions so that its combined position, coupled with any segregated assets, equals its net outstanding obligation in related options and Strategic Transactions. For example, the Fund could purchase a put option if the strike price of that option is the same or higher than the strike price of a put option sold by the Fund. Moreover, instead of segregating cash or liquid assets if the Fund held a futures or forward contract, it could purchase a put option on the same futures or forward contract with a strike price as high or higher than the price of the contract held. Other Strategic Transactions may also be offset in combinations. If the offsetting transaction terminates at the time of or after the primary transaction no segregation is required, but if it terminates prior to such time, cash or liquid assets equal to any remaining obligation would need to be segregated. Combined Transactions. The Fund may enter into multiple transactions, including multiple options transactions, multiple futures transactions, multiple currency transactions (including forward currency contracts) and multiple interest rate transactions and any combination of futures, options, currency and interest rate transactions ("component" transactions), instead of a single Strategic Transaction, as part of a single or combined strategy when, in the opinion of the Advisor, it is in the best interests of the Fund to do so. A combined transaction will usually contain elements of risk that are present in each of its component transactions. Although combined transactions are normally entered into based on the Advisor's judgment that the combined strategies will reduce risk or otherwise more effectively achieve the desired portfolio management goal, it is possible that the combination will instead increase such risks or hinder achievement of the portfolio management objective. 28 Supranational Entities. Supranational entities are international organizations designated or supported by governmental entities to promote economic reconstruction or development and international banking institutions and related government agencies. Examples include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank), the European Coal and Steel Community, The Asian Development Bank and the InterAmerican Development Bank. Obligations of supranational entities are backed by the guarantee of one or more foreign governmental parties which sponsor the entity. When-Issued Securities. The Fund may from time to time purchase equity and debt securities on a "when-issued," "delayed delivery" or "forward delivery" basis. The price of such securities, which may be expressed in yield terms, is fixed at the time the commitment to purchase is made, but delivery and payment for the securities takes place at a later date. During the period between purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the Fund to the issuer and no interest accrues to the Fund. When the Fund purchases such securities, it immediately assumes the risks of ownership, including the risk of price fluctuation. Failure to deliver a security purchased on this basis may result in a loss or missed opportunity to make an alternative investment. To the extent that assets of the Fund are held in cash pending the settlement of a purchase of securities, the Fund would earn no income. While such securities may be sold prior to the settlement date, the Fund intends to purchase them with the purpose of actually acquiring them unless a sale appears desirable for investment reasons. At the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase a security on this basis, it will record the transaction and reflect the value of the security in determining its net asset value. The market value of the securities may be more or less than the purchase price. The Fund will establish a segregated account in which it will maintain cash and liquid securities equal in value to commitments for such securities. Warrants. The Fund may invest in warrants up to 5% of the value of its total assets. The holder of a warrant has the right, until the warrant expires, to purchase a given number of shares of a particular issuer at a specified price. Such investments can provide a greater potential for profit or loss than an equivalent investment in the underlying security. Prices of warrants do not necessarily move, however, in tandem with the prices of the underlying securities and are, therefore, considered speculative investments. Warrants pay no dividends and confer no rights other than a purchase option. Thus, if a warrant held by the Fund were not exercised by the date of its expiration, that Fund would lose the entire purchase price of the warrant. Zero Coupon Securities. The Fund may invest in zero coupon securities which pay no cash income and are sold at substantial discounts from their value at maturity. When held to maturity, their entire income, which consists of accretion of discount, comes from the difference between the purchase price and their value at maturity. The effect of owning instruments which do not make current interest payments is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during the life of the obligation. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at the same rate eliminates the risk of being unable to reinvest distributions at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero coupon bond, but at the same time eliminates any opportunity to reinvest earnings at higher rates. For this reason, zero coupon bonds are subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing market interest rates than those of comparable securities that pay interest currently, which fluctuation is greater as the period to maturity is longer. Zero coupon convertible securities which are convertible into common stock offer the opportunity for capital appreciation (or depreciation) as increases (or decreases) in market value of such securities closely follow the movements in the market value of the underlying common stock. Zero coupon convertible securities generally are expected to be less volatile than the underlying common stocks, as they usually are issued with maturities of 15 years or less and are issued with options and/or redemption features exercisable by the holder of the obligation entitling the holder to redeem the obligation and receive a defined cash payment. Non-diversification. The Fund is classified as a non-diversified management investment company under the 1940 Act, which means that the Fund is not limited by the 1940 Act in the proportion of its assets that it may invest in the obligations of a single issuer. The investment of a large percentage of the Fund's assets in the securities of a small number of issuers may cause the Fund's share price to fluctuate more than that of a diversified fund. Portfolio Holdings Information In addition to the public disclosure of fund portfolio holdings through required Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") quarterly filings, the Fund may make its portfolio holdings information publicly available on the DWS Funds Web site as described in the Fund's prospectus. The Fund does not disseminate non-public information about portfolio holdings except in accordance with policies and procedures adopted by the Fund. 29 The Fund's procedures permit non-public portfolio holdings information to be shared with Deutsche Asset Management, Inc. and its affiliates (collectively "DeAM"), subadvisors, if any, custodians, independent registered public accounting firms, securities lending agents, financial printers, proxy voting firms and other service providers to the Fund who require access to this information to fulfill their duties to the Fund, subject to the requirements described below. This non-public information may also be disclosed to certain mutual fund analysts and rating and tracking agencies, to shareholders in connection with in-kind redemptions, or to other entities if the Fund has a legitimate business purpose in providing the information, subject to the requirements described below. Prior to any disclosure of the Fund's non-public portfolio holdings information to the foregoing types of entities or persons, a person authorized by the Fund's Trustees must make a good faith determination in light of the facts then known that the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for providing the information, that the disclosure is in the best interest of the Fund, and that the recipient assents or otherwise has a duty to keep the information confidential and to not trade based on the information received while the information remains non-public. No compensation is received by the Fund or DeAM for disclosing non-public holdings information. Periodic reports regarding these procedures will be provided to the Fund's Trustees. Portfolio holdings information distributed by the trading desks of DeAM or a subadvisor for the purpose of facilitating efficient trading of such securities and receipt of relevant research is not subject to the foregoing requirements. Non-public portfolio holding information does not include portfolio characteristics (other than holdings or subsets of holdings) about the Fund and information derived therefrom, including, but not limited to, how the Fund's investments are divided among various sectors, industries, countries, value and growth stocks, bonds, currencies and cash, types of bonds, bond maturities, duration, bond coupons and bond credit quality ratings so long as the Fund's holdings could not be derived from such information. Registered investment companies that are subadvised by DeAM may be subject to different portfolio holdings disclosure policies, and neither DeAM nor the Fund's Trustees exercise control over such policies. In addition, separate account clients of DeAM have access to their portfolio holdings and are not subject to the Fund's portfolio holdings disclosure policy. The portfolio holdings of some of the funds subadvised by DeAM and some of the separate accounts managed by DeAM may substantially overlap with the portfolio holdings of the Fund. DeAM also manages certain unregistered commingled trusts and creates model portfolios, the portfolio holdings of which may substantially overlap with the portfolio holdings of the Fund. To the extent that investors in these commingled trusts or recipients of model portfolio holdings information may receive portfolio holdings information of their trust or of a model portfolio on a different basis from that on which fund portfolio holdings information is made public, DeAM has implemented procedures reasonably designed to encourage such investors and recipients to keep such information confidential, and to prevent those investors from trading on the basis of non-public holdings information. There is no assurance that the Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings information will protect the Fund from the potential misuse of portfolio holdings information by those in possession of that information. MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND Investment Advisor On April 5, 2002, 100% of Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc., not including certain UK operations (known as Threadneedle Investments), was acquired by Deutsche Bank AG. and changed its name to Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. ("DeIM" or the "Advisor"). DeIM, which is part of Deutsche Asset Management ("DeAM"), is the investment advisor for the Fund. DeIM is the investment advisor for the fund. Under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, DeIM, with headquarters at 345 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10154, supervises the activities of the subadvisor and the sub-subadvisors. DeIM and its predecessors have more than 80 years of experience managing mutual funds and DeIM provides a full range of investment advisory services to institutional and retail clients. DeIM is also responsible for selecting brokers and dealers and for negotiating brokerage commissions and dealer charges. 30 DeAM is the marketing name in the US for the asset management activities of Deutsche Bank AG, DeIM, Deutsche Asset Management Inc., Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas and DWS Trust Company. DeAM is a global asset management organization that offers a wide range of investing expertise and resources, including hundreds of portfolio managers and analysts and an office network that reaches the world's major investment centers. This well-resourced global investment platform brings together a wide variety of experience and investment insight, across industries, regions, asset classes and investing styles. DeIM is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG. Deutsche Bank AG is a major global banking institution that is engaged in a wide range of financial services, including investment management, mutual fund, retail, private and commercial banking, investment banking and insurance. Pursuant to investment management agreement (the 'Agreement') with the Fund, the Advisor acts as the Fund's investment advisor, manages its investments, administers its business affairs, furnishes office facilities and equipment, provides clerical and administrative services and permits its officers and employees to serve without compensation as trustees or officers of one or more funds if elected to such positions. To the extent permissible by law, the Advisor may appoint certain of its affiliates as sub-advisors to perform certain of the Advisor's duties. In certain cases, the investments for the Fund is managed by the same individuals who manage one or more other mutual funds advised by the Advisor that have similar names, objectives and investment styles. You should be aware that the Fund is likely to differ from these other mutual funds in size, cash flow pattern and tax matters. Accordingly, the holdings and performance of a Fund can be expected to vary from those of these other mutual funds. Certain investments may be appropriate for the Fund and also for other clients advised by the Advisor. Investment decisions for the Fund and other clients are made with a view to achieving their respective investment objectives and after consideration of such factors as their current holdings, availability of cash for investment and the size of their investments generally. Frequently, a particular security may be bought or sold for only one client or in different amounts and at different times for more than one but less than all clients. Likewise, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when one or more other clients are selling the security. In addition, purchases or sales of the same security may be made for two or more clients on the same day. In such event, such transactions will be allocated among the clients in a manner believed by the Advisor to be equitable to each. In some cases, this procedure could have an adverse effect on the price or amount of the securities purchased or sold by the Fund. Purchase and sale orders for the Fund may be combined with those of other clients of the Advisor in the interest of achieving the most favorable net results to the Fund. The present investment advisory agreement between the Fund and DeIM (the "Agreement") was approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (including a majority of the Non-interested Trustees) on June 28, 2006. The Agreement will continue in effect from year to year only if its continuance is approved annually by the vote of a majority of those Trustees who are not parties to such Agreement or interested persons of the Advisor or the Trust, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and either by a vote of the Trust's Trustees or of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Advisor provides assistance to the Board in valuing the securities and other instruments held by the Fund, to the extent reasonably required by valuation policies and procedures that may be adopted by the Fund. Pursuant to the Agreement, (unless otherwise provided in the agreement or as determined by the Board), the Advisor pays the compensation and expenses of all the Board members, officers, and executive employees of the Fund, including the Fund's share of payroll taxes, who are affiliated persons of the Advisor. The Fund pays the Advisor an advisory fee at the annual rates shown below: 31 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average daily net assets Fee Rate - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- first $500 million 1.000% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- next $500 million 0.985% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- next $1 billion 0.960% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- over $2 billion 0.945% - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Fund commenced operations on July 1, 2006 and therefore does not have any advisory fee information to report. Through July 4, 2007, the advisor has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its management fee and reimburse or pay operating expenses of the fund to the extent necessary to maintain the fund's total operating expenses at 1.35% for Institutional Class shares, excluding certain expenses such as extraordinary expenses, taxes, brokerage, interest, trustee and trustee counsel fees, and organizational and offering expenses. Through July 4, 2007, the advisor has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its management fee and reimburse or pay operating expenses of the fund to the extent necessary to maintain the fund's total operating expenses at 1.75% and 2.45% for Class A and Class C shares, respectively, excluding certain expenses such as extraordinary expenses, taxes, brokerage, interest, trustee and trustee counsel fees, and organizational and offering expenses. The Agreement provides that the Fund is responsible for expenses that include: fees payable to the Advisor; outside legal, accounting or auditing expenses; maintenance of books and records that are maintained by the Fund, the Fund's custodian, or other agents of the Fund; taxes and governmental fees; fees and expenses of the Fund's accounting agent, custodian, sub-custodians, depositories, transfer agents, dividend reimbursing agents and registrars; portfolio pricing or valuation services; brokerage commissions or other costs of acquiring or disposing of any portfolio securities or other instruments of the Fund; and litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund's business. The Agreement allows the Advisor to delegate any of its duties under the Agreement to a sub-adviser, subject to a majority vote of the Board of the Fund, including a majority of the Board who are not interested persons of the Fund, and, if applicable, subject to a majority vote of the Fund's shareholders. The Agreement provides that the Advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with matters to which the agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful malfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Advisor in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by the Advisor of its obligations and duties under the agreement. The Investment Management Agreement may be terminated at any time, without payment of penalty, by either party on 60 days' written notice. Subadvisor. RREEF America L.L.C. ("RREEF"), located at 875 North Michigan Avenue, 41st Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60611, an affiliate of the Advisor, is the subadvisor for the Fund. RREEF serves as sub-advisor pursuant to the terms of a Subadvisory Agreement between it and the Advisor. RREEF has provided real estate investment management services to institutional investors since 1975 and has been an investment advisor of real estate securities since 1993. RREEF's ultimate parent company was RoPro U.S. Holding, Inc. ("RoPro U.S."). RoPro U.S. was a US subsidiary of RoProperty Holdings B.V., a Dutch holding company owned by the following Dutch companies: Rodamco North America N.V., Rodamco Europe N.V., Rodamco Haslemere N.V., Robeco Groep N.V., and Rodamco Asia N.V. RREEF is also the investment advisor to various institutional and accredited investor accounts investing in real estate securities. On April 22, 2002, RoPro U.S. was fully acquired by an affiliate of Deutsche Bank AG. While DeIM is the investment advisor to the fund, the day-to-day activities of managing the fund's portfolio have been delegated to RREEF. DeIM compensates RREEF out of the management fee it receives from the fund. 32 The Subadvisory Agreement provides that RREEF will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with matters to which the Subadvisory Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of RREEF in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by RREEF of its obligations and duties under the Research and Advisory Agreement. The Subadvisory Agreement shall continue in effect until September 30, 2007 and year to year thereafter, but only as long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually (a) by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to such agreement or interested persons of any such party except in their capacity as Trustees of the Trust, and (b) by the shareholders or the Board of Trustees of the Trust. The Research and Advisory Agreement may be terminated at any time upon sixty days' notice by the Advisor or by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by majority vote of the outstanding shares of the Fund, and will terminate automatically upon assignment or upon termination of the Fund's investment management agreement. The fund's shareholder report for the period ended December 31, 2006, will contain a discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees' approval of the investment management agreement and the Subadvisory Agreement for the fund. Sub-subadvisors. Pursuant to investment sub-subadvisory agreements between DeIM and each of Deutsche Asset Management lnternational GmbH, RREEF Global Advisers Limited, Deutsche Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited and Deutsche Investments Australia Limited (the "sub-subadvisors"), these entities act as sub-subadvisors to the fund. As sub-subadvisors, under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, DeIM and RREEF the sub-subadvisors manage the fund's investments in specific foreign markets. Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH, Mainzer Landstrasse 178-190, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, manages stock selection decisions for the European portion of the fund's portfolio. Currently, RREEF Global Advisers Limited, Winchester House, 1 Great Winchester Street, London, United Kingdom, EC2N 2DB, acts as an adviser to Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH with respect to the fund. Deutsche Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited, 55/F Cheung Kong Centre, 2 Queen's Road Centre, Hong Kong, China, and Deutsche Investments Australia Limited, Level 21, 83 Clarence Street, Sydney, Australia, NSW, 2000, manage the stock selection decisions for the Asian and Australian portions of the fund's portfolio. The fund's shareholder report for the period ended December 31, 2006 will contain a discussion regarding tile basis for the Board of Trustees' approval of the investment management agreement, the subadvisory agreement and the sub-subadvisory agreements for the fund. Compensation of Portfolio Managers The Fund has been advised that each of the Advisors seeks to offer each of its investment professionals competitive short-term and long-term compensation. Portfolio managers and research professionals are paid (i) base salaries, which are linked to job function, responsibilities and financial services industry peer comparison and (ii) variable compensation, which is linked to investment performance, individual contributions to the team and DWS Scudder's and Deutsche Bank's financial results. Variable compensation may include a cash bonus incentive and participation in a variety of long-term equity programs (usually in the form of Deutsche Bank equity). Bonus and long-term incentives comprise a greater proportion of total compensation as an investment professional's seniority and compensation levels increase. Top performing investment professionals earn a total compensation package that is highly competitive, including a bonus that is a multiple of their base salary. The amount of equity awarded under the long-term equity programs is generally based on the individual's total compensation package and may comprise from 0%-40% of the total compensation award. As incentive compensation increases, the percentage of compensation awarded in Deutsche Bank equity also increases. Certain senior investment professionals may be subject to a mandatory diverting of a portion of their equity compensation into proprietary mutual funds that they manage. 33 To evaluate its investment professionals, the Advisors use a Performance Management Process. Objectives evaluated by the process are related to investment performance and generally take into account peer group and benchmark related data. The ultimate goal of this process is to link the performance of investment professionals with client investment objectives and to deliver investment performance that meets or exceeds clients' risk and return objectives. When determining total compensation, the Advisors consider a number of quantitative and qualitative factors such as: o DWS Scudder's performance and the performance of Deutsche Asset Management; quantitative measures which include 1, 3 and 5 year pre-tax returns versus benchmark (such as the benchmark used in the prospectus) and appropriate peer group, taking into consideration risk targets. Additionally, the portfolio manager's retail/institutional asset mix is weighted, as appropriate for evaluation purposes. o Qualitative measures include adherence to the investment process and individual contributions to the process, among other things. In addition, the Advisor assesses compliance, risk management and teamwork skills. o Other factors, including contributions made to the investment team as well as adherence to compliance, risk management, and "living the values" of the Advisor, are part of a discretionary component which gives management the ability to reward these behaviors on a subjective basis through bonus incentives. In addition, the Advisors analyze competitive compensation levels through the use of extensive market data surveys. Portfolio manager compensation is reviewed and may be modified each year as appropriate to reflect changes in the market, as well as to adjust the factors used to determine overall compensation to promote good sustained investment performance. The Fund has been advised that the Advisors seek to offer its investment professionals competitive short-term and long-term compensation. Portfolio managers and research professionals are paid (i) base salaries, which are linked to job function, responsibilities and financial services industry peer comparison and (ii) variable compensation. Variable compensation consists of a compensation pool that is determined based on revenues generated by the funds they manage, which are generally impacted by overall investment performance. The compensation pool is shared equally among those senior investment professionals. The compensation structure for these investment professionals is dependent on, among other things, their continuing obligation to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities to their clients and to "live the values" of the Advisors through adherence to the Advisor's compliance policies and procedures. This compensation structure creates an incentive to maximize the size of the funds. However, the Advisor has in place controls designed to maintain disciplined growth of the products managed by this team within the capacity constraints of the investment process. The Advisors believe that this compensation structure has been a positive incentive to this team and has contributed to the development of a strong team culture and a risk managed consistent investment approach that has benefited fund shareholders over time. Performance information is provided in the relevant fund prospectus. Fund Ownership of Portfolio Managers The following table shows the dollar range of shares owned beneficially and of record by each member of the Fund's portfolio management team in the Fund as well as in all DWS Funds as a group (i.e. those funds advised by Deutsche Asset Management or its affiliates), including investments by their immediate family members sharing the same household and amounts invested through retirement and deferred compensation plans. This information is provided as of the Fund's most recent fiscal year end. Dollar Range of Dollar Range of All Name of Portfolio Manager Fund Shares Owned DWS Fund Shares Owned - ------------------------- ----------------- --------------------- John F. Robertson $0 Over $1,000,000 Daniel Ekins $0 $0 John Hammond $0 $0 Kurt Klauditz $0 $0 William Leung $0 $0 34 Conflicts of Interest In addition to managing the Total Assets of Regis the Fund, the Fund's portfolio Performance-Based FeeCom may have responsibility for Accounts other client accounts of the A assets of their affiliates. The tabl managers show, for each portfolio man managing number and asset size ofdvisors or registered investment compaes below series thereof) other than theager, the pooled investment vehicles th (1) SEC registered investment companinies (or other accounts (e.g., account Fund, (2) for individuals or orgaat are not managed by each portfolio manes and (3) tables also show the ns managed performance based fee accountsnizations) as the total assets of the acager. The which the advisory fee is baumber of performance of the accoun, as well information is provided as of counts for most recent fiscal year end. sed on the
Number of Total Assets of Investment Company Registered Accounts with Total Assets of Number of Registered Investment Performance-Based Performance-Based Name of Portfolio Manager Investment Companies Companies Fee Fee Accounts - ------------------------- -------------------- --------- --- ------------ John F. Robertson 10 $4,650,000,000 $0 $0 Daniel Ekins 2 $613,000,000 $0 $0 John Hammond 2 $613,000,000 $0 $0 Kurt Klauditz 2 $613,000,000 $0 $0 William Leung 2 $613,000,000 $0 $0
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Managed:
Number of Pooled Number of Pooled Total Assets of Investment Vehicle Total Assets of Investment Pooled Investment Accounts with Performance-Based Name of Portfolio Manager Vehicles Vehicles Performance-Based Fee Fee Accounts - ------------------------- -------- -------- --------------------- ------------ John F. Robertson 7 $445,770,000 2 $53,980,000 Daniel Ekins 3 $488,200,000 0 $0 John Hammond 3 $69,180,000 2 $60,340,000 Kurt Klauditz 3 $7,920,000,000 2 $2,870,000,000 William Leung 1 $4,500,000 0 $0
Other Accounts Managed:
Number of Other Total Assets of Number of Other Total Assets of Accounts with Performance-Based Name of Portfolio Manager Accounts Other Accounts Performance-Based Fee Fee Accounts - ------------------------- -------- -------------- --------------------- ------------ John F. Robertson 46 $3,860,000,000 5 $684,040,000 Daniel Ekins 7 $905,300,000 2 $180,100,000 John Hammond 2 $58,440,000 0 $0 Kurt Klauditz 0 $0 0 $0 William Leung 1 $14,300,000 1 $14,300,000
35 In addition to the accounts above, an investment professional may manage accounts in a personal capacity that may include holdings that are similar to, or the same as, those of the Fund. Each Advisor has in place a Code of Ethics that is designed to address conflicts of interest and that, among other things, imposes restrictions on the ability of portfolio managers and other "access persons" to invest in securities that may be recommended or traded in the funds and other client accounts. Real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day portfolio management responsibilities with respect to more than one fund or account, including the following: o Certain investments may be appropriate for the Fund and also for other clients advised by the Advisors, including other client accounts managed by the Fund's portfolio management team. Investment decisions for the Fund and other clients are made with a view to achieving their respective investment objectives and after consideration of such factors as their current holdings, availability of cash for investment and the size of their investments generally. A particular security may be bought or sold for only one client or in different amounts and at different times for more than one but less than all clients. Likewise, because clients of the Advisor may have differing investment strategies, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when one or more other clients are selling the security. The investment results achieved for the Fund may differ from the results achieved for other clients of the Advisors. In addition, purchases or sales of the same security may be made for two or more clients on the same day. In such event, such transactions will be allocated among the clients in a manner believed by the Advisors to be most equitable to each client, generally utilizing a pro rata allocation methodology. In some cases, the allocation procedure could potentially have an adverse effect or positive effect on the price or amount of the securities purchased or sold by the Fund. Purchase and sale orders for the Fund may be combined with those of other clients of the Advisor in the interest of achieving the most favorable net results to the Fund and the other clients. o To the extent that a portfolio manager has responsibilities for managing multiple client accounts, a portfolio manager will need to divide time and attention among relevant accounts. The Advisor attempts to minimize these conflicts by aligning its portfolio management teams by investment strategy and by employing similar investment models across multiple client accounts. o In some cases, an apparent conflict may arise where the Advisor has an incentive, such as a performance-based fee, in managing one account and not with respect to other accounts it manages. The Advisor will not determine allocations based on whether it receives a performance-based fee from the client. Additionally, the Advisors have in place supervisory oversight processes to periodically monitor performance deviations for accounts with like strategies. The Advisors are owned by Deutsche Bank AG, a multi-national financial services company. Therefore, the Advisors are affiliated with a variety of entities that provide, and/or engage in commercial banking, insurance, brokerage, investment banking, financial advisory, broker-dealer activities (including sales and trading), hedge funds, real estate and private equity investing, in addition to the provision of investment management services to institutional and individual investors. Since Deutsche Bank AG, its affiliates, directors, officers and employees (the "Firm") are engaged in businesses and have interests other than managing asset management accounts; such other activities involve real, potential or apparent conflicts of interests. These interests and activities 36 include potential advisory, transactional and financial activities and other interests in securities and companies that may be directly or indirectly purchased or sold by the Firm for its clients' advisory accounts. These are considerations of which advisory clients should be aware and which may cause conflicts that could be to the disadvantage of the Advisors' advisory clients. The Advisor has instituted business and compliance policies, procedures and disclosures that are designed to identify, monitor and mitigate conflicts of interest and, as appropriate, to report them to the Fund's Board. Administrator. Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. (the "Administrator"), serves as the Corporation's administrator pursuant to an Administration Agreement. Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, the Advisor provides all services (other than those contained in the Investment Management Agreement) to the Fund including, among others, providing the Fund with personnel, preparing and making required filings on behalf of the Fund, maintaining books and records for the Fund, and monitoring the valuation of Fund securities. For its services under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator receives a fee of 0.10% of the aggregate average daily net assets of the Fund. The Administrator will pay Accounting Agency and Transfer Agency fees out of the Administration fee. The Fund commenced operations on July 1, 2006, and therefore does not have any administrative fee information to report. Under the Administrative Agreement, the Advisor is obligated on a continuous basis to provide such administrative services as the Board of the Fund reasonably deems necessary for the proper administration of the Fund. The Advisor generally assists in all aspects of the Fund's operations; supplies and maintains office facilities (which may be in the Advisor's own offices), statistical and research data, data processing services, clerical, accounting, bookkeeping and record keeping services (including without limitation the maintenance of such books and records as are required under the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder, except as maintained by other agents of the Fund), internal auditing, executive and administrative services, and stationery and office supplies; prepares reports to shareholders or investors; prepares and files tax returns; supplies financial information and supporting data for reports to and filings with the SEC and various state Blue Sky authorities; supplies supporting documentation for meetings of the Board of the Fund; provides monitoring reports and assistance regarding compliance with the Fund's charter documents, by-laws, investment objectives and policies and with Federal and state securities laws; arranges for appropriate insurance coverage; and negotiates arrangements with, and supervises and coordinates the activities of, agents and others retained to supply services. Pursuant to an agreement between the Advisor and State Street Bank and Trust Company ("SSB"), the Advisor has delegated certain administrative functions to SSB under each investment management agreement. The costs and expenses of such delegation are borne by the Advisor, not by the Fund. The Administration Agreement provides that the Administrator will not be liable under the Administration Agreement except for bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or from the reckless disregard by it of its duties and obligations thereunder. Various third-party service providers (the "Service Providers"), some of which are affiliated with the Advisor, provide certain services to the Fund pursuant to separate agreements with the Fund. The Advisor will pay the Service Providers for the provision of their services to the Fund and will pay most other fund expenses, including insurance, registration, printing and postage fees. In return, the Fund will pay the Advisor an Administrative Fee. The fee payable by the Fund to the Advisor pursuant to the Administrative Agreement is reduced by the amount of any credit received from the Fund's custodian for cash balances. Certain expenses of the Fund will not be borne by the Advisor under the Administrative Agreement, such as taxes, brokerage, interest and extraordinary expenses; and the fees and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including the fees and expenses of their independent counsel). In addition, the Fund will continue to pay the fees required by its investment management agreement with the Advisor. 37 Code of Ethics The Fund, the Advisor, subadvisor and the Fund's principal underwriter have each adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. Board members, officers of the Trust and employees of the Advisor, subadvisors and principal underwriter are permitted to make personal securities transactions, including transactions in securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund, subject to certain requirements and restrictions set forth in the applicable Code of Ethics. The Advisor's Code of Ethics contains provisions and requirements designed to identify and address certain conflicts of interest between personal investment activities and the interests of the Fund. Among other things, the Advisor's Code of Ethics prohibits certain types of transactions absent prior approval, imposes time periods during which personal transactions may not be made in certain securities, and requires the submission of duplicate broker confirmations and quarterly reporting of securities transactions. Additional restrictions apply to portfolio managers, traders, research analysts and others involved in the investment advisory process. Exceptions to these and other provisions of the Advisor's Code of Ethics may be granted in particular circumstances after review by appropriate personnel. Portfolio Transactions. The Advisor is generally responsible for placing the orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities, including the allocation of brokerage. With respect to those funds for which a sub-investment advisor manages the fund's investments, references in this section to the "Advisor" should be read to mean the Sub-Advisor. The policy of the Advisor in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities for the Fund is to seek best execution, taking into account such factors, among others, as price; commission (where applicable); the broker-dealer's ability to ensure that securities will be delivered on settlement date; the willingness of the broker-dealer to commit its capital and purchase a thinly traded security for its own inventory; whether the broker-dealer specializes in block orders or large program trades; the broker-dealer's knowledge of the market and the security; the broker-dealer's ability to maintain confidentiality; the financial condition of the broker-dealer; and whether the broker-dealer has the infrastructure and operational capabilities to execute and settle the trade. The Advisor seeks to evaluate the overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions with commissions charged on comparable transactions and compares the brokerage commissions (if any) paid by the Fund to reported commissions paid by others. The Advisor routinely reviews commission rates, execution and settlement services performed and makes internal and external comparisons. Commission rates on transactions in equity securities on U.S. securities exchanges are subject to negotiation. Commission rates on transactions in equity securities on foreign securities exchanges are generally fixed. Purchases and sales of fixed-income securities and other over-the-counter securities are effected on a net basis, without the payment of brokerage commissions. Transactions in fixed income and other over-the-counter securities are generally placed by the Advisor with the principal market makers for these securities unless the Advisor reasonably believes more favorable results are available elsewhere. Transactions with dealers serving as market makers reflect the spread between the bid and asked prices. Purchases of underwritten issues will include an underwriting fee paid to the underwriter. Money market instruments are normally purchased in principal transactions directly from the issuer or from an underwriter or market maker. It is likely that the broker-dealers selected based on the considerations described in this section will include firms that also sell shares of the Fund to their customers. However, the Advisor does not consider sales of shares of the Fund as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund and, accordingly, has implemented policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent its traders from considering sales of shares of the Fund as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund. The Advisor is permitted by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("1934 Act"), when placing portfolio transactions for the Fund, to cause the fund to pay brokerage commissions in excess of that which another broker-dealer might charge for executing the same transaction in order to obtain research and brokerage services. The Advisor, however, does not as a matter of policy execute transactions with broker-dealers for the fund in order to obtain research from such broker-dealers that is prepared by third parties (i.e., "third party research"). However, the Advisor may from time to time, in reliance 38 on Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, obtain proprietary research prepared by the executing broker-dealer in connection with a transaction or transactions through that broker-dealer (i.e., "proprietary research"). Consistent with the Advisor's policy regarding best execution, where more than one broker is believed to be capable of providing best execution for a particular trade, the Advisor may take into consideration the receipt of proprietary research in selecting the broker-dealer to execute the trade. Proprietary research provided by broker-dealers may include, but is not limited to, information on the economy, industries, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, accounting and tax law interpretations, political developments, legal developments affecting portfolio securities, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance analysis and measurement and analysis of corporate responsibility issues. Proprietary research is typically received in the form of written reports, telephone contacts and personal meetings with security analysts, but may also be provided in the form of access to various computer software and associated hardware, and meetings arranged with corporate and industry representatives. In reliance on Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, the Advisor may also select broker-dealers and obtain from them brokerage services in the form of software and/or hardware that is used in connection with executing trades. Typically, this computer software and/or hardware is used by the Advisor to facilitate trading activity with those broker-dealers. Proprietary research and brokerage services received from a broker-dealer chosen to execute a particular trade may be useful to the Advisor in providing services to clients other than the fund making the trade, and not all such information is used by the Advisor in connection with such fund. Conversely, such information provided to the Advisor by broker-dealers through which other clients of the Advisor effect securities transactions may be useful to the Advisor in providing services to the fund. The Advisor will monitor regulatory developments and market practice in the use of client commissions to obtain research and brokerage services, whether proprietary or third party. Investment decisions for the Fund and for other investment accounts managed by the Advisor are made independently of each other in light of differing conditions. However, the same investment decision may be made for two or more of such accounts. In such cases, simultaneous transactions are inevitable. To the extent permitted by law, the Advisor may aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased for the Fund with those to be sold or purchased for other accounts in executing transactions. Purchases or sales are then averaged as to price and commission and allocated as to amount in a manner deemed equitable to each account. While in some cases this practice could have a detrimental effect on the price paid or received by, or on the size of the position obtained or disposed of for, the Fund, in other cases it is believed that the ability to engage in volume transactions will be beneficial to the Fund. Deutsche Bank AG or one of its affiliates may act as a broker for the Fund and receive brokerage commissions or other transaction-related compensation from the Fund in the purchase and sale of securities, options or futures contracts when, in the judgment of the Advisor, and in accordance with procedures approved by the Fund's Board, the affiliated broker will be able to obtain a price and execution at least as favorable as those obtained from other qualified brokers and if, in the transaction, the affiliated broker charges the Fund a rate consistent with that charged to comparable unaffiliated customers in similar transactions. The Fund commenced operations on July 1, 2006, and therefore does not have any brokerage commissions to report. Portfolio Turnover The Advisor will purchase and sell securities without regard to the length of time the security has been held. Accordingly, the Fund's rate of portfolio turnover may be substantial. The Advisor intends to purchase a given security whenever it believes it will contribute to the stated objective of the Fund. In order to achieve the Fund's investment objectives, the Advisor may sell a given security, no matter how long or how short a period it has been held in the portfolio, and no matter whether the sale is at a gain or at a loss, if the Advisor believes that the security is not fulfilling its purpose, either because, among other things, it did not live up to the Advisor's expectations, or because it may be replaced with another security holding greater promise, or because it has reached its optimum potential, or because of a change in the circumstances of a particular company or industry or in general economic conditions, or because of some combination of such reasons. 39 Because investment decisions are based on the anticipated contribution of the security in question to the Fund's objective, the Advisor believes that the rate of portfolio turnover is irrelevant when it believes a change is in order to achieve the objectives. As a result, the Fund's annual portfolio turnover rate cannot be anticipated and may be higher than other mutual funds with similar investment objective. Higher turnover would generate correspondingly greater brokerage commissions, which is a cost the Fund pays directly. Portfolio turnover also may affect the character of capital gains realized and distributed by the Fund, if any, because short-term capital gains are taxable as ordinary income. Principal Underwriter Pursuant to an Underwriting and Distribution Services Agreement ("Distribution Agreement"), DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc. ("DWS-SDI"), 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606, an affiliate of the Advisor, is the principal underwriter and distributor for the Class A, Class C and Institutional Class shares of the Fund and acts as agent of the Fund in the continuous offering of its shares. The Distribution Agreement for the Fund, dated July 1, 2006, was initially approved by the Trustees on June 28, 2006. The Distribution Agreement continues in effect from year to year only if its continuance is approved for each class at least annually by a vote of the Board members of the Fund, including the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Fund and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Distribution Agreement. The Distribution Agreement automatically terminates in the event of its assignment and may be terminated for a class at any time without penalty by the relevant Fund or by DWS-SDI upon sixty days' notice. Termination by the Fund with respect to a class may be by vote of (i) a majority of the Board members who are not interested persons of the Fund and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Distribution Agreement, or (ii) a "majority of the outstanding voting securities" of the class of the Fund, as defined under the 1940 Act. All material amendments must be approved by the Board of Trustees in the manner described above with respect to the continuation of the Agreement. The provisions concerning continuation, amendment and termination of the Distribution Agreement are on a series by series and class by class basis. DWS-SDI bears all of its expenses of providing services pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, including the payment of any commissions. The Fund pays the cost for the prospectus and shareholder reports to be typeset and printed for existing shareholders, and DWS-SDI, as principal underwriter, pays for the printing and distribution of copies thereof used in connection with the offering of shares to prospective investors. DWS-SDI also pays for supplementary sales literature and advertising costs. As indicated under "Purchase and Redemption of Shares," DWS-SDI retains the sales charge upon the purchase of shares and pays or allows concessions or discounts to firms for the sale of the Fund's shares. DWS-SDI receives no compensation from the Fund as principal underwriter for Class A shares. DWS-SDI receives compensation from the Fund as principal underwriter for Class C shares. Shareholder and administrative services are provided to the Fund on behalf of Class A and Class C shareholders under a Shareholder Services Agreement (the "Services Agreement") with DWS-SDI. The Services Agreement has an initial term ending September 30, 2007 and continues in effect from year to year so long as such continuance is approved for the Fund at least annually by a vote of the Board of the Fund, including the Board members who are not interested persons of the Fund and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Services Agreement. The Services Agreement automatically terminates in the event of its assignment and may be terminated at any time without penalty by the Fund or by DWS-SDI upon sixty days' notice. Termination with respect to the Class A or Class C shares of the Fund may be by a vote of (i) the majority of the Board members of the Fund who are not interested persons of the Fund and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Services Agreement, or (ii) a "majority of the outstanding voting securities" of the Class A or Class C shares, as defined under the 1940 Act. The Services Agreement may not be amended for a class to increase materially the fee to be paid by the Fund without approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such class of the Fund, and all material amendments must in any event be approved by the Board of Trustees in the manner described above with respect to the continuation of the Services Agreement. 40 Under the Services Agreement, DWS-SDI may provide or appoint various broker-dealer firms and other service or administrative firms ("firms") to provide information and services to investors in the Fund. Typically, DWS-SDI appoints firms that provide services and facilities for their customers or clients who are investors in the Fund. Firms appointed by DWS-SDI provide such office space and equipment, telephone facilities and personnel as is necessary or beneficial for providing information and services to their clients. Such services and assistance may include, but are not limited to, establishing and maintaining accounts and records, processing purchase and redemption transactions, answering routine inquiries regarding the Fund, providing assistance to clients in changing dividend and investment options, account designations and addresses and such other administrative services as may be agreed upon from time to time and permitted by applicable statute, rule or regulation. DWS-SDI bears all of its expenses of providing those services pursuant to the Services Agreement, including the payment of a service fee to firms (as defined below). As indicated under the Rule 12b-1 Plan (as defined below), DWS-SDI receives compensation from the Funds for its services under the Services Agreement. Rule 12b-1 Plans The Fund has adopted a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (each a "Rule 12b-1 Plan") that provides for fees payable as an expense of the Class C shares that are used by DWS-SDI to pay for distribution services for the class. Pursuant to the Rule 12b-1 Plan, shareholder and administrative services are provided to the Fund on behalf of its Class A and Class C shareholders under the Fund's Services Agreement with DWS-SDI. Because 12b-1 fees are paid out of Fund assets on an ongoing basis, they will, over time, increase the cost of an investment and may cost more than other types of sales charges. The Rule 12b-1 distribution plans for Class C shares provide alternative methods for paying sales charges and may help funds grow or maintain asset levels to provide operational efficiencies and economies of scale. Rule 12b-1 service plans provide compensation to DWS-SDI or intermediaries for post-sales servicing. Since the Distribution Agreement provides for fees payable as an expense of the Class C shares that are used by DWS-SDI to pay for distribution and services for the class, the agreement is approved and reviewed separately for the Class C shares in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates the manner in which an investment company may, directly or indirectly, bear the expenses of distributing its shares. The Distribution Agreement and Rule 12b-1 plans may not be amended to increase the fee to be paid by the Fund with respect to a class without approval by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such class. Similarly, the Services Agreement is approved and reviewed separately for the Class A shares and Class C shares in accordance with Rule 12b-1. If a Rule 12b-1 Plan is terminated in accordance with its terms, the obligation of the Fund to make payments to DWS-SDI pursuant to the Rule 12b-1 Plan will cease and the Fund will not be required to make any payments past the termination date. Thus, there is no legal obligation for the Fund to pay any expenses incurred by DWS-SDI other than fees payable under a Rule 12b-1 Plan, if for any reason the Rule 12b-1 Plan is terminated in accordance with its terms. Future fees under the Plan may or may not be sufficient to reimburse DWS-SDI for its expenses incurred. FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS Custodian, Transfer Agent and Shareholder Service Agent Custodian. Brown Brothers Harriman and Co. (the "Custodian"), 40 Water Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, serves as the Trust's custodian pursuant to a Custodian Agreement. Under its custody agreement with the Trust, the Custodian (i) maintains separate accounts in the name of the Fund, (ii) holds and transfers portfolio securities on account of the Fund, (iii) accepts receipts and makes disbursements of money on behalf of the Fund, (iv) collects and receives all income and other payments and distributions on account of the Fund's portfolio securities and (v) makes periodic reports to the Trust's Board of Trustees concerning the Fund's operations. The Custodian is authorized to select one or more foreign or domestic banks or companies to serve as sub-custodian on behalf of the Fund, pursuant to Rule 17f-5 or the 1940 Act. Transfer Agent and Shareholder Service Agent. DWS Scudder Investment Service Company ("DWS-SISC"), 210 W. 10th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105-1614, is the Fund's transfer agent and dividend paying agent. DWS-SISC, an affiliate of the 41 Advisor, serves as the Fund's transfer, dividend-paying agent and shareholder service agent ("Shareholder Service Agent") for the Fund's Class A, Class C and Institutional Class shares. The Fund pays DWS-SISC an annual fee of $10 for each regular account (including Individual Retirement Accounts), $18 for each retirement account (excluding Individual Retirement Accounts), $5 in set-up charges for each new account, $2 per account, as applicable, in connection with the contingent deferred sales charge (Class C shares only) and an annual asset-based fee of 0.08%. Pursuant to a sub-transfer agency agreement between DWS-SISC and DST Systems, Inc. ("DST"), DWS-SISC has delegated certain transfer agent and dividend paying agent functions to DST. The costs and expenses of such delegation are born by DWS-SISC, not by the Fund. The Fund, or the Advisor (including any affiliate of the Advisor), or both, may pay unaffiliated third parties for providing recordkeeping and other administrative services with respect to accounts of participants in retirement plans or other beneficial owners of Fund shares whose interests are generally held in an omnibus account. Fund Accounting Agent DWS Scudder Fund Accounting Corporation ("DWS-SFAC"), Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110, a subsidiary of the Advisor, is the fund accounting agent for the Fund. DWS-SFAC is responsible for determining net asset value per share and maintaining the portfolio and general accounting records for the Fund. Pursuant to an agreement between DWS-SFAC and State Street Bank and Trust Company ("SSB"), DWS-SFAC has delegated certain fund accounting functions to SSB under the fund accounting agreement. The costs and expenses of such delegation are borne by DWS-SFAC, not by the Fund. Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 125 High Street, Boston, MA 02110, independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting, audits the financial statements of the Fund and provides other audit, tax and related services. Shareholders will receive annual audited financial statements and semi-annual unaudited financial statements. Legal Counsel Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, serves as legal counsel to the Fund. PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES General Information Policies and procedures affecting transactions in Fund shares can be changed at any time without notice, subject to applicable law. Transactions may be contingent upon proper completion of application forms and other documents by shareholders and their receipt by the Fund's agents. Transaction delays in processing (and changing account features) due to circumstances within or beyond the control of the Fund and its agents may occur. Shareholders (or their financial service firms) are responsible for all losses and fees resulting from bad checks, cancelled orders or the failure to consummate transactions effected pursuant to instructions reasonably believed to be genuine. A distribution will be reinvested in shares of the same Fund and class if the distribution check is returned as undeliverable. Orders will be confirmed at a price based on the net asset value of the Fund next determined after receipt in good order by DWS-SDI of the order accompanied by payment. However, orders received by dealers or other financial services firms prior to the determination of net asset value and received in good order by DWS-SDI prior to the determination of net asset value next determined after receipt by DWS-SDI will be confirmed at a price based on the net asset value ("trade date"). 42 The Fund has authorized one or more financial service institutions, including certain members of the NASD other than the Distributor ("financial institutions"), to accept purchase and redemption orders for the Fund's shares. Such financial institutions may also designate other parties, including plan administrator intermediaries, to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Fund's behalf. Orders for purchases or redemptions will be deemed to have been received by the Fund when such financial institutions or, if applicable, their authorized designees accept the orders. Subject to the terms of the contract between the Fund and the financial institution, ordinarily orders will be priced at the Fund's net asset value next computed after acceptance by such financial institution or its authorized designees and accepted by the Fund. Further, if purchases or redemptions of the Fund's shares are arranged and settlement is made at an investor's election through any other authorized financial institution, that financial institution may, at its discretion, charge a fee for that service. The Board of Trustees and the Distributor, also the Fund's principal underwriter, each has the right to limit the amount of purchases by, and to refuse to sell to, any person. The Trustees and the Distributor may suspend or terminate the offering of shares of the Fund at any time for any reason. Certificates. Share certificates will not be issued. Use of Financial Services Firms. Investment dealers and other firms provide varying arrangements for their clients to purchase and redeem the Fund's shares, including higher minimum investments, and may assess transaction or other fees. Firms may arrange with their clients for other investment or administrative services. Such firms may independently establish and charge additional amounts to their clients for such services. Firms also may hold the Fund's shares in nominee or street name as agent for and on behalf of their customers. In such instances, the Fund's transfer agent, DWS Scudder Investments Service Company ("DWS-SISC" or the "Transfer Agent"), will have no information with respect to or control over the accounts of specific shareholders. Such shareholders may obtain access to their accounts and information about their accounts only from their firm. Certain of these firms may receive compensation from the Fund through the Shareholder Service Agent for record-keeping and other expenses relating to these nominee accounts. In addition, certain privileges with respect to the purchase and redemption of shares or the reinvestment of dividends may not be available through such firms. Some firms may participate in a program allowing them access to their clients' accounts for servicing including, without limitation, transfers of registration and dividend payee changes; and may perform functions such as generation of confirmation statements and disbursement of cash dividends. Such firms, including affiliates of DWS-SDI, may receive compensation from the Fund through the Shareholder Service Agent for these services. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker, service organization or, if applicable, an authorized designee, accepts the order. Shares of the Fund may be purchased or redeemed on any business day at the net asset value next determined after receipt of the order, in good order, by the Transfer Agent. Investors who invest through authorized brokers, service organizations or their designated intermediaries should submit purchase and redemption orders directly to their broker, service organization or designated intermediary. The broker or intermediary may charge you a transaction fee. Telephone and Electronic Transaction Procedures. Shareholders have various telephone, Internet, wire and other electronic privileges available. The Fund or its agents may be liable for any losses, expenses or costs arising out of fraudulent or unauthorized instructions pursuant to these privileges unless the Fund or its agents reasonably believe, based upon reasonable verification procedures, that the instructions were genuine. Verification procedures include recording instructions, requiring certain identifying information before acting upon instructions and sending written confirmations. During periods when it is difficult to contact the Shareholder Service Agent, it may be difficult to use telephone, wire and other privileges. QuickBuy and QuickSell. QuickBuy and QuickSell permits the transfer of money via the Automated Clearing House System (minimum $50 and maximum $250,000) from or to a shareholder's bank, savings and loan, or credit union account in connection with the purchase or redemption of Fund shares. Shares purchased by check or through QuickBuy and QuickSell or Direct Deposit may not be redeemed under this privilege until such Shares have been owned for at least 10 calendar days. QuickBuy and QuickSell cannot be used with passbook savings accounts or for certain tax-deferred plans such as IRAs. 43 Purchases The Fund reserves the right to withdraw all or any part of the offering made by its Prospectus and to reject purchase orders for any reason. Also, from time to time, the Fund may temporarily suspend the offering of any class of its shares to new investors. During the period of such suspension, persons who are already shareholders of the Fund may be permitted to continue to purchase additional shares of such class and to have dividends reinvested. To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. For more information, please see "Policies You Should Know About" in the Fund's Prospectuses. The Fund may waive the investment minimum, if any, for purchases by a current or former director or trustee of the DWS mutual funds, an employee, the employee's spouse or life partner and children or step-children age 21 or younger of Deutsche Bank or its affiliates, or a sub-advisor to any fund in the DWS family of funds, or a broker-dealer authorized to sell shares of the funds. Financial Services Firms' Compensation. Banks and other financial services firms may provide administrative services related to order placement and payment to facilitate transactions in shares of the Fund for their clients, and DWS-SDI may pay them a transaction fee up to the level of the discount or commission allowable or payable to dealers. DWS-SDI may, from time to time, pay or allow to firms a 1% commission on the amount of shares of the Fund sold under the following conditions: (i) the purchased shares are held in a DWS Scudder IRA account, (ii) the shares are purchased as a direct "roll over" of a distribution from a qualified retirement plan account maintained on the subaccount record keeping system maintained for DWS-branded plans by ADP, Inc. under an alliance with DWS-SDI and its affiliates, (iii) the registered representative placing the trade is a member of the Executive Council, a group of persons designated by DWS-SDI in acknowledgment of their dedication to the employee benefit plan area and (iv) the purchase is not otherwise subject to a commission. In addition to the discounts or commissions described herein and in the Prospectuses, DWS-SDI may pay or allow additional discounts, commissions or promotional incentives, in the form of cash, to firms that sell shares of the Fund. In some instances, such amounts may be offered only to certain firms that sell or are expected to sell during specified time periods certain minimum amounts of shares of the Fund, or other funds underwritten by DWS-SDI. Upon notice to all dealers, DWS-SDI may re-allow to dealers up to the full applicable Class A sales charge during periods and for transactions specified in such notice and such re-allowances may be based upon attainment of minimum sales levels. During periods when 90% or more of the sales charge is re-allowed, such dealers may be deemed to be underwriters as that term is defined in the 1933 Act. DWS-SDI may at its discretion compensate investment dealers or other financial services firms in connection with the sale of Class A shares of the Fund in accordance with the Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege and one of the four compensation schedules up to the following amounts: Compensation Schedule #1: Retail Sales and DWS Scudder Compensation Schedule #2: Flex Plan(1) DWS Retirement Plans(2) ------------ ----------------------- As a As a Percentage of Percentage of Amount of Net Amount of Net Shares Sold Asset Value Shares Sold Asset Value ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- $1 million to $3 million (equity 1.00% Over $3 million 0.00%-0.50% funds) $1 million - $3 million (fixed 0.85% income funds) Over $3 million to $50 million 0.50% -- -- Over $50 million 0.25% -- -- 44 Compensation Schedule #3: DWS Scudder Choice Plan(3) -------------------------- Amount of As a Percentage of Net Shares Sold Asset Value ----------- ----------- All amounts (equity funds) 1.00% All amounts (fixed income funds) 0.85% (1) For purposes of determining the appropriate commission percentage to be applied to a particular sale under the foregoing schedule, DWS-SDI will consider the cumulative amount invested by the purchaser in the Fund and other funds listed under "Special Features -- Class A Shares -- Combined Purchases," including purchases pursuant to the "Combined Purchases," "Letter of Intent" and "Cumulative Discount" features referred to below. (2) Compensation Schedule 2 applies to employer sponsored employee benefit plans using the OmniPlus subaccount record keeping system made available through ADP, Inc. under an alliance with DWS-SDI and its affiliates. (3) DWS-SDI compensates UBS Financial in accordance with Premium Plan Compensation Schedule DWS-SDI will no longer advance the first year distribution fee and service fee to firms for sales of Class C shares to employer sponsored benefit plans using the OmniPlus subaccount record keeping system made available through ADP, Inc. under an alliance with DWS-SDI and it affiliates. DWS-SDI is compensated by the Fund for services as distributor and principal underwriter for Class C shares. Class A Purchases. The public offering price of Class A shares for purchasers choosing the initial sales charge alternative is the net asset value plus a sales charge, as set forth below.
Sales Charge ------------ Allowed to Dealers As a Percentage As a Percentage of as a Percentage of Amount of Purchase of Offering Price Net Asset Value* Offering Price - ------------------ ----------------- ---------------- -------------- Less than $50,000 5.75% 6.10% 5.20% $50,000 but less than $100,000 4.50 4.71 4.00 $100,000 but less than $250,000 3.50 3.63 3.00 $250,000 but less than $500,000 2.60 2.67 2.25 $500,000 but less than $1 million 2.00 2.04 1.75 $1 million and over 0.00** 0.00** 0.00***
* Rounded to the nearest one-hundredth percent. ** Redemption of shares may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge ad discussed below. *** Commission is payable by DWS-SDI as discussed below. Class A NAV Sales. Class A shares may be sold at net asset value to: (a) a current or former director or trustee of Deutsche or DWS family of funds; (b) an employee (including the employee's spouse or life partner and children or stepchildren age 21 or younger) of Deutsche Bank or its affiliates or of a subadvisor to any fund in the DWS family of funds or of a broker-dealer authorized to sell shares of the Fund or service agents of the Fund; 45 (c) certain professionals who assist in the promotion of DWS family of funds pursuant to personal services contracts with DWS-SDI, for themselves or members of their families. DWS-SDI in its discretion may compensate financial services firms for sales of Class A shares under this privilege at a commission rate of 0.50% of the amount of Class A shares purchased; (d) any trust, pension, profit-sharing or other benefit plan for only such persons listed under the preceding paragraphs (a) and (b); (e) persons who purchase such shares through bank trust departments that process such trades through an automated, integrated mutual fund clearing program provided by a third party clearing firm; (f) selected employees (including their spouses or life partners and children or stepchildren age 21 or younger) of banks and other financial services firms that provide administrative services related to order placement and payment to facilitate transactions in shares of the Fund for their clients pursuant to an agreement with DWS-SDI or one of its affiliates. Only those employees of such banks and other firms who as part of their usual duties provide services related to transactions in Fund shares qualify; (g) unit investment trusts sponsored by Ranson & Associates, Inc. and unitholders of unit investment trusts sponsored by Ranson & Associates, Inc. or its predecessors through reinvestment programs described in the prospectuses of such trusts that have such programs; (h) through certain investment advisors registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and other financial services firms acting solely as agent for their clients, that adhere to certain standards established by DWS-SDI, including a requirement that such shares be sold for the benefit of their clients participating in an investment advisory program or agency commission program under which such clients pay a fee to the investment advisor or other firm for portfolio management or agency brokerage services. Such shares are sold for investment purposes and on the condition that they will not be resold except through redemption or repurchase by the Fund; (i) employer sponsored employee benefit plans using the Flex subaccount recordkeeping system ("Flex Plans") made available through ADP under an alliance with DWS-SDI and its affiliates, established prior to October 1, 2003, provided that the Flex Plan is a participant-directed plan that has not less than 200 eligible employees; (j) investors investing $1 million or more, either as a lump sum or through the "Combined Purchases," "Letter of Intent" and "Cumulative Discount" features referred to above (collectively, the "Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege"). The Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege is not available if another net asset value purchase privilege is available; (k) in connection with the acquisition of the assets of or merger or consolidation with another investment company, or to shareholders in connection with the investment or reinvestment of income and capital gain dividends, and under other circumstances deemed appropriate by DWS-SDI and consistent with regulatory requirements; and (l) in connection with a direct "roll over" of a distribution from a Flex Plan or from participants in employer sponsored employee benefit plans maintained on the OmniPlus subaccount record keeping system made available through ADP, Inc. under an alliance with DWS-SDI and its affiliates into a DWS Scudder IRA. Class A shares also may be purchased at net asset value in any amount by members of the plaintiff class in the proceeding known as Howard and Audrey Tabankin, et al. v. Kemper Short-Term Global Income Fund, et al., Case No. 93 C 5231 (N.D. IL). This privilege is generally non-transferable and continues for the lifetime of individual class members and for a ten-year period for non-individual class members. To make a purchase at net asset value under this privilege, the investor must, at the time of purchase, submit a written request that the purchase be processed at net asset value pursuant to this privilege specifically identifying the purchaser as a member of the "Tabankin Class." Shares purchased under this privilege will be maintained in a separate account that includes only 46 shares purchased under this privilege. For more details concerning this privilege, class members should refer to the Notice of (i) Proposed Settlement with Defendants; and (ii) Hearing to Determine Fairness of Proposed Settlement, dated August 31, 1995, issued in connection with the aforementioned court proceeding. For sales of Fund shares at net asset value pursuant to this privilege, DWS-SDI may in its discretion pay investment dealers and other financial services firms a concession, payable quarterly, at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of net assets attributable to such shares maintained and serviced by the firm. A firm becomes eligible for the concession based upon assets in accounts attributable to shares purchased under this privilege in the month after the month of purchase and the concession continues until terminated by DWS-SDI. The privilege of purchasing Class A shares of the Fund at net asset value under this privilege is not available if another net asset value purchase privilege also applies. It is our policy to offer purchase privileges to current or former directors or trustees of the DWS mutual funds, employees, their spouses or life partners and children or step-children age 21 or younger of Deutsche Bank or its affiliates or a sub-advisor to any fund in the DWS family of funds or a broker-dealer authorized to sell shares of the funds. Qualified individuals will generally be allowed to purchase shares in the class with the lowest expense ratio, usually the Institutional Class shares. If the Fund does not offer Institutional Class shares, these individuals will be allowed to buy Class A shares at NAV. The Fund also reserves the right to waive the minimum account balance requirement for employee and director accounts. Fees generally charged to IRA accounts will be charged to accounts of employees and directors. Class A Quantity Discounts. An investor or the investor's dealer or other financial services firm must notify the Shareholder Service Agent or DWS-SDI whenever a quantity discount or reduced sales charge is applicable to a purchase. In order to qualify for a lower sales charge, all orders from an organized group will have to be placed through a single investment dealer or other firm and identified as originating from a qualifying purchaser. Letter of Intent. The reduced sales charges for Class A shares, as shown in the prospectus, also apply to the aggregate amount of purchases of Class A shares of DWS Funds that bear a sales charge made by any purchaser within a 24-month period under a written Letter of Intent ("Letter") provided by DWS-SDI. The Letter, which imposes no obligation to purchase or sell additional Class A shares, provides for a price adjustment depending upon the actual amount purchased within such period. The Letter provides that the first purchase following execution of the Letter must be at least 5% of the amount of the intended purchase, and that 5% of the amount of the intended purchase normally will be held in escrow in the form of shares pending completion of the intended purchase. If the total investments under the Letter are less than the intended amount and thereby qualify only for a higher sales charge than actually paid, the appropriate number of escrowed shares are redeemed and the proceeds used toward satisfaction of the obligation to pay the increased sales charge. The Letter for an employer-sponsored employee benefit plan maintained on the subaccount record keeping system available through ADP, Inc. under an alliance with DWS-SDI and its affiliates may have special provisions regarding payment of any increased sales charge resulting from a failure to complete the intended purchase under the Letter. A shareholder may include the value (at the maximum offering price, which is determined by adding the maximum applicable sales load charged to the net asset value) of all Class A shares of such DWS Funds held of record as of the initial purchase date under the Letter as an "accumulation credit" toward the completion of the Letter, but no price adjustment will be made on such shares. Class A Cumulative Discount. Class A shares of the Fund may also be purchased at the rate applicable to the discount bracket attained by adding to the cost of shares being purchased, the value of all Class A shares of DWS Funds that bear a sales charge (computed at the maximum offering price at the time of the purchase for which the discount is applicable) already owned by the investor or his or her immediate family member (including the investor's spouse or life partner and children or stepchildren age 21 or younger). For purposes of the Combined Purchases, Letter of Intent and Cumulative Discount features described above, employer sponsored employee benefit plans using the Flex subaccount record keeping system available through ADP, Inc. under an alliance with SDI and its affiliates may include: (a) Money Market Funds as "DWS Funds", (b) all classes of shares of any DWS Fund and (c) the value of any other plan investments, such as guaranteed investment contracts and employer stock, maintained on such subaccount record keeping system. Combined Purchases. The Fund's Class A shares may be purchased at the rate applicable to the sales charge discount bracket attained by combining same day investments in Class A shares of any DWS Funds that bear a sales charge. 47 Class C Purchases. Class C shares of the Fund are offered at net asset value. No initial sales charge is be imposed. Class C shares sold without an initial sales charge will allow the full amount of the investor's purchase payment to be invested in Class C shares for his or her account. Class C shares continue to be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% (for shares sold within one year of purchase) and Rule 12b-1 fees, as described in the fund's prospectus and Statement of Additional Information. Purchase of Institutional Class Shares. Information on how to buy Institutional Class shares is set forth in the section entitled "Buying and Selling Shares" in the Fund's Prospectus. The following supplements that information. The minimum initial investment for Institutional Class shares is $1,000,000. There is no minimum subsequent investment requirement for the Institutional Class shares. This minimum amount may be changed at any time in management's discretion. Investors who invest through authorized brokers, service organizations or their designated intermediaries should submit purchase and redemption orders directly to their broker, service organization or designated intermediary. The broker or intermediary may charge you a transaction fee. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker, service organization or, if applicable, an authorized designee, accepts the order. Shares of the Fund may be purchased or redeemed on any Business Day at the net asset value next determined after receipt of the order, in good order, by DWS-SISC. Multi-Class Suitability. DWS-SDI has established the following procedures regarding the purchase of Class A and Class C shares. Orders to purchase Class C shares of $500,000 or more will be declined with the exception of orders received from firms acting for clients whose shares will be held in an omnibus account and employer-sponsored employee benefit plans using the Flex subaccount record keeping system ("Flex System") maintained by ADP under an alliance with DWS-SDI and its affiliates ("DWS Scudder Flex Plans"). The following provisions apply to DWS Scudder Flex Plans. a. Class C Share DWS Scudder Flex Plans. Orders to purchase Class C shares for a DWS Scudder Flex Plan, regardless of when such plan was established on the Flex System, will be invested instead in Class A shares at net asset value when the combined subaccount value in DWS Funds or other eligible assets held by the plan is $1,000,000 or more. This provision will be imposed for the first purchase after eligible plan assets reach the $1,000,000 threshold. A later decline in assets below the $1,000,000 threshold will not affect the plan's ability to continue to purchase Class A shares at net asset value. b. Class C Share DWS Scudder Choice Plans. Orders to purchase Class C shares for a DWS Scudder Choice Plan that has been regularly purchasing Class C shares will be invested instead in Class A shares at net asset value when the combined subaccount value in DWS Funds or other eligible assets held by the plan is $1,000,000 or more. This provision will be imposed for purchases made beginning in the month after eligible plan assets reach the $1,000,000 threshold. In addition, as a condition to being permitted to use the Choice Plan platform, plans must agree that, within one month after eligible plan assets reach the $1,000,000 threshold, all existing Class C shares held in the plan will be automatically converted to Class A shares. The procedures above do not reflect in any way the suitability of a particular class of shares for a particular investor and should not be relied upon as such. A suitability determination must be made by investors with the assistance of their financial representative. To sell shares in a retirement account other than an IRA, your request must be made in writing, except for exchanges to other eligible funds in the DWS family of funds, which can be requested by phone or in writing. To sell shares by bank wire you will need to sign up for these services when completing your account application. Automatic Investment Plan. A shareholder may purchase shares of the Fund through an automatic investment program. With the Direct Deposit Purchase Plan ("Direct Deposit"), investments are made automatically (minimum $50 and maximum $250,000 for both initial and subsequent investments) from the shareholder's account at a bank, savings and loan or credit union into the shareholder's Fund account. 48 Termination by a shareholder will become effective within thirty days after the Shareholder Service Agent has received the request. The Fund may immediately terminate a shareholder's Direct Deposit in the event that any item is unpaid by the shareholder's financial institution. Payroll Investment Plans. A shareholder may purchase shares through Payroll Direct Deposit or Government Direct Deposit. Under these programs, all or a portion of a shareholder's net pay or government check is invested each payment period. A shareholder may terminate participation in these programs by giving written notice to the shareholder's employer or government agency, as appropriate. (A reasonable time to act is required.) The Fund is not responsible for the efficiency of the employer or government agency making the payment or any financial institutions transmitting payments. Redemptions The Fund will impose a redemption fee of 2% of the total redemption amount (calculated at net asset value, without regard to the effect of any contingent deferred sales charge; any contingent deferred sales charge is also assessed on the total redemption amount without regard to the assessment of the 2% redemption fee) on all Fund shares redeemed or exchanged within 30 days of buying them (either by purchase or exchange). The redemption fee is paid directly to the Fund, and is designed to encourage long-term investment and to offset transaction and other costs associated with short-term or excessive trading. For purposes of determining whether the redemption fee applies, shares held the longest time will be treated as being redeemed first and shares held the shortest time will be treated as being redeemed last. The redemption fee is applicable to Fund shares purchased either directly or through a financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer. Transactions through financial intermediaries typically are placed with the Fund on an omnibus basis and include both purchase and sale transactions placed on behalf of multiple investors. These purchase and sale transactions are generally netted against one another and placed on an aggregate basis; consequently the identities of the individuals on whose behalf the transactions are placed generally are not known to the Fund. For this reason, the Fund has undertaken to notify financial intermediaries of their obligation to assess the redemption fee on customer accounts and to collect and remit the proceeds to the Fund. However, due to operational requirements, the intermediaries' methods for tracking and calculating the fee may be inadequate or differ in some respects from the Fund. Policies and procedures affecting transactions in fund shares can be changed at any time without notice, subject to applicable law. Transactions may be contingent upon proper completion of application forms and other documents by shareholders and their receipt by the Fund's agents. Transaction delays in processing (and changing account features) due to circumstances within or beyond the control of the Fund and its agents may occur. Shareholders (or their financial service firms) are responsible for all losses and fees resulting from bad checks, cancelled orders or the failure to consummate transactions effected pursuant to instructions reasonably believed to be genuine. A distribution will be reinvested in shares of the same fund and class if the distribution check is returned as undeliverable. Orders will be confirmed at a price based on the net asset value (including any applicable sales charge) of the Fund next determined after receipt in good order by DWS-SDI of the order accompanied by payment. However, orders received by dealers or other financial services firms prior to the determination of net asset value and received in good order by DWS-SDI prior to the close of its business day will be confirmed at a price based on the net asset value effective on that day ("trade date"). The Fund may suspend the right of redemption or delay payment more than seven days (a) during any period when the Exchange is closed other than customary weekend and holiday closings or during any period in which trading on the Exchange is restricted, (b) during any period when an emergency exists as a result of which (i) disposal of the Fund's investments is not reasonably practicable, or (ii) it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to determine the value of its net assets, or (c) for such other periods as the SEC may by order permit for the protection of the Fund's shareholders. A request for repurchase (confirmed redemption) may be communicated by a shareholder through a financial services firm to DWS-SDI, which firms must promptly submit orders to be effective. 49 Redemption requests must be unconditional. Redemption requests (and a stock power for certificated shares) must be duly endorsed by the account holder. As specified in the prospectus, signatures may need to be guaranteed by a commercial bank, trust company, savings and loan association, federal savings bank, member firm of a national securities exchange or other financial institution permitted by SEC rule. Additional documentation may be required, particularly from institutional and fiduciary account holders, such as corporations, custodians (e.g., under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act), executors, administrators, trustees or guardians. If the proceeds of the redemption (prior to the imposition of any contingent deferred sales charge) are $100,000 or less and the proceeds are payable to the shareholder of record at the address of record, normally a telephone request or a written request by any one account holder without a signature guarantee is sufficient for redemptions by individual or joint account holders, and trust, executor and guardian account holders, provided the trustee, executor or guardian is named in the account registration. Other institutional account holders may exercise this special privilege of redeeming shares by telephone request or written request without signature guarantee subject to the same conditions as individual account holders, provided that this privilege has been pre-authorized by the institutional account holder by written instruction to the Shareholder Service Agent with signatures guaranteed. This privilege may not be used to redeem shares held in certificated form and may not be used if the shareholder's account has had an address change within 15 days of the redemption request. Wires. Delivery of the proceeds of a wire redemption of $250,000 or more may be delayed by the Fund for up to seven days if the Fund or the Shareholder Service Agent deems it appropriate under then-current market conditions. The ability to send wires is limited by the business hours and holidays of the firms involved. The Fund is not responsible for the efficiency of the federal wire system or the account holder's financial services firm or bank. The account holder is responsible for any charges imposed by the account holder's firm or bank. To change the designated account to receive wire redemption proceeds, send a written request to the Fund Shareholder Service Agent with signatures guaranteed as described above or contact the firm through which Fund shares were purchased. Automatic Withdrawal Plan. The owner of $5,000 or more of a class of the Fund's shares at the offering price (net asset value plus, in the case of Class A shares, the initial sales charge) may provide for the payment from the owner's account of any requested dollar amount to be paid to the owner or a designated payee monthly, quarterly, semiannually or annually. The $5,000 minimum account size is not applicable to IRAs. The minimum periodic payment is $50. The maximum annual rate at which shares, subject to CDSC may be redeemed is 12% of the net asset value of the account. Shares are redeemed so that the payee should receive payment approximately the first of the month. Investors using this Plan must reinvest Fund distributions. Non-retirement plan shareholders may establish an Automatic Withdrawal Plan (the "Plan") to receive monthly, quarterly or periodic redemptions from his or her account for any designated amount of $50 or more. Shareholders may designate which day they want the automatic withdrawal to be processed. The check amounts may be based on the redemption of a fixed dollar amount, fixed share amount, percent of account value or declining balance. The Plan provides for income dividends and capital gains distributions, if any, to be reinvested in additional shares. Shares are then liquidated as necessary to provide for withdrawal payments. Since the withdrawals are in amounts selected by the investor and have no relationship to yield or income, payments received cannot be considered as yield or income on the investment and the resulting liquidations may deplete or possibly extinguish the initial investment and any reinvested dividends and capital gains distributions. Any such requests must be received by theFund's transfer agent ten days prior to the date of the first automatic withdrawal. An Automatic Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any time by the shareholder, the Trust or its agent on written notice, and will be terminated when all Shares of the Fund under the Plan have been liquidated or upon receipt by the Trust of notice of death of the shareholder. The purchase of Class A shares while participating in a systematic withdrawal plan will ordinarily be disadvantageous to the investor because the investor will be paying a sales charge on the purchase of shares at the same time that the investor is redeeming shares upon which a sales charge may have already been paid. Therefore, the Fund will not knowingly permit additional investments of less than $2,000 if the investor is at the same time making systematic withdrawals. Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC). The following example will illustrate the operation of the CDSC. Assume that an investor makes a single purchase of $10,000 of the Fund's Class C shares and that 16 months later the value of the shares has grown by $1,000 through reinvested dividends and by an additional $1,000 of share appreciation to a total of $12,000. If the investor were then to 50 redeem the entire $12,000 in share value, the CDSC would be payable only with respect to $10,000 because neither the $1,000 of reinvested dividends nor the $1,000 of share appreciation is subject to the charge. The charge would be at the rate of 3.00% ($300) because it was in the second year after the purchase was made. The rate of the CDSC is determined by the length of the period of ownership. Investments are tracked on a monthly basis. The period of ownership for this purpose begins the first day of the month in which the order for the investment is received. For example, an investment made in March of the year of investment will be eligible for the second year's charge if redeemed on or after March of the following year. In the event no specific order is requested when redeeming shares subject to a CDSC, the redemption will be made first from shares representing reinvested dividends and then from the earliest purchase of shares. DWS-SDI receives any CDSC directly. The charge will not be imposed upon redemption of reinvested dividends or share appreciation. The Class A CDSC will be waived in the event of: (a) redemptions by a participant-directed qualified retirement plan described in Code Section 401(a), a participant-directed non-qualified deferred compensation plan described in Code Section 457 or a participant-directed qualified retirement plan described in Code Section 403(b)(7) which is not sponsored by a K-12 school district; (b) redemptions by employer-sponsored employee benefit plans using the subaccount record keeping system made available through ADP, Inc. under an alliance with DWS-SDI and its affiliates; (c) redemption of shares of a shareholder (including a registered joint owner) who has died; (d) redemption of shares of a shareholder (including a registered joint owner) who after purchase of the shares being redeemed becomes totally disabled (as evidenced by a determination by the federal Social Security Administration); (e) redemptions under the Fund's Automatic Withdrawal Plan at a maximum of 12% per year of the net asset value of the account; and (f) redemptions of shares whose dealer of record at the time of the investment notifies DWS-SDI that the dealer waives the discretionary commission applicable to such Large Order NAV Purchase. The Class C CDSC will be waived for the circumstances set forth in items (b), (c), (d) and (e) for Class A shares. In addition, this CDSC will be waived for: (g) for redemptions made pursuant to any IRA systematic withdrawal based on the shareholder's life expectancy including, but not limited to, substantially equal periodic payments described in Internal Revenue Code Section 72(t)(2)(A)(iv) prior to age 59 1/2; (h) for redemptions to satisfy required minimum distributions after age 70 1/2 from an IRA account (with the maximum amount subject to this waiver being based only upon the shareholder's DWS Scudder IRA accounts); and (i) redemption of shares by an employer sponsored employee benefit plan that offers funds in addition to DWS Funds and whose dealer of record has waived the advance of the first year administrative service and distribution fees applicable to such shares and agrees to receive such fees quarterly, and (j) redemption of shares purchased through a dealer-sponsored asset allocation program maintained on an omnibus record-keeping system provided the dealer of record had waived the advance of the first year administrative services and distribution fees applicable to such shares and has agreed to receive such fees quarterly. 51 In-kind Redemptions. The Fund reserves the right to honor any request for redemption or repurchase by making payment in whole or in part in readily marketable securities. These securities will be chosen by the fund and valued as they are for purposes of computing the Fund's net asset value. A shareholder may incur transaction expenses in converting these securities to cash. Exchanges Shareholders may request a taxable exchange of their shares for shares of the corresponding class of other DWS Funds without imposition of a sales charge, subject to the provisions below. For purposes of calculating any CDSC, amounts exchanged retain their original cost and purchase date. Shares of money market funds that were acquired by purchase (not including shares acquired by dividend reinvestment) are subject to the applicable sales charge on exchange. Series of DWS Target Fund are available on exchange only during the Offering Period for such series as described in the applicable prospectus. Cash Management Fund Investment, Tax Free Money Fund Investment, New York Tax Free Money Fund Investment, Treasury Money Fund Investment, Money Market Fund Investment, Cash Management Fund Institutional, Cash Reserves Fund Institutional, Treasury Money Fund Institutional, Cash Reserve Fund, Inc.-Prime Series, Cash Reserve Fund, Inc.-Treasury Series, Cash Reserve Fund, Inc.-Tax-Free Series, Tax-Exempt California Money Market Fund, Cash Account Trust, Investors Municipal Cash Fund and Investors Cash Trust are available on exchange but only through a financial services firm having a services agreement with DWS-SDI. All exchanges among money funds must meet applicable investor eligibility and investment requirements. Exchanges may only be made for funds that are available for sale in the shareholder's state of residence. Currently, Tax-Exempt California Money Market Fund is available for sale only in California and the portfolios of Investors Municipal Cash Fund are available for sale in certain states. Shareholders must obtain prospectuses of the fund or funds they are exchanging into from dealers, other firms or DWS-SDI. Automatic Exchange Plan. The owner of $1,000 or more of any class of shares of a DWS Fund may authorize the automatic exchange of a specified amount ($50 minimum) of such shares for shares of the same class of another such DWS Fund. Exchanges will be made automatically until the shareholder or the Fund terminates the privilege. Exchanges are subject to the terms and conditions described above. The Fund has authorized one or more financial service institutions, including certain members of the NASD other than the Distributor ("financial institutions"), to accept purchase and redemption orders for the Fund's shares. Such financial institutions may also designate other parties, including plan administrator intermediaries, to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Fund's behalf. Orders for purchases or redemptions will be deemed to have been received by the Fund when such financial institutions or, if applicable, their authorized designees accept the orders. Subject to the terms of the contract between the Fund and the financial institution, ordinarily orders will be priced at the Fund's net asset value next computed after acceptance by such financial institution or its authorized designees and acceptance by the Fund. Further, if purchases or redemptions of the Fund's shares are arranged and settlement is made at an investor's election through any other authorized financial institution, that financial institution may, at its discretion, charge a fee for that service. The Board of Trustees and the Distributor, also the Fund's principal underwriter, each has the right to limit the amount of purchases by, and to refuse to sell to, any person. The Trustees and the Distributor may suspend or terminate the offering of shares of the Fund at any time for any reason. Dividends The Fund intends to follow the practice of distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income, which includes any excess of net realized short-term capital gains over net realized long-term capital losses. The Fund may follow the practice of distributing the entire excess of net realized long-term capital gains over net realized short-term capital losses. However, the Fund may retain all or part of such gain for reinvestment, after paying the related federal taxes for which shareholders may then be able to claim a credit against their federal income tax liability. If the Fund does not distribute the amount of capital gain and/or ordinary income required to be distributed by an excise tax provision of the Code, the Fund may be subject to that excise tax. In certain circumstances, the Fund may determine that it is in the interest of shareholders to distribute less than the required amount. 52 The Fund intends to pay distributions of substantially all of its income annually. Any dividends or capital gains distributions declared in October, November or December with a record date in such a month and paid during the following January will be treated by shareholders for federal income tax purposes as if received on December 31 of the calendar year declared. Dividends paid by the Fund with respect to each class of its shares will be calculated in the same manner, at the same time and on the same day. The level of income dividends per share (as a percentage of net asset value) will be lower for Class C shares than for Class A shares primarily as a result of the distribution services fee applicable to Class C shares. Distributions of capital gains, if any, will be paid in the same amount for each class. Income and capital gain distributions, if any, of the Fund will be credited to shareholder accounts in full and fractional shares of the same class of the Fund at net asset value on the reinvestment date, except that, upon written request to the Shareholder Service Agent, a shareholder may select one of the following options: 1. To receive income and short-term capital gain distributions in cash and long-term capital gain distributions in shares of the same class at net asset value; or 2. To receive income and capital gain distributions in cash. Dividends will be reinvested in shares of the same class of the Fund unless shareholders indicate in writing that they wish to receive them in cash or in shares of other DWS Funds with multiple classes of shares or DWS Funds as provided in the prospectus. See "Combined Purchases" for a listing of such other funds. To use this privilege of investing dividends of the Fund in shares of another DWS Fund, shareholders must maintain a minimum account value of $1,000 in the Fund distributing the dividends. The Fund will reinvest dividend checks (and future dividends) in shares of that same Fund and class if checks are returned as undeliverable. Dividends and other distributions of the Fund in the aggregate amount of $10 or less are automatically reinvested in shares of the Fund unless the shareholder requests that such policy not be applied to the shareholder's account. If an investment is in the form of a retirement plan, all dividends and capital gains distributions must be reinvested into the shareholder's account. If a shareholder has elected to reinvest any dividends and/or other distributions, such distributions will be made in shares of the Fund and confirmations will be mailed to the shareholder. If a shareholder has chosen to receive cash, a check will be sent. Distributions of investment company taxable income and net realized capital gains are taxable, whether made in shares or cash. Each distribution is accompanied by a brief explanation of the form and character of the distribution. The characterization of distributions on such correspondence may differ from the characterization for federal tax purposes. In January of each year, the Fund issues to each shareholder a statement of the federal income tax status of all distributions in the prior calendar year. The Fund may at any time vary its foregoing dividend practices and, therefore, reserves the right from time to time to either distribute or retain for reinvestment such of its net investment income and its net short-term and long-term capital gains as its Board determines appropriate under the then current circumstances. In particular, and without limiting the foregoing, the Fund may make additional distributions of net investment income or capital gain net income in order to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements contained in the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code"). 53 TAXES The following is intended to be a general summary of certain federal income tax consequences of investing in the Fund. It is not intended as a complete discussion of all such consequences, nor does it purport to deal with all categories of investors. Investors are therefore advised to consult with their tax advisors before making an investment in the Fund. The summary is based on the laws in effect on the date of this statement of additional information and existing judicial and administrative interpretations thereof, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. Taxation of the Fund. The Fund has elected to be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code and has qualified as such since its inception. The Fund intends to continue to so qualify in each taxable year as required under the Code in order to avoid payment of federal income tax at the Fund level. In order to qualify as a regulated investment company, the Fund must meet certain requirements regarding the source of its income, the diversification of its assets, and the distribution of its income: (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures, or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies and (ii) net income derived from interests in "qualified publicly traded partnerships" (as defined below); (b) The Fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund's assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies and other securities limited in respect of any one issuer of such other securities to a value not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its assets is invested in the securities (other than those of the U.S. Government or other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer, of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses or in the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships. (c) The Fund is required to distribute to its shareholders at least 90% of its taxable and tax-exempt net investment income (including the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital losses) and generally is not subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes annually such net investment income and net realized capital gains in the manner required under the Code. Fund investments in partnerships, including in qualified publicly traded partnerships, may result in the Fund's being subject to state, local or foreign income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities. If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify for the special federal income tax treatment afforded regulated investment companies, all of its taxable income will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates (without any deduction for distributions to its shareholders), and all distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Such distributions would be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. 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 that is accorded special tax treatment. The Fund is subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on amounts required to be but that are not distributed under a prescribed formula. The formula requires payment to shareholders during a calendar year of distributions representing at least 98% of the Fund's taxable ordinary income for the calendar year and at least 98% of the excess of its capital gains over capital losses realized during the one-year period ending October 31 (in most cases) of such year as well as amounts that were neither distributed nor taxed to the Fund during the prior calendar year. Although the Fund's distribution policies should enable it to avoid excise tax liability, the Fund may retain (and be subject to income or excise tax on) a portion of its capital gain or other income if it appears to be in the interest of the Fund. 54 Taxation of Fund distributions. Distributions from the Fund generally will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income to the extent derived from investment income and net short-term capital gains. Distributions of net capital gains (that is, the excess of net gains from the sale of capital assets held more than one year over net losses from the sale of capital assets held for not more than one year) properly designated as capital gain dividends will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long a shareholder has held the shares in the Fund. Long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals have been temporarily reduced--in general, to 15% with a lower rate applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% rate brackets--for taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008. For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, "qualified dividend income" received by an individual will be taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. Qualified dividend income does not include interest from fixed-income securities. In order for some portion of the dividends received by the Fund shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund's shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, or (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest. In order for a dividend paid by a foreign corporation to constitute "qualified dividend income," the foreign corporation must (1) be eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (or the stock on which the dividend is paid must be readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States), and (2) not be treated as a passive foreign investment company. In general, distributions of investment income designated by a regulated investment company as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual, provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Fund's shares. If the aggregate qualified dividends received by the Fund during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income (excluding net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), then 100% of the Fund's dividends (other than properly designated capital gain dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, the only gain included in the term "gross income" is the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss. Capital gains distributions may be reduced if Fund capital loss carryforwards are available. Any capital loss carryforwards and any post-October loss deferrals to which the Fund is entitled are disclosed in the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. All distributions by the Fund result in a reduction in the net asset value of the Fund's shares. Should a distribution reduce the net asset value below a shareholder's cost basis, such distribution would nevertheless be taxable to the shareholder as ordinary income or capital gain as described above, even though, from an investment standpoint, it may constitute a partial return of capital. In particular, investors should be careful to consider the tax implications of buying shares just prior to a distribution. The price of shares purchased at that time includes the amount of the forthcoming distribution. Those purchasing just prior to a distribution will receive a partial return of capital upon the distribution, which will nevertheless be taxable to them. Sale or redemption of shares. The sale, exchange or redemption of Fund shares may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Fund shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares of the Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. 55 Dividends received deduction. It is not anticipated that dividends from domestic corporations will comprise a substantial part of the Fund's gross income. If any such dividends constitute a portion of the Fund's gross income, a portion of the income distributions of the Fund may be eligible for the 70% deduction for dividends received by corporations. Shareholders will be informed of the portion of dividends which so qualify. The dividends-received deduction is reduced to the extent the shares of the Fund with respect to which the dividends are received are treated as debt-financed under federal income tax law and is eliminated if either those shares or the shares of the Fund are deemed to have been held by the Fund or the shareholder, as the case may be, for fewer than 46 days during the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the shares become ex-dividend. Foreign Taxation. Foreign withholding or other foreign taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains) on certain foreign securities may occur. These taxes may be reduced or eliminated under the terms of an applicable U.S. income tax treaty. The Fund may elect for U.S. income tax purposes to treat foreign taxes paid by it as paid by its shareholders if more than 50% of the Fund's total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of stock or securities of foreign corporations. The Fund may qualify for and make this election in some, but not necessarily all, of its taxable years. If the Fund were to make such an election, shareholders of the Fund would be required to take into account an amount equal to their pro rata portions of such foreign taxes in computing their taxable income and then treat an amount equal to those foreign taxes as a U.S. federal income tax deduction or as a foreign tax credit against their U.S. federal income taxes. No deduction for foreign taxes may be claimed by a shareholder who does not itemize deductions. Certain limitations will be imposed on the extent to which the credit (but not the deduction) for foreign taxes may be claimed. Passive Foreign Investment Companies. Equity investments by the Fund in certain "passive foreign investment companies" ("PFICs") could potentially subject the Fund to a U.S. federal income tax (including interest charges) on distributions received from the company or on proceeds received from the disposition of shares in the company, which tax cannot be eliminated by making distributions to the Fund shareholders. However, the Fund may elect to avoid the imposition of that tax. For example, the Fund may elect to treat a PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" (a "QEF election"), in which case the Fund will be required to include its share of the company's income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it receives any distribution from the company. The Fund also may make an election to mark the gains (and to a limited extent losses) in such holdings "to the market" as though it had sold and repurchased its holdings in those PFICs on the last day of the Fund's taxable year. The election must be made separately for each PFIC owned by the Fund and, once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable years, unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. Such gains and losses are treated as ordinary income and loss. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may accelerate the recognition of income (without the 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 the Fund to liquidate other investments (including when it is not advantageous to do so) to meet its distribution requirement, which also may accelerate the recognition of gain and affect the Fund's total return. Dividends paid by PFICs will not be eligible to be treated as "qualified dividend income." Tax effects of certain transactions. The Fund's use of options, futures contracts, forward contracts (to the extent permitted) and certain other Strategic Transactions will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale, short sale and other rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income, defer losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of portfolio securities, convert capital gains into ordinary income and convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to investors. Transactions in foreign currencies, foreign investment currency-denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts, forward contracts and similar instruments (to the extent permitted) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. The Fund's investment in zero coupon bonds and other debt obligations having original issue discount may cause the Fund to recognize taxable income in excess of any cash received from the investment. 56 Under current law, the Fund serves to block unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI") from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in the Fund if either: (1) the Fund invests in real estate investment trusts ("REITs") that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits ("REMICs"); or (2) shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b). If a charitable remainder trust (as defined in Code Section 664) realizes any UBTI for a taxable year, it will lose its tax-exempt status for the year. The Fund may invest in REITs that hold residual interests in REMICs. As a result of entering into swap contracts, the Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. The Fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction. Periodic net payments will generally constitute ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the Fund has been a party to the swap for more than one year). Other tax considerations. Under the backup withholding provisions of the Code, redemption proceeds as well as distributions may be subject to federal income tax withholding for certain shareholders, including those who fail to furnish the Fund with their taxpayer identification numbers and certifications as to their tax status. Shareholders of the Fund may be subject to state and local taxes on distributions received from the Fund and on redemptions of the Fund's shares. Special tax rules apply to investments through defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the suitability of shares of the Fund as an investment through such plans and the precise effect of an investment on their particular tax situation. If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Fund's shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service 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. 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. Non-U.S. Shareholders. In general, dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid by the Fund to a shareholder that is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (such shareholder, a "foreign person") are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) 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, before January 1, 2008, the Fund will not be required to withhold any amounts (i) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to a foreign person (w) that has not provided a satisfactory statement that the beneficial owner is not a U.S. person, (x) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the foreign person is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer, (y) that is within certain foreign countries that have inadequate information exchange with the United States, or (z) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the foreign person and the foreign person is a controlled foreign corporation) from U.S.-source interest income that would not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign person, to the extent such distributions are properly designated by the Fund, and (ii) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to an individual foreign person who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the distribution) of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, to the extent such distributions are properly designated by the Fund. Depending on the circumstances, the Fund may make such designations with respect to all, some or none of its potentially eligible dividends and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a foreign person will need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-US status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN or substitute Form). In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if the Fund makes a designation with respect to a payment. Foreign persons should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts. 57 If a beneficial holder who is a foreign person has a trade or business in the United States, and the dividends are effectively connected with the conduct by the beneficial holder of a trade or business in the United States, the dividend will be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at regular income tax rates. Shareholders of the Fund may be subject to state and local taxes on distributions received from the Fund and on redemptions of the Fund's shares. Special tax rules apply to investments though defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their tax adviser to determine the suitability of shares of a fund as an investment through such plans and the precise effect of and investment on their particular tax situation. Under Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Fund's shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service 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. NET ASSET VALUE The net asset value of shares of the Fund is computed as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") on each day the Exchange is open for trading (the "Value Time"). The Exchange is scheduled to be closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and on the preceding Friday or subsequent Monday when one of these holidays falls on a Saturday or Sunday, respectively. Net asset value per share is determined separately for each class of shares by dividing the value of the total assets of the Fund attributable to the shares of that class, less all liabilities attributable to that class, by the total number of shares of that class outstanding. The per share net asset value may be lower for certain classes of the Fund because of higher expenses borne by these classes. An equity security is valued at its most recent sale price on the security's primary exchange or over-the-counter ("OTC") market as of the Value Time. Lacking any sales, the security is valued at the calculated mean between the most recent bid quotation and the most recent asked quotation (the "Calculated Mean") on such exchange or OTC market as of the Value Time. If it is not possible to determine the Calculated Mean, the security is valued at the most recent bid quotation on such exchange or OTC market as of the Value Time. In the case of certain foreign exchanges or OTC markets, the closing price reported by the exchange or OTC market (which may sometimes be referred to as the " official close" or the "official closing price" or other similar term) will be considered the most recent sale price. Debt securities are valued as follows. Money market instruments purchased with an original or remaining maturity of 60 days or less, maturing at par, are valued at amortized cost. Other money market instruments are valued based on information obtained from an approved pricing agent or, if such information is not readily available, by using matrix pricing techniques (formula driven calculations based primarily on current market yields). Bank loans are valued at prices supplied by an approved pricing agent (which are intended to reflect the mean between the bid and asked prices), if available, and otherwise at the mean of the most recent bid and asked quotations or evaluated prices, as applicable, based on quotations or evaluated prices obtained from one or more broker-dealers. Privately placed debt securities, other than Rule 144A debt securities, initially are valued at cost and thereafter based on all relevant factors including type of security, size of holding and restrictions on disposition. Municipal debt securities are valued at prices supplied by an approved pricing agent (which are intended to reflect the mean between the bid and asked prices), if available, and otherwise at the average of the means based on the most recent bid and asked quotations or evaluated prices obtained from two broker-dealers. Other debt securities are valued at prices supplied by an approved pricing agent, if available, and otherwise at the most recent bid quotation or evaluated price, as applicable, obtained from one or more broker-dealers. If it is not possible to value a particular debt security pursuant to the above methods, the security is valued on the basis of factors including (but not limited to) maturity, coupon, creditworthiness, currency denomination, and the movement of the market in which the security is normally traded. 58 An exchange-traded option contract on securities, currencies and other financial instruments is valued at its most recent sale price on the relevant exchange. Lacking any sales, the option contract is valued at the Calculated Mean. If it is not possible to determine the Calculated Mean, the option contract is valued at the most recent bid quotation in the case of a purchased option contract or the most recent asked quotation in the case of a written option contract, in each case as of the Value Time. An option contract on securities, currencies and other financial instruments traded in the OTC market is valued on the Value Date at the evaluated price provided by the broker-dealer with which it was traded. Futures contracts (and options thereon) are valued at the most recent settlement price, if available, on the security's primary exchange. With the exception of stock index futures, contracts which trade on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, closing settlement times are prior to the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. For stock index futures contracts which trade on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, closing settlement prices are normally available at approximately 4:20 p.m. Eastern time. If no settlement price is available, the last traded price on such exchange will be used. If market quotations for a portfolio asset are not readily available or the value of a portfolio asset as determined in accordance with Board approved procedures does not represent the fair market value of the portfolio asset, the value of the portfolio asset is taken to be an amount which, in the opinion of the Fund's Pricing Committee (or, in some cases, the Board's Valuation Committee), represents fair market value. The value of other portfolio holdings owned by the Fund is determined in a manner which is intended to fairly reflect the fair market value of the asset on the valuation date, based on valuation procedures adopted by the Fund's Board and overseen primarily by the Fund's Pricing Committee. TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS [TO BE UPDATED] The overall business and affairs of the Trust and the Fund is managed by the Board of Trustees. The Board approves all significant agreements between the Fund and persons or companies furnishing services to the Fund, including the Fund agreements with its investment advisor, distributor, custodian and transfer agent. The Board of Trustees and the executive officers are responsible for managing the Fund affairs and for exercising the Fund powers except those reserved for the shareholders and those assigned to the Advisor or other service providers. Each Trustee holds office until he or she resigns, is removed or a successor is appointed or elected and qualified. Each officer is elected to serve until he or she resigns, is removed or a successor has been duly appointed and qualified. The following information is provided for each Trustee and Officer of the Trust and the Fund's Board as of July 1, 2006. The first section of the table lists information for each Trustee who is not an "interested person" of the Trust and Fund. Information for the Non-Independent Trustee ("Interested Trustee") follows. The Interested Trustee is considered to be interested persons as defined by the 1940 Act because of their employment with either the Fund's advisor and/or underwriter. The mailing address for the Trustees and Officers with respect to the Trust's operations is One South Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The following individuals hold the same position with the Fund and the Trust. 59
Independent Trustees - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name, Date of Birth, Position with the Number of Funds Fund and Length of Time Business Experience and Directorships in DWS Fund Served(1) During the Past 5 Years Complex Overseen - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Martin J. Gruber Nomura Professor of Finance, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New 51 7/15/37 York University (since September 1965); Director, Japan Equity Fund, Trustee, 2002-present Inc. (since January 1992), Thai Capital Fund, Inc. (since January 2000) and Singapore Fund, Inc. (since January 2000) (registered investment companies), DWS Global High Income Fund, Inc. (since October 2005), DWS Global Commodities Stock Fund, Inc. (since October 2005). Formerly, Trustee, TIAA (pension funds) (January 1996-January 2000); Trustee, CREF and CREF Mutual Funds (January 2000-March 2005); Chairman, CREF and CREF Mutual Funds, (February 2004-March 2005) and Director, S.G. Cowen Mutual Funds (January 1985- January 2001) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Richard J. Herring Jacob Safra Professor of International Banking and Professor, Finance 51 2/18/46 Department, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (since Trustee, 2002-present July 1972); Director, Lauder Institute of International Management Studies (since July 2000); Co-Director, Wharton Financial Institutions Center (since July 2000); Director, DWS Global High Income Fund, Inc. (since October 2005), DWS Global Commodities Stock Fund, Inc. (since October 2005). Formerly, Vice Dean and Director, Wharton Undergraduate Division (July 1995-June 2000) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Graham E. Jones Senior Vice President, BGK Realty, Inc. (commercial real estate) 51 1/31/33 (since 1995); Director, DWS Global High Income Fund, Inc. (since Trustee, 1993-present October 2005), DWS Global Commodities Stock Fund, Inc. (since October 2005). Formerly, Trustee of various investment companies managed by Sun Capital Advisers, Inc. (1998-2005); Trustee, Morgan Stanley Asset Management, various funds (1985-2001); Trustee, Weiss, Peck and Greer, various funds (1985-2005) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rebecca W. Rimel President and Chief Executive Officer, The Pew Charitable Trusts 51 4/10/51 (charitable foundation) (1994 to present); Trustee, Thomas Jefferson Trustee, 2002-present Foundation (charitable organization) (1994-present); Trustee, Executive Committee, Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (2001-present); Director, DWS Global High Income Fund, Inc. (since October 2005), DWS Global Commodities Stock Fund, Inc. (since October 2005). Formerly, Executive Vice President, The Glenmede Trust Company (investment trust and wealth management) (1983 -2004); Board Member, Investor Education (charitable organization) (2004-2005) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Philip Saunders, Jr. Principal, Philip Saunders Associates (economic and financial 51 10/11/35 consulting) (since November 1988); Director, DWS Global High Income Trustee, 2002-present Fund, Inc. (since October 2005), DWS Global Commodities Stock Fund, Inc. (since October 2005). Formerly, Director, Financial Industry Consulting, Wolf & Company (consulting) (1987-1988); President, John Hancock Home Mortgage Corporation (1984-1986); Senior Vice President of Treasury and Financial Services, John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, Inc. (1982-1986) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- William N. Searcy, Jr. Private investor since October 2003; Trustee of 7 open-end mutual 51 9/03/46 funds managed by Sun Capital Advisers, Inc. (since October 1998); Lead Trustee, 1993-present Director, DWS Global High Income Fund, Inc. (since October 2005), DWS Global Commodities Stock Fund, Inc. (since October 2005). Formerly, Pension & Savings Trust Officer, Sprint Corporation(3) (telecommunications) (November 1989-September 2003) - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
60 Interested Trustee
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- William N. Shiebler(2) Vice Chairman, Deutsche Asset Management ("DeAM") and a member of the 120 2/06/42 DeAM Global Executive Committee (since 2002); Vice Chairman of Putnam Trustee, 2004-present Investments, Inc. (1999); Director and Senior Managing Director of Putnam Investments, Inc. and President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Putnam Mutual Funds Inc. (1990-1999) - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officers
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name, Date of Birth, Position with the Fund and Length of Time Business Experience and Directorships Served(1) During the Past 5 Years - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vincent J. Esposito(5) Managing Director(4), Deutsche Asset Management (since 2003); President and Chief 6/8/56 Executive Officer of The Central Europe and Russia Fund, Inc., The European Equity President, 2005-present Fund, Inc., The New Germany Fund, Inc. (since 2003) (registered investment companies); Vice Chairman and Director of The Brazil Fund, Inc. (2004-present); formerly, Managing Director, Putnam Investments (1991-2002) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paul H. Schubert(5) Managing Director(4), Deutsche Asset Management (since July 2004); formerly, Executive 1/11/63 Director, Head of Mutual Fund Services and Treasurer for UBS Family of Funds Chief Financial Officer, (1998-2004); Vice President and Director of Mutual Fund Finance at UBS Global Asset since 2004 Management (1994-1998) Treasurer, 2005-present - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Millette(5) Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management 8/23/62 Secretary, 2003-present - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Patricia DeFilippis(4) Vice President, Deutsche Asset Management (since June 2005); Counsel, New York Life 6/21/63 Investment Management LLC (2003-2005); legal associate, Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC Assistant Secretary, (1998-2003) 2005-present - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elisa D. Metzger(4) Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management (since September 2005); Counsel, Morrison and 9/15/62 Foerster LLP (1999-2005) Assistant Secretary, 2005-present - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Caroline Pearson(5) Managing Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management 4/01/62 Assistant Secretary, 2002-present - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scott M. McHugh(5) Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management 9/13/71 Assistant Treasurer, 2005-present - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kathleen Sullivan Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management D'Eramo(5) 1/25/57 Assistant Treasurer, 2003-present - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Robbins(4) Managing Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management (since 2005); formerly, Chief 4/8/66 Compliance Officer and Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer for GE Asset Anti-Money Laundering Management (1999-2005) Compliance Officer, 2005-present - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
61
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name, Date of Birth, Position with the Fund and Length of Time Business Experience and Directorships Served(1) During the Past 5 Years - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Philip Gallo(4) Managing Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management (2003-present). Formerly, Co-Head of 8/02/62 Goldman Sachs Asset Management Legal (1994-2003) Chief Compliance Officer, 2004-present - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A. Thomas Smith(4) Managing Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management (2004-present); formerly, General 12/14/56 Counsel, Morgan Stanley and Van Kampen and Investments (1999-2004); Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Associate General Counsel, New York Life Insurance Company (1994-1999); senior 2005-present attorney, The Dreyfus Corporation (1991-1993); senior attorney, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP (1989-1991); staff attorney, US Securities & Exchange Commission and the Illinois Securities Department (1986-1989) - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Length of time served represents the date that each Trustee or officer first began serving in that position with DWS Advisor Funds of which this Fund is a series. (2) Mr. Shiebler is a Trustee who is an "interested person" within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. Mr. Shiebler is a Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Management, the US asset management unit of Deutsche Bank AG and its affiliates. Mr. Shiebler's business address is 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154. (3) Executive title, not a board directorship. (4) Address: 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154. (5) Address: Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. Each Officer also holds similar positions for other investment companies for which DeAM, Inc. or an affiliate serves as the advisor. Officer's Role with Principal Underwriter: DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc. Vincent J. Esposito: Director, Chairman of the Board, CEO and Vice President Paul H. Schubert: Vice President Caroline Pearson: Secretary Information Concerning Committees and Meetings of Trustees The Board of Trustees of the Trust met 10 times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005 and each Trustee attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board and meetings of the committees of the Board of Trustees on which such Trustee served. Board Committees. The Board of Trustees oversees a number of investment companies managed by the Advisor. Information shown below represents meetings held on behalf of all such funds. The common Board currently has the following committees: Audit Committee. The Audit Committee, formerly known as the Audit and Compliance Committee, selects the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund, confers with the independent registered public accounting firm regarding the Fund's financial statements, the results of audits and related matters, and performs such other tasks as it deems necessary or appropriate. The Audit Committee approves all significant services proposed to be performed by the independent registered public accounting firm and considers the possible effect of such services on their independence. The members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Saunders (Chair), Jones, Herring and Searcy. The Audit Committee met seven times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005. 62 Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee. The primary responsibilities of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee are to make recommendations to the Board on issues related to the composition and operation of the Board, and communicate with management on those issues. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee also evaluates and nominates Board member candidates. Fund shareholders may also submit nominees that will be considered by the Committee when a Board vacancy occurs. Submissions should be mailed to the attention of the Secretary of the Funds. The members of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee are Mr. Jones and Ms. Rimel. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee, which meets as often as deemed appropriate by the Committee, met five times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005. Valuation Committee. The Valuation Committee oversees the valuation of the Fund's securities and other assets in accordance with the Fund's Valuation Procedures. Messrs. Herring, Gruber and Saunders (Chair) are members of the Committee. All other Trustees serve as alternates (Independent and Interested). Two Trustees are required to constitute a quorum for meetings of the Valuation Committee. The Valuation Committee met six times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005. Additional Committees. The Board of Trustees has established a Fixed Income Oversight Committee and an Equity Oversight Committee. The members of the Fixed Income Oversight Committee are Messrs. Jones and Searcy (Chair). The members of the Equity Oversight Committee are Messrs. Gruber (Chair), Herring, Saunders and Rimel. The Fixed Income Oversight and Equity Oversight Committees periodically review the investment performance of the Fund. The Fixed Income Oversight Committee met six times and the Equity Oversight Committee met six times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005. Marketing/Shareholder Service Committee: The Marketing/Shareholder Service Committee oversees (i) the quality, costs and types of shareholder services provided to the Funds and their shareholders, and (ii) the distribution-related services provided to the Fund and their shareholders. The members of the committee are Messrs. Gruber, Herring (Chair), Shiebler and Ms. Rimel. The Marketing/Shareholder Service Committee met six times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005. Legal/Regulatory/Compliance Committee: The Legal/Regulatory/Compliance Committee oversees (i) the significant legal affairs of the Fund, including the handling of pending or threatened litigation or regulatory action involving the Fund, and (ii) general compliance matters relating to the Fund. The members of the Legal/Regulatory/Compliance Committee are Mr. Searcy and Ms. Rimel. The Legal/Regulatory/Compliance Committee met six times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005. Expense/Operations Committee: The Expense/Operations Committee (previously known as the Operations Committee) (i) monitors the Fund's total operating expense levels, (ii) oversees the provision of administrative services to the Funds, including the Fund's custody, fund accounting and insurance arrangements, and (iii) reviews the Fund's investment advisers' brokerage practices, including the implementation of related policies. The members of the Expense/Operations Committee are Messrs. Jones (Chair), Saunders and Searcy. The Expense/Operations Committee met six times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005. Remuneration. Officers of the Fund receive no direct remuneration from the Fund. Officers and Trustees of the Fund who are officers or Trustees of Deutsche Asset Management or the Advisor may be considered to have received remuneration indirectly. Each Trustee who is not an "interested person" of the Fund receives compensation from the Fund for his or her services, which includes an annual retainer fee and an attendance fee for each Board meeting attended (plus reimbursement for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with his or her attendance at board meetings). Additionally, each Independent Trustee receives a fee for each telephonic Audit Committee or Board meeting in which he or she participates. Each Independent Trustee also may receive a fee for certain special committee meetings attended. In addition, the Chair of the Audit Committee receives an annual fee for his services. Members of the Board of Trustees who are employees of the Advisor or its affiliates receive no direct compensation from the Fund, although they are compensated as employees of the Advisor, or its affiliates, and as a result may be deemed to participate in fees paid by the Fund. The following table shows compensation received by each Trustee from the Trust and the Fund and aggregate compensation from the Fund Complex during the calendar year 2005. 63
Pension or Retirement Total Compensation Paid to Compensation from DWS Benefits Accrued as Trustee from the Fund and Name of Trustee Advisor Funds Part of Fund Expenses the Fund Complex(1),(3) --------------- ------------- --------------------- ----------------------- Martin J. Gruber $135,000 Richard J. Herring(2) $136,000 Graham E. Jones $144,000 Rebecca W. Rimel(2) $146,280 Philip Saunders, Jr. $145,000 William N. Searcy, Jr. $150,500
(1) During calendar year 2005, the total number of funds overseen by each Trustee was 55 funds. (2) Of the amounts payable to Ms. Rimel and Mr. Herring $45,630 and $28,724, respectively, was deferred pursuant to a deferred compensation plan. (3) Aggregate compensation reflects amounts paid to the Trustees for special meetings of ad hoc committees of the New York Board in connection with the possible consolidation of the various DWS Fund Boards and with respect to legal and regulatory matters. Such amounts totaled $3,000 for Mr. Gruber, $3,000 for Mr. Herring, $11,000 for Mr. Jones, $12,280 for Ms. Rimel, $3,500 for Mr. Saunders and $17,500 for Mr. Searcy. These meeting fees were borne by the funds. Certain funds in the Fund Complex, including this Fund, have adopted a Retirement Plan for Trustees who are not employees of the Trust, the Trust's Administrator or their respective affiliates (the "Retirement Plan"). After completion of six years of service, each participant in the Retirement Plan will be entitled to receive an annual retirement benefit equal to a percentage of the fee earned by the participant in his or her last year of service. Upon retirement, each participant will receive annually 10% of such fee for each year that he or she served after completion of the first five years, up to a maximum annual benefit of 50% of the fee earned by the participant in his or her last year of service. The fee will be paid quarterly, for life, by the fund for which he or she serves. The Retirement Plan is unfunded and unvested. Such fees are allocated to each of the 25 funds that have adopted the Retirement Plan based upon the relative net assets of such fund. Trustee Ownership in the Fund(1)
Dollar Range of Beneficial Ownership in Aggregate Dollar Range of Ownership as of DWS RREEF Global Real 12/31/05 in all Funds Overseen by Trustee Trustee Estate Securities Fund in the Fund Complex(2) - ------- ---------------------- ---------------------- Independent Trustees: Martin J. Gruber None Over $100,000 Richard J. Herring None Over $100,000 Graham E. Jones None Over $100,000 Rebecca W. Rimel None Over $100,000 Philip Saunders, Jr. None Over $100,000 William N. Searcy, Jr. None Over $100,000 Interested Trustee: William N. Shiebler None Over $100,000
64 (1) The amount shown includes share equivalents of funds which the board member is deemed to be invested pursuant to the Fund's deferred compensation plan. The inclusion therein of any shares deemed beneficially owned does not constitute an admission of beneficial ownership of the shares. (2) Securities beneficially owned as defined under the 1934 Act include direct and/or indirect ownership of securities where the Trustee's economic interest is tied to the securities, employment ownership and securities when the Trustee can exert voting power and when the Trustee has authority to sell the securities. The dollar ranges are: None, $1-$10,000, $10,001-$50,000, $50,001-$100,000, over $100,000. Ownership in Securities of the Advisor and Related Companies As reported to the Fund, the information in the following table reflects ownership by the Independent Trustees and their immediate family members of certain securities as of December 31, 2005. An immediate family member can be a spouse, children residing in the same household including step and adoptive children and any dependents. The securities represent ownership in an investment advisor or principal underwriter of the Fund and any persons (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment advisor or principal underwriter of the Fund (including Deutsche Bank AG).
Value of Percent of Owner and Securities on Class on an Relationship to Title of an Aggregate Aggregate Independent Trustee Trustee Company Class Basis Basis - ------------------- ------- ------- ----- ----- ----- Martin J. Gruber n/a None n/a n/a n/a Richard Herring n/a None n/a n/a n/a Graham E. Jones n/a None n/a n/a n/a Rebecca W. Rimel n/a None n/a n/a n/a Philip Saunders, Jr. n/a None n/a n/a n/a William N. Searcy, Jr. n/a None n/a n/a n/a
Set forth in the table below are the estimated annual benefits payable to a participant upon retirement assuming various years of service and payment of a percentage of the fee earned by such participant in his or her last year of service, as described above. Estimated Annual Benefits Payable By Fund Complex Upon Retirement ----------------------------------------------------------------- Years of Service Chair Audit Committee Other Participants - ---------------- --------------------- ------------------ 6 years $4,900 $3,900 7 years $9,800 $7,800 8 years $14,700 $11,700 9 years $19,600 $15,600 10 years or more $24,500 $19,500 Effective February 12, 2001, the Board of Trustees of the Trust, as well as the Fund participating in the Retirement Plan, voted to amend the Plan as part of an overall review of the compensation paid to Trustees. The amendments provided that no further benefits would accrue to any current or future Trustees and included a onetime payment of benefits accrued under the Plan to Trustees, as calculated based on the following actuarial assumptions: (1) retirement benefits at the later of age 65 or 10 years of service based on a 10% per year of service vesting schedule; (2) a 6% interest rate; and (3) rounding all calculations to the next whole year as of January 31, 2001. At each Trustee's election, this one-time payment could be transferred into the Deferred Compensation Plan, described below. Any Trustee who receives fees from the Fund is permitted to defer 50% to 100% of his or her annual compensation pursuant to a Deferred Compensation Plan. Messrs. Herring, Saunders and Ms. Rimel have each executed a Deferred Compensation 65 Agreement. Currently, the deferring Trustees may select from among certain funds in the DWS Family of funds in which all or part of their deferral account shall be deemed to be invested. Distributions from the deferring Trustees' deferral accounts will be paid in cash, in generally equal quarterly installments over a period of ten years. Agreement to Indemnify Independent Trustees for Certain Expenses In connection with litigation or regulatory action related to possible improper market timing or other improper trading activity or possible improper marketing and sales activity in the Fund, the Fund's investment advisor has agreed, subject to applicable law and regulation, to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund against any and all loss, damage, liability and expense, arising from market timing or marketing and sales matters alleged in any enforcement actions brought by governmental authorities involving or potentially affecting the Fund or the investment advisor ("Enforcement Actions") or that are the basis for private actions brought by shareholders of the Fund against the Fund, its directors and officers, the Fund's investment advisor and/or certain other parties ("Private Litigation"), or any proceedings or actions that may be threatened or commenced in the future by any person (including governmental authorities), arising from or similar to the matters alleged in the Enforcement Actions or Private Litigation. In recognition of its undertaking to indemnify the Fund and in light of the rebuttable presumption generally afforded to independent directors/trustees of investment companies that they have not engaged in disabling conduct, the Fund's investment advisor has also agreed, subject to applicable law and regulation, to indemnify the Funds' Independent Trustees against certain liabilities the Independent Trustees may incur from the matters alleged in any Enforcement Actions or Private Litigation or arising from or similar to the matters alleged in the Enforcement Actions or Private Litigation, and advance expenses that may be incurred by the Independent Trustees in connection with any Enforcement Actions or Private Litigation. The investment advisor is not, however, required to provide indemnification and advancement of expenses: (1) with respect to any proceeding or action with respect to which the Fund's Board determines that the Independent Trustee ultimately would not be entitled to indemnification or (2) for any liability of the Independent Trustee to the Fund or its shareholders to which the Independent Trustee would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the Independent Trustee's duties as a director of the Fund as determined in a final adjudication in such action or proceeding. The estimated amount of any expenses that may be advanced to the Independent Trustees or indemnity that may be payable under the indemnity agreements is currently unknown. These agreements by the Fund's investment advisor will survive the termination of the investment management agreements between the investment advisor and the Fund. TRUST ORGANIZATION The Fund is a separate series of the Trust. The Trust offers shares of beneficial interest of separate series, par value $0.001 per share. On February 6, 2006, the name of the Trust was changed from Scudder Advisor Funds to DWS Advisor Funds. The Trust consists of nine separate series, including DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund, which offers Class A, Class C, Class S and Institutional Class shares. Class S shares of the Fund are offered through a separate statement of additional information. The shares of the other series of the Trust are offered through separate prospectuses and statements of additional information. The shares of each series participate equally in the earnings, dividends and assets of the particular series - no series of shares has any preference over any other series. The Trust may create and reserves the right to issue additional series of shares, and more than one class of shares of the Fund. The Trust's Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to divide or combine the shares into a greater or lesser number of shares without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interest in a series. Each share represents an equal proportionate interest in a series with each other share. Shares when issued are fully paid and non-assessable, except as set forth below. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each share held. The Trust is an entity commonly known as a "Massachusetts business trust." Massachusetts law provides that shareholders could under certain circumstances be held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. However, the Declaration of Trust disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of this disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or a Trustee. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification from the Trust's property for all losses and expenses of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. Thus, the risk of shareholders incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and the Trust itself was unable to meet its obligations, a possibility that the Trust believes is remote. Upon 66 payment of any liability incurred by the Trust, the shareholder paying the liability will be entitled to reimbursement from the general assets of the Trust. The Trustees intend to conduct the operations of the Trust in a manner so as to avoid, as far as possible, ultimate liability of the shareholders for liabilities of the Trust. Each share, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the offering, is fully paid and non-assessable. Shares have no preemptive or subscription rights and are freely transferable. Each of the Fund's shares represents an interest in the assets of the Fund issuing the share and has identical voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights, and the same terms and conditions as any other shares except that if the Fund is authorized to issue additional series or classes (1) each dollar of net asset value per share is entitled to one vote, (2) the expenses related to a particular class, such as those related to the distribution of each class and the transfer agency expenses of each class are borne solely by each such class, and (3) each class of shares votes separately with respect to provisions of the Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan applicable to that class, which pertains to a particular class, and other matters for which separate class voting is appropriate under applicable law. Each fractional share has the same rights, in proportion, as a full share. Shares do not have cumulative voting rights; therefore, the holders of more than 50% of the voting power of the Trust can elect all of the Trustees of the Trust. The Trust does not hold annual shareholder meetings, but does hold special shareholder meetings when the Board of Trustees believes it is necessary or when required by law. The Trust will hold a special meeting when requested in writing by the holders of at least 10% of the shares eligible to vote at a meeting. In addition, subject to certain conditions, shareholders of the Fund may apply to the Fund to communicate with other shareholders to request a shareholders' meeting to vote upon the removal of a Trustee or Trustees. Upon 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders, the Fund may make redemption payments in whole or in part in securities or other property if the Trustees determine that existing conditions make cash payments undesirable. PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES The Fund has delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Advisor, subject to the Board's general oversight. The Fund has delegated proxy voting to the Advisor with the direction that proxies should be voted consistent with the Fund's best economic interests. The Advisor has adopted its own Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures ("Policies"), and Proxy Voting Guidelines ("Guidelines") for this purpose. The Policies address, among other things, conflicts of interest that may arise between the interests of the Fund, and the interests of the Advisor and its affiliates, including the Fund's principal underwriter. The Guidelines set forth the Advisor's general position on various proposals, such as: o Shareholder Rights -- The Advisor generally votes against proposals that restrict shareholder rights. o Corporate Governance -- The Advisor generally votes for confidential and cumulative voting and against supermajority voting requirements for charter and bylaw amendments. The Advisor generally votes for proposals to restrict a chief executive officer from serving on more than three outside boards of directors. The Advisor generally votes against proposals that require a company to appoint a Chairman who is an independent director. o Anti-Takeover Matters -- The Advisor generally votes for proposals that require shareholder ratification of poison pills or that request boards to redeem poison pills, and votes against the adoption of poison pills if they are submitted for shareholder ratification. The Advisor generally votes for fair price proposals. o Compensation Matters -- The Advisor generally votes for executive cash compensation proposals, unless they are unreasonably excessive. The Advisor generally votes against stock option plans that do not meet the Advisor's criteria. o Routine Matters -- The Advisor generally votes for the ratification of auditors, procedural matters related to the annual meeting and changes in company name, and against bundled proposals and adjournment. 67 The general provisions described above do not apply to investment companies. The Advisor generally votes proxies solicited by investment companies in accordance with the recommendations of an independent third party, except for proxies solicited by or with respect to investment companies for which the Advisor or an affiliate serves as the Advisor or principal underwriter ("affiliated investment companies"). The Advisor votes affiliated investment company proxies in the same proportion as the vote of the investment company's other shareholders (sometimes called "mirror" or "echo" voting). Master fund proxies solicited from feeder funds are voted in accordance with applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Although the Guidelines set forth the Advisor's general voting positions on various proposals, the Advisor may, consistent with the Funds' best interests, determine under some circumstances to vote contrary to those positions. The Guidelines on a particular issue may or may not reflect the view of individual members of the Board or of a majority of the Board. In addition, the Guidelines may reflect a voting position that differs from the actual practices of the public companies within the Deutsche Bank organization or of the investment companies for which the Advisor or an affiliate serves as investment advisor or sponsor. The Advisor may consider the views of a portfolio company's management in deciding how to vote a proxy or in establishing general voting positions for the Guidelines, but management's views are not determinative. As mentioned above, the Policies describe the way in which the Advisor resolves conflicts of interest. To resolve conflicts, the advisor, under normal circumstances, votes proxies in accordance with its Guidelines. If the Advisor departs from the Guidelines with respect to a particular proxy or if the Guidelines do not specifically address a certain proxy proposal, a proxy voting committee established by the advisor will vote the proxy. Before voting any such proxy, however, the Advisor's conflicts review committee will conduct an investigation to determine whether any potential conflicts of interest exist in connection with the particular proxy proposal. If the conflicts review committee determines that the Advisor has a material conflict of interest, or certain individuals on the proxy voting committee should be recused from participating in a particular proxy vote, it will inform the proxy voting committee. If notified that the Advisor has a material conflict, or fewer than three voting members are eligible to participate in the proxy vote, typically the Advisor will engage an independent third party to vote the proxy or follow the proxy voting recommendations of an independent third party. Under certain circumstances, the Advisor may not be able to vote proxies or the Advisor may find that the expected economic costs from voting outweigh the benefits associated with voting. For example, the Advisor may not vote proxies on certain foreign securities due to local restrictions or customs. The Advisor generally does not vote proxies on securities subject to share blocking restrictions. You may obtain information about how a fund voted proxies related to its portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30 by visiting the Securities and Exchange Commission's Web site at www.sec.gov or by visiting our Web site at: dws-scudder.com (click on "proxy voting" at the bottom of the page). FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Because the fund has not yet commenced operations, the fund has not yet delivered a shareholder report. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The CUSIP numbers for each class of DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund offered herein are: Class A: 23336Y672 Class C: 23336Y664 Institutional Class: 23336Y656 68 DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund has a fiscal year ending December 31. You may obtain information about how a fund voted proxies related to its portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30 by visiting the Securities and Exchange Commission's Web site at www.sec.gov or by visiting our Web site at: dws-scudder.com (click on "proxy voting" at the bottom of the page). Many of the investment changes in the Fund will be made at prices different from those prevailing at the time they may be reflected in a regular report to shareholders of the Fund. These transactions will reflect investment decisions made by the Advisor in light of the Fund's investment objective and policies, its other portfolio holdings and tax considerations, and should not be construed as recommendations for similar action by other investors. The Fund's prospectuses and this Statement of Additional Information omit certain information contained in the Registration Statement which the Funds have filed with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933 and reference is hereby made to the Registration Statement for further information with respect to the fund and the securities offered hereby. This Registration Statement and its amendments are available for inspection by the public at the SEC in Washington, D.C. 69 RATINGS OF INVESTMENTS Standard & Poor's Corporation Bond Ratings AAA. Debt rated AAA had the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong. AA. Debt rated AA has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from the higher rated issues only in small degree. A. Debt rated A has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated categories. BBB. Debt rated BBB is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal for debt in this category than in higher rated categories. BB, B, CCC, CC and C. Debt rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C is regarded, on balance, as predominantly speculative 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 of speculation. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions. CI. The rating CI is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid. D. Debt rated D is in default, and payment of interest and/or repayment of principal is in arrears. Moody's Investors Service, Inc. Bond Ratings AAA. Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry 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 the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues. Aa. Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as 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. A. Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper medium grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future. Baa. Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium grade obligations, i.e., 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 length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well. Ba. Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class. 70 B. Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of the 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 which are rated Caa are 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 which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings. C. Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing. Fitch Long-Term Debt Ratings AAA. Highest credit quality. "AAA" ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events. AA. Very high credit quality. "AA"' ratings denote a very low expectation of credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events. A. High credit quality. "A" ratings denote a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings. BBB. Good credit quality. "BBB" ratings indicate that there is currently a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse changes in circumstances and in economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment-grade category. BB. Speculative. "BB" ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade. B. Highly speculative. "B" ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment. CCC, CC, C. High default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic developments. A "CC" rating indicates that default of some kind appears probable. "C" ratings signal imminent default. DDD, DD, D. Default. The ratings of obligations in this category are based on their prospects for achieving partial or full recovery in a reorganization or liquidation of the obligor. While expected recovery values are highly speculative and cannot be estimated with any precision, the following serve as general guidelines. "DDD" obligations have the highest potential for recovery, around 90%-100% of outstanding amounts and accrued interest. "DD" indicates potential recoveries in the range of 50%-90%, and "D" the lowest recovery potential, i.e., below 50%. Entities rated in this category have defaulted on some or all of their obligations. Entities rated "DDD" have the highest prospect for resumption of performance or continued operation with or without a formal reorganization process. Entities rated "DD" and "D" are generally undergoing a formal reorganization or liquidation process; those rated "DD" are likely to satisfy a higher portion of their outstanding obligations, while entities rated "D" have a poor prospect for repaying all obligations. 71 Fitch Short-Term Debt Ratings F1. Highest credit quality. Indicates the Best capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature. F2. Good credit quality. A satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings. F3. Fair credit quality. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non-investment grade. B. Speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions. C. High default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment. D. Default. Denotes actual or imminent payment default. Commercial Paper Ratings Commercial paper rated by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services ("S&P") has the following characteristics: Liquidity ratios are adequate to meet cash requirements. Long-term senior debt is rated "A" or better. The issuer has access to at least two additional channels of borrowing. Basic earnings and cash flow have an upward trend with allowance made for unusual circumstances. Typically, the issuer's industry is well established and the issuer has a strong position within the industry. The reliability and quality of management are unquestioned. Relative strength or weakness of the above factors determine whether the issuer's commercial paper is rated A-1 or A-2. The ratings Prime-1 and Prime-2 are the two highest commercial paper ratings assigned by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's"). Among the factors considered by it in assigning ratings are the following: (1) evaluation of the management of the issuer; (2) economic evaluation of the issuer's industry or industries and an appraisal of speculative-type risks which may be inherent in certain areas; (3) evaluation of the issuer's products in relation to competition and customer acceptance; (4) liquidity; (5) amount and quality of long-term debt; (6) trend of earnings over a period of ten years; (7) financial strength of a parent company and the relationships which exist with the issuer; and (8) recognition by the management of obligations which may be present or may arise as a result of public interest questions and preparations to meet such obligations. Relative strength or weakness of the above factors determines whether the issuer's commercial paper is rated Prime-1 or 2. Municipal Notes Moody's: The highest ratings for state and municipal short-term obligations are "MIG 1," "MIG 2," and "MIG 3" (or "VMIG 1," "VMIG 2" and "VMIG 3" in the case of an issue having a variable rate demand feature). Notes rated "MIG 1" or "VMIG 1" are judged to be of the "best quality". Notes rated "MIG 2" or "VMIG 2" are of "high quality," with margins or protection "ample although not as large as in the preceding group". Notes rated "MIG 3" or "VMIG 3" are of "favorable quality," with all security elements accounted for but lacking the strength of the preceding grades.S&P: The "SP-1" rating reflects a "very strong or strong capacity to pay principal and interest". Notes issued with "overwhelming safety characteristics" will be rated "SP-1+". The "SP-2" rating reflects a "satisfactory capacity" to pay principal and interest. Fitch: The highest ratings for state and municipal short-term obligations are "F-1+," "F-1," and "F-2." 72 STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund (Class S Shares) July 1, 2006 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606 1-800-621-1048 This Statement of Additional Information is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the prospectus (the "Prospectus") dated July 1, 2006 for Class S shares (the "Shares") for DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund (the "Fund"), a non-diversified series of DWS Advisor Funds (the "Trust"). The Prospectus may be obtained without charge by contacting DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc., 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606-5808 or calling 1-800-621-1148, or by contacting the firm from which this Statement of Additional Information was obtained. This information is also available along with other related materials on the Securities and Exchange Commission's (the "SEC" or the "Commission") Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov). When issued, the Annual Report to Shareholders will accompany this Statement of Additional Information and will be incorporated herein by reference and will be deemed to be part of this Statement of Additional Information. This Statement of Additional Information is incorporated by reference into the Prospectus. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS........................................................1 INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES..............................................2 Investment Objective and Policies.....................................3 INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES.............................................5 Portfolio Holdings Information.......................................30 MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND........................................................31 Investment Advisor...................................................31 Compensation of Portfolio Managers...................................33 Distributor and Underwriter..........................................39 FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS........................................................40 Custodian, Transfer Agent and Shareholder Service Agent..............40 Fund Accounting Agent................................................41 Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm........................41 Legal Counsel........................................................41 PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES.............................................41 TAXES.........................................................................48 NET ASSET VALUE...............................................................52 TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS.........................................................53 TRUST ORGANIZATION............................................................61 PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES.......................................................61 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS..........................................................63 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION........................................................63 RATINGS OF INVESTMENTS........................................................64 No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations not contained in this SAI or in the Prospectus in connection with the offering made by each Prospectus and, if given or made, such information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Trust or its Distributor. The Prospectus does not constitute an offering by the Trust or by the Distributor in any jurisdiction in which such offering may not lawfully be made. Shares of the Fund may not available in certain states. Please call 1-800-621-1148, to determine availability in your state. i INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS Except as otherwise indicated, the Fund's investment objective and policies are not fundamental and may be changed without a vote of shareholders. If there is a change in the Fund's investment objective, shareholders should consider whether the Fund remains an appropriate investment in light of their then financial position and needs. There can be no assurance that the Fund's objective will be met. Unless otherwise indicated, with the exception of the percentage limitations on borrowing, the following restrictions apply at the time transactions are entered into. Accordingly, any later increase or decrease beyond the specified limitation resulting from a change in the Fund's net assets will not be considered in determining whether it has complied with its investment restrictions. Fundamental policies: The following investment restrictions are fundamental policies of the Fund and may not be changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund which, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and the rules thereunder and as used in this Statement of Additional Information, means the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the voting securities present at such meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present in person or represented by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. 1. The Fund may not borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time. 2. The Fund may not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time. 3. The Fund may not engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by others, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities. 4. The Fund may not purchase or sell real estate, which term does not include securities of companies which deal in real estate or mortgages or investments secured by real estate or interests therein, except that the Fund reserves freedom of action to hold and to sell real estate acquired as a result of the Fund's ownership of securities. 5. The Fund may not purchase or sell commodities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by the regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time. 6. The Fund may not make loans except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time. Other Investment Policies. The Fund has voluntarily adopted certain policies and restrictions, which are observed in the conduct of the Fund's affairs. These nonfundamental policies represent the intentions of the Trustees based upon current circumstances. Nonfundamental policies may be changed by the Trustees without shareholder approval. Nonfundamental policies: (a) Borrowings. The Fund may not purchase additional investment securities at any time during which outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of the total assets of the Fund. (b) Liquidity. The Fund may not purchase any security or enter into a repurchase agreement if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in repurchase agreements not entitling the holder to payment of principal and interest within seven days and in securities that are illiquid by virtue of legal or contractual restrictions on resale or the absence of a readily available market. 1 (c) Short Sales. The Fund may not sell securities short unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short, and provided that transactions in futures contracts and options are not deemed to constitute selling securities short. (d) Margin. The Fund may not purchase securities on margin, except to obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions and provided that margin payments in connection with futures contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin. (e) Futures and Options. The Fund may enter into futures contracts, and write and buy put and call options relating to futures contracts. The Fund may not, however, enter into leveraged futures transactions if it would be possible for the Fund to lose more money than it invested. (f) Concentration. The Fund may not invest 25% or more of its total assets in securities of companies principally engaged in any one industry, except that the Fund may invest without limitation in securities of companies engaged principally in the real estate industry. (g) Investment in Other Investment Companies. The Fund may not acquire securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act imposes additional restrictions on acquisition by the Fund of securities issued by insurance companies, broker-dealers, underwriters or investment advisors, and on transactions with affiliated persons as defined in the 1940 Act. It also defines and forbids the creation of cross and circular ownership. Neither the SEC nor any other agency of the federal or state government participates in or supervises the management of the Fund or its investment practices or policies. For purposes of determining industry groups in connection with this restriction, the SEC ordinarily uses the Standard Industry Classification codes developed by the US Office of Management and Budget. The Fund monitors industry concentration using a more restrictive list of industry groups than that recommended by the SEC. Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. ("DeIM" or the "Advisor") believes that these classifications are reasonable and are not so broad that the primary economic characteristics of the companies in a single class are materially different. The use of these restrictive industry classifications may, however, cause the Fund to forego investment possibilities that may otherwise be available to it under the 1940 Act. Fund Name. The Fund plans, under normal circumstances, to invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes (calculated at the time of any investment), in the equity securities of real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate companies listed on recognized stock exchanges around the world, as the Fund's name suggests. Currently, the Fund does not intend to borrow for investment purposes. Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock and securities convertible into common stock. If market fluctuations or shareholder actions cause the Fund's investments to fall below this percentage, the Fund will act to remedy the situation as promptly as possible, normally within three business days. However, the Fund will not be required to dispose of portfolio holdings or purchase additional investments immediately if the Advisor believes such action may expose the Fund to losses or unreasonable risks of loss. Also, the Fund may occasionally depart from this percentage. For example, the Fund may depart from this percentage to respond to unusually large cash inflows or redemptions, or to avoid losses caused by adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. The Fund will provide its shareholders with at least 60 days' prior notice of any change in the Fund's 80% investment policy described above. INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES The following is a description of the Fund's investment objective and policies. There can, of course, be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. The following supplements the information contained in the Prospectuses concerning the investment objectives and policies of the Fund. 2 Investment Objective and Policies The fund's investment objective is to seek total return through a combination of current income and long-term capital appreciation. The fund seeks to achieve this objective by investing primarily in publicly listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate operating companies on a global basis. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowing tar investment purposes (calculated at the time of any investment), in the equity securities of REITs and real estate operating companies listed on recognized stock exchanges around the world, including the United States. Currently, the fund does not intend to borrow for investment purposes. Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock and securities convertible into common stock. An issuer will be considered part of the fund's investment universe if it has a market capitalization of at least $50 million and, in the opinion of the portfolio managers, at least 50% of its revenues or 50% of the market value of its assets at the time its securities are purchased by the fund are attributed to the ownership, construction, management or sale of real estate and it is listed on a recognized public foreign or domestic stock exchange or traded over the counter. The fund may also invest in unlisted securities provided such securities are expected to be listed on a recognized public stock exchange or traded over the counter within six months from the time of investment. The strategy of the fund is to take advantage of the extensive expertise of the advisors and its affiliates' (the "advisors") dedicated, in-house direct real estate investment teams located in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia in order to invest in real estate securities on a global basis. In selecting securities for the fund's portfolio, the advisors will incorporate both "top down" and "bottom-up" investment insights and analysis. "Top-down" research, analyzing market investment conditions, is used to arrive at the fund weighting across regional markets (i.e. the portfolio weighting across investments in the Americas, Europe Asia and Australia) and within these regions, its strategy across investment sectors, such as office, industrial, retail, hospitality and residential apartment real estate sectors. This research includes analysis of various factors, including real estate market dynamics (e.g., supply/demand conditions, vacancy rates), the economic environment (e.g. interest rates, inflation and economic growth), expected capital flow dynamics and exchange rate conditions. "Bottom-up" research, analyzing the characteristics and investment prospects of a particular real estate security relative to others in its local market, is used to actively manage the fund's exposure to individual securities within each region. Disciplined valuation analysis performed in each region drives this decision-making process, guiding the portfolio managers to invest in securities that they believe can provide superior returns over the long term and to sell those that they believe no longer represent the strongest prospects, relative to other opportunities. The focus of the fund security selection strategy is to invest in securities with the potential for price appreciation, while maintaining a bias toward those securities paying attractive, reliable dividends, It is expected that the majority of returns from the fund will be generated by security-specific investment decisions, which are the responsibility of portfolio managers located in the respective geographical regions. The allocation of the fund's investments across geographic regions is determined by the advisors Global Property Asset Allocation Committee, comprising the portfolio managers from each region and chaired by the advisor's lead portfolio manager for global real estate security investments. Investment Policies The following is a chart of the various types of securities and investment strategies employed by the Fund. Unless otherwise indicated, the Fund is permitted, but not obligated, to pursue any of the following strategies and does not represent that these techniques are available now or will be available at any time in the future. If the Fund's investment in a particular type of security is limited to a certain percentage of the Fund's assets, that percentage limitation is listed in the chart. Following the chart is a description of how each type of security and investment strategy may be used by the Fund. 3
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DWS RREEF Global Real Estate INVESTMENT PRACTICE Securities Fund ================================================================================================================ KEY TO TABLE: * Permitted without stated limit # Permitted without stated limited, but not expected to be used to a significant extent X Not permitted 20% Italic type (e.g. 20%) represents an investment limitation as a percentage of net fund assets; does not indicate actual use 20% Roman type (e.g. 20%) represents an investment limitation as a percentage of total fund assets; does not indicate actual use - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EQUITY SECURITIES - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Common Stock * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Warrants * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preferred Stock * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Convertible Securities * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Medium Capitalization Stocks * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Small Capitalization Stocks * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Micro Capitalization Stocks * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FIXED INCOME SECURITIES & MONEY MARKET INSTRUMENTS - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Short-Term Instruments 20% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Obligations of Banks and Other Financial Institutions 20% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Certificates of Deposit and Banker's Acceptances 20% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Commercial Paper 20% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Variable Rate Master Demand Notes # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Government Securities 20% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Custodial Receipts # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zero Coupon Securities and Deferred Interest Bonds # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Variable Rate Securities 20% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inverse Floating Rate Securities 5% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lower-Rated Debt Securities 5% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Registered Loans # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DERIVATIVE SECURITIES (OPTIONS) - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Options on Securities * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Options on Securities Indices * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Options on Non-US Securities Indices * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yield Curve Options * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spreadlocks * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DERIVATIVE SECURITIES (FUTURES CONTRACTS AND OPTIONS ON FUTURES CONTRACTS) - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Futures Contracts * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Futures Contracts on Securities Indices * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Options on Futures Contracts (including Contracts on Securities Indices) * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DERIVATIVE SECURITIES (HEDGING STRATEGIES) - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Swaps Agreements * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DERIVATIVE SECURITIES (HEDGING STRATEGIES) - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hedging Strategies * - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DWS RREEF Global Real Estate INVESTMENT PRACTICE Securities Fund ================================================================================================================ KEY TO TABLE: * Permitted without stated limit # Permitted without stated limited, but not expected to be used to a significant extent X Not permitted 20% Italic type (e.g. 20%) represents an investment limitation as a percentage of net fund assets; does not indicate actual use 20% Roman type (e.g. 20%) represents an investment limitation as a percentage of total fund assets; does not indicate actual use - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MORTGAGE-BACKED AND ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Government Guaranteed Mortgage-Backed Securities # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ginnie Mae Certificates # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fannie Mae Certificates # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Freddie Mac Certificates # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Multi-Class Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMOs and REMICs) # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Private Issued Mortgage -Backed Securities # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mortgage Pass-Through Securities # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stripped-Mortgage Backed Securities # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adjustable Rate Mortgages # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Asset-Backed Securities # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SECURITIES OF NON-U.S. ISSUERS - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Foreign Securities & Depositary Receipts (ADRs, EDRs, GDRs and IDRs) * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Foreign Corporate Debt Securities # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Foreign Government Debt Securities # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brady Bonds # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Investments in Emerging Markets * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Region and Country Investing * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CURRENCY MANAGEMENT - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Currency Exchange Transactions * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Currency Hedging Transactions * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cross Hedging * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Forward Currency Exchange Contracts * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Options on Foreign Currencies * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER INVESTMENTS AND INVESTMENT PRACTICES - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Illiquid Securities 15% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities * - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Repurchase Agreements 20% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reverse Repurchase Agreements 33 1/3% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mortgage Dollar Rolls # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lending of Portfolio Securities 33 1/3% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Borrowing 33 1/3% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Short Sales # - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Investment Companies 10% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Temporary Defensive Investments 100% - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES This section explains the extent to which the Advisor can use various investment vehicles and strategies in managingP the Fund's assets. Descriptions of the investment techniques and risks associated with the Fund appear herein. In the case of the Fund's principal investment strategies, these descriptions elaborate upon discussions contained in the prospectus. 5 The Fund is a non-diversified series of the Trust, an open-end management company which continuously offers and redeems shares at net asset value. A non-diversified fund can invest a greater portion of its assets in a given company. The Fund is a series of the type commonly known as a mutual fund. The Fund offers the following classes of shares: Class A, Class C, Class S and Institutional Class. Each class has its own features and policies. Class A, Class C and Institutional Class shares of the Fund are offered through a separate statement of additional information. To meet federal income tax requirements for qualification as a regulated investment company, the Fund must limit its investments so that at the close of each quarter of its taxable year (1) no more than 25% of its total assets are invested in the securities of a single issuer (other than the US government or a regulated investment company), and (2) with respect to at least 50% of its total assets, no more than 5% of its total assets are invested in the securities of a single issuer. In general, within the restrictions outlined here and in the Fund's Prospectuses, the Advisor has broad powers to decide how to invest Fund assets, including the power to hold them uninvested. Investments are varied according to what is judged advantageous under changing economic conditions. It is the Advisor's policy to retain maximum flexibility in management without restrictive provisions as to the proportion of one or another class of securities that may be held, subject to the investment restrictions described herein. It is the Advisor's intention that the Fund generally will consist of common stocks and equity-equivalent securities. However, subject to the specific limitations applicable to the Fund, the Advisor may invest the assets of the Fund in varying amounts using other investment techniques, such as those reflected below, when such a course is deemed appropriate in order to attempt to attain the Fund's investment objective. Senior securities that are high-grade issues, in the opinion of the Advisor, also may be purchased for defensive purposes. Current income is part of the Fund's objective. As a result, a portion of the portfolio of the Fund may consist of debt securities. So long as a sufficient number of acceptable securities are available, the Advisor intends to keep the Fund fully invested. However, under exceptional conditions, the Fund may assume a defensive position, temporarily investing all or a substantial portion of its assets in cash or short-term securities. When the Fund is invested for temporary defensive purposes, it may not achieve its investment objective. The Advisor may use stock index futures and options as a way to expose the Fund's cash assets to the market while maintaining liquidity. However, the Advisor may not leverage the Fund's portfolio, so there is no greater market risk to the Fund than if it purchases stocks. Descriptions in this Statement of Additional Information of a particular investment practice or technique in which the Fund may engage (such as hedging, etc.) or a financial instrument which the Fund may purchase (such as options, forward foreign currency contracts, etc.) are meant to describe the spectrum of investments that the Advisor, in its discretion, might, but is not required to, use in managing the Fund's portfolio assets. The Advisor may, in its discretion, at any time, employ such practice, technique or instrument for one or more funds but not for all funds advised by it. Furthermore, it is possible that certain types of financial instruments or investment techniques described herein may not be available, permissible, economically feasible or effective for their intended purposes in all markets. Certain practices, techniques or instruments may not be principal activities of the Fund, but, to the extent employed, could, from time to time, have a material impact on the Fund's performance. REITS and Real Estate Companies The Fund intends to invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes (calculated at the time of any investment), in equity securities of REITs and real estate companies listed on recognized stock exchanges around the world. A company is considered to be a real estate company if, in the opinion of the portfolio managers, at least 50% of its revenues or 50% of the market value of its assets at the time its securities are purchased by the Fund are attributed to the ownership, construction, management or sale of real estate and it is listed on a recognized stock exchange. 6 A REIT invests primarily in income-producing real estate or makes loans to persons involved in the real estate industry. Some REITs, called equity REITs, buy real estate and pay investors income from the rents received from the real estate owned by the REIT and from any profits on the sale of its properties. Other REITs, called mortgage REITs, lend money to building developers and other real estate companies and pay investors income from the interest paid on those loans. There are also hybrid REITs which engage in both owning real estate and making loans. If a REIT meets certain requirements, it is not taxed on the income it distributes to its investors. Equity Equivalents In addition to investing in common stocks, the Fund may invest in other equity securities and equity equivalents, including securities that permit the Fund to receive an equity interest in an issuer, the opportunity to acquire an equity interest in an issuer or the opportunity to receive a return on its investment that permits the Fund to benefit from the growth over time in the equity of an issuer. Examples of equity securities and equity security equivalents include preferred stock, convertible preferred stock and convertible debt securities. The Fund will limit its holdings of convertible debt securities to those that, at the time of purchase, are rated at least B- by the Standard & Poor's Corporation ("S&P") or B3 by Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's"), or, if not rated by S&P and Moody's, are of equivalent investment quality as determined by the Advisor. The Fund's investments in convertible debt securities and other high-yield/high-risk, nonconvertible debt securities rated below investment-grade will comprise less than 20% of the Fund's net assets. Debt securities rated below the four highest categories are not considered investment-grade obligations. These securities have speculative characteristics and present more credit risk than investment-grade obligations. Equity equivalents also may include securities whose value or return is derived from the value or return of a different security. Debt Securities The Fund may invest in debt securities because the Fund has current income is part of the Fund's objective. As a result, the Fund may invest in debt securities when the Advisor believes such securities represent an attractive investment for the Fund. It is intended that the Fund may invest in debt securities for income or as a defensive strategy when the Advisor believes adverse economic or market conditions exist. The value of the debt securities in which the Fund may invest will fluctuate based upon changes in interest rates and the credit quality of the issuer. Debt securities that comprise part of the Fund's fixed-income portfolio will be limited primarily to investment-grade obligations. However, the Fund may invest up to 5% of its assets in "high-yield/high-risk" securities. Investment grade means that at the time of purchase, such obligations are rated within the four highest categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (for example, at least Baa by Moody's or BBB by S&P), or, if not rated, are of equivalent investment quality as determined by the Advisor. According to Moody's, bonds rated Baa are medium-grade and possess some speculative characteristics. A BBB rating by S&P indicates S&P's belief that a security exhibits a satisfactory degree of safety and capacity for repayment but is more vulnerable to adverse economic conditions and changing circumstances. "High-yield" securities, sometimes referred to as "junk bonds," are higher risk, non-convertible debt obligations that are rated below investment-grade securities, or are unrated, but with similar credit quality. There are no credit or maturity restrictions on the fixed-income securities in which the high-yield portion of the Fund's portfolio may be invested. Debt securities rated lower than Baa by Moody's or BBB by S&P or their equivalent are considered by many to be predominantly speculative. Changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to make principal and interest payments on such securities than is the case with higher quality debt securities. Regardless of rating levels, all debt securities considered for purchase by the Fund are analyzed by the Advisor to determine, to the extent reasonably possible, that the planned investment is sound, given the investment objective of the Fund. 7 The Fund will not necessarily dispose of high-yield securities if the aggregate value of such securities exceeds 5% of the Fund's assets, if such level is exceeded as a result of market appreciation of the value of such securities or market depreciation of the value of the other assets of the Fund. Rather, the Advisor will cease purchasing any additional high-yield securities until the value of such securities is less than 5% of the Fund's assets and will monitor such investments to determine whether continuing to hold such investments is likely to assist the Fund in meeting its investment objective. In addition, the value of the Fund's investments in fixed-income securities will change as prevailing interest rates change. In general, the prices of such securities vary inversely with interest rates. As prevailing interest rates fall, the prices of bonds and other securities that trade on a yield basis generally rise. When prevailing interest rates rise, bond prices generally fall. These changes in value may, depending upon the particular amount and type of fixed-income securities holdings of the Fund, impact the net asset value of the Fund's shares. Notwithstanding the fact that the Fund will invest primarily in equity securities, under adverse market or economic conditions, the Fund may temporarily invest all or a substantial portion of its assets in cash or investment-grade short-term securities (denominated in US dollars or foreign currencies). To the extent that the Fund assumes a defensive position, it will not be investing for capital appreciation. When the Fund is invested for temporary defensive purposes, it may not pursue or achieve its investment objective. Convertible Debt Securities A convertible debt security is a fixed-income security that offers the potential for capital appreciation through a conversion feature that enables the holder to convert the fixed-income security into a stated number of shares of common stock. As fixed-income securities, convertible debt securities provide a stable stream of income with generally higher yields than common stocks. Because convertible debt securities offer the potential to benefit from increases in the market price of the underlying common stock, they generally offer lower yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality. Like all fixed-income securities, there can be no assurance of current income because the issuers of the convertible securities may default on their obligations. In addition, there can be no assurance of capital appreciation because the value of the underlying common stock will fluctuate. Convertible debt securities generally are subordinated to other similar but non-convertible debt securities of the same issuer, although convertible bonds, as corporate debt obligations, enjoy seniority in right of payment to all equity securities. Because of the subordination feature, however, convertible securities typically have lower ratings than similar non-convertible securities. Convertible debt securities that comprise part of the Fund's fixed-income portfolio will be subject to the same limitations with respect to quality as those described above under "Debt Securities." Investment of Uninvested Cash Balances The Fund may have cash balances that have not been invested in portfolio securities ("Uninvested Cash"). Uninvested Cash may result from a variety of sources, including dividends or interest received from portfolio securities, unsettled securities transactions, reserves held for investment strategy purposes, scheduled maturity of investments, liquidation of investment securities to meet anticipated redemptions or dividend payments and new cash received from investors. Uninvested Cash may be invested directly in money market instruments or other short-term debt obligations. Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, the Fund may use Uninvested Cash to purchase shares of affiliated funds, including money market funds and Cash Management Investment Trust, or entities for which the Advisor may act as investment advisor now or in the future that operate as cash management investment vehicles but are excluded from the definition of investment company pursuant to Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act (collectively, the "Central Funds") in excess of the limitations of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. Investment by the Fund in shares of the Central Funds will comply with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act and will be in accordance with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions. The Fund will invest Uninvested Cash in Central Funds only to the extent that the Fund's aggregate investment in the Central Funds does not exceed 25% of its total assets. Purchase and sales of shares of Central Funds are made at net asset value. 8 Short Sales The Fund may engage in short sales, if, at the time of the short sale, the Fund owns or has the right to acquire securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities being sold short. In a short sale, the seller does not immediately deliver the securities sold and is said to have a short position in those securities until delivery occurs. To make delivery to the purchaser, the executing broker borrows the securities being sold short on behalf of the seller. While the short position is maintained, the seller collateralizes its obligation to deliver the securities sold short in an amount equal to the proceeds of the short sale plus an additional margin amount established by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. If the Fund engages in a short sale, the collateral account will be maintained by State Street Bank and Trust Company, the Fund's custodian. While the short sale is open, the Fund will maintain, in a segregated custodial account, an amount of securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, such equivalent securities at no additional cost. These securities would constitute the Fund's long position. The Fund may make a short sale, as described above, when it wants to sell the security it owns at a current attractive price, but also wishes to defer recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. There will be certain additional transaction costs associated with short sales, but the Fund will endeavor to offset these costs with returns from the investment of the cash proceeds of short sales. Portfolio Lending In order to realize additional income, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities. Such loans may not exceed 33 1/3% of the Fund's total assets except (1) through the purchase of debt securities in accordance with its investment objectives, policies and limitations, or (2) by engaging in repurchase agreements with respect to portfolio securities. Derivative Securities To the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies, the Fund may invest in securities that are commonly referred to as derivative securities. Generally, a derivative is a financial arrangement, the value of which is based on or derived from a traditional security, asset or market index. Certain derivative securities are described more accurately as index-structured securities. Index-structured securities are derivative securities whose value or performance is linked to other equity securities (such as depository receipts), currencies, interest rates, indices or other financial indicators (reference indices). Some derivatives, such as mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, are in many respects like any other investment, although they may be more volatile or less liquid than more traditional debt securities. There are many different types of derivatives and many different ways to use them. Futures and options are commonly used for traditional hedging purposes to attempt to protect the Fund from exposure to changing interest rates, securities prices or currency exchange rates, and for cash management purposes as a low-cost method of gaining exposure to a particular securities market without investing directly in those securities. The Fund may not invest in a derivative security unless the reference index or the instrument to which it relates is an eligible investment for the Fund. The return on a derivative security may increase or decrease, depending upon changes in the reference index or instrument to which it relates. 9 There is a range of risks associated with derivative investments, including: o The risk that the underlying security, interest rate, market index or other financial asset will not move in the direction the Advisor anticipates. o The possibility that there may be no liquid secondary market, or the possibility that price fluctuation limits may be imposed by the exchange, either of which may make it difficult or impossible to close out a position when desired. o The risk that adverse price movements in an instrument can result in a loss substantially greater than the Fund's initial investment. o The risk that the other party will fail to perform its obligations. Other Investment Companies The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in other mutual funds, including those advised by the Advisor, if any, provided that the investment is consistent with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund's investment in such securities, subject to certain exceptions, currently is limited to (a) 3% of the total voting stock of any one investment company; (b) 5% of the Fund's total assets with respect to any one investment company; and (c) 10% of the Fund's total assets in the aggregate. Such purchases will be made in the open market where no commission or profit to a sponsor or dealer results from the purchase other than the customary brokers' commissions. As a shareholder of another investment company, the Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company's expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the management fee than the Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations. Repurchase Agreements The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements when such transactions present an attractive short-term return on cash that is not otherwise committed to the purchase of securities pursuant to the investment policies of the Fund. A repurchase agreement occurs when, at the time the Fund purchases an interest-bearing obligation, the seller (a bank or a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act")) agrees to purchase it on a specified date in the future at an agreed-upon price. The repurchase price reflects an agreed-upon interest rate during the time the Fund's money is invested in the security. Because the security purchased constitutes a security for the repurchase obligation, a repurchase agreement can be considered a loan collateralized by the security purchased. The Fund's risk is the ability of the seller to pay the agreed-upon repurchase price on the repurchase date. If the seller defaults, the Fund may incur costs in disposing of the collateral, which would reduce the amount realized thereon. If the seller seeks relief under the bankruptcy laws, the disposition of the collateral may be delayed or limited. To the extent the value of the security decreases, the Fund could experience a loss. The Fund will limit repurchase agreement transactions to securities issued by the US government and its agencies and instrumentalities and will enter into such transactions with those banks and securities dealers who are deemed creditworthy pursuant to criteria adopted by the Fund's Board of Trustees or its designee. The Fund will not invest more than 15% of its net assets in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days. When-Issued and Forward Commitment Agreements The Fund may sometimes purchase new issues of securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis in which the transaction price and yield are each fixed at the time the commitment is made, but payment and delivery occur at a future date (typically 15 to 45 days later). 10 When purchasing securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, the Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership, including the risks of price and yield fluctuations. Market rates of interest on debt securities at the time of delivery may be higher or lower than those contracted for on the when-issued security. Accordingly, the value of such a security may decline prior to delivery, which could result in a loss to the Fund. While the Fund will make commitments to purchase or sell securities with the intention of actually receiving or delivering them, it may sell the securities before the settlement date if doing so is deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy. In purchasing securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, the Fund will establish and maintain a segregated account consisting of cash, cash equivalents or other appropriate liquid securities until the settlement date in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price. When the time comes to pay for the when-issued securities, the Fund will meet its obligations with available cash, through the sale of securities, or, although it would not normally expect to do so, by selling the when-issued securities themselves (which may have a market value greater or less than the Fund's payment obligation). Selling securities to meet when-issued or forward commitment obligations may generate taxable capital gains or losses. Restricted and Illiquid Securities The Fund may, from time to time, purchase securities that are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale ("restricted securities") or illiquid securities, including Rule 144A securities, when they present attractive investment opportunities that otherwise meet the Fund's criteria for investment. Rule 144A securities are securities that are privately placed with and traded among qualified institutional investors rather than the general public. Although Rule 144A securities are considered restricted securities, they are not necessarily illiquid. With respect to securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A, the staff of the SEC has taken the position that the liquidity of such securities in the portfolio of the Fund offering redeemable securities is a question of fact for the Board of that fund to determine, based upon a consideration of the readily available trading markets and the review of any contractual restrictions. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees of the Fund is responsible for developing and establishing the guidelines and procedures for determining the liquidity of Rule 144A securities. As allowed by Rule 144A, the Board has delegated the day-to-day function of determining the liquidity of Rule 144A securities to the Advisor. The Board retains the responsibility to monitor the implementation of the guidelines and procedures it has adopted. Because the secondary market for such securities is limited to certain qualified institutional investors, the liquidity of such securities may be limited accordingly, and the Fund may, from time to time, hold a Rule 144A or other security that is illiquid. In such an event, the Advisor will consider appropriate remedies to minimize the effect on the Fund's liquidity. Short-Term Securities In order to meet anticipated redemptions, to hold pending the purchase of additional securities for the Fund's portfolio, or, in some cases, for temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may invest a portion (up to 100%) of its assets in money market and other short-term securities. When the Fund is invested for temporary defensive purposes, it may not achieve or pursue its investment objective. Examples of short-term securities include: o Securities issued or guaranteed by the US government and its agencies and instrumentalities; o Commercial Paper; o Certificates of Deposit and Euro Dollar Certificates of Deposit; o Bankers' Acceptances; o Short-term notes, bonds, debentures or other debt instruments; and o Repurchase agreements. 11 The Fund may also invest up to 5% of its total assets in any money market fund, including those advised by the Advisor, if any. Futures and Options To the extent permitted by its investment objectives and policies, the Fund may enter into futures contracts, options or options on futures contracts. Generally, futures transactions may be used to: o Protect against a decline in market value of the Fund's securities (taking a short futures position); o Protect against the risk of an increase in market value for securities in which the Fund generally invests at a time when the Fund is not fully invested (taking a long futures position); and o Provide a temporary substitute for the purchase of an individual security that may not be purchased in an orderly fashion. Some futures and options strategies, such as selling futures, buying puts and writing calls, hedge the Fund's investments against price fluctuations. Other strategies, such as buying futures, writing puts and buying calls, tend to increase market exposure. Although other techniques may be used to control the Fund's exposure to market fluctuations, the use of futures contracts may be a more effective means of hedging this exposure. While the Fund pays brokerage commissions in connection with opening and closing out futures positions, these costs are lower than the transaction costs incurred in the purchase and sale of the underlying securities. For example, the sale of a future by the Fund means the Fund becomes obligated to deliver the security (or securities, in the case of an index future) at a specified price on a specified date. The purchase of a future means the Fund becomes obligated to buy the security (or securities) at a specified price on a specified date. Futures contracts provide for the sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specific security at a specified future time and price. The Advisor may engage in futures and options transactions based on securities indices that are consistent with the Fund's investment objectives. An example of an index that may be used is the S&P 500(R) Index. The managers also may engage in futures and options transactions based on specific securities, such as US Treasury bonds or notes. Futures contracts are traded on national futures exchanges. Futures exchanges and trading are regulated under the Commodity Exchange Act by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC"), a US government agency. Index futures contracts differ from traditional futures contracts in that when delivery takes place, no stocks or bonds change hands. Instead, these contracts settle in cash at the spot market value of the index. Although other types of futures contracts by their terms call for actual delivery or acceptance of the underlying securities, in most cases the contracts are closed out before the settlement date. A futures position may be closed by taking an opposite position in an identical contract (i.e., buying a contract that has previously been sold or selling a contract that has previously been bought). Unlike the situation in which the Fund purchases or sells an equity security, no price is paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of the future. Initially, the Fund will be required to deposit an amount of cash or securities equal to a varying specified percentage of the contract amount. This amount is known as initial margin. The margin deposit is intended to ensure completion of the contract (delivery or acceptance of the underlying security) if it is not terminated prior to the specified delivery date. A margin deposit does not constitute margin transactions for purposes of the Fund's investment restrictions. Minimum initial margin requirements are established by the futures exchanges and may be revised. In addition, brokers may establish margin deposit requirements that are higher than the exchange minimums. Cash held in the margin account is not income-producing. Subsequent payments to and from the broker, called variation margin, will be made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying debt securities or index fluctuates, making the future more or less valuable, a process known as marking the contract to market. Changes in variation margin are recorded by the Fund as unrealized gains or losses. At any time prior to expiration of the future, the Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position that will operate to terminate its position in the future. A final determination of variation margin is then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the Fund, and the Fund realizes a loss or gain. 12 Risks Related to Futures and Options Transactions Futures and options prices can be volatile, and trading in these markets involves certain risks. If the Advisor utilizes a hedge at an inappropriate time or judges interest rate or equity market trends incorrectly, futures and options strategies may lower the Fund's return. The Fund could suffer losses if it is unable to close out its position because of an illiquid secondary market. Futures contracts may be closed out only on an exchange that provides a secondary market for these contracts, and there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. Consequently, it may not be possible to close a futures position when the Advisor considers it appropriate or desirable to do so. In the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would be required to continue making daily cash payments to maintain its required margin. If the Fund had insufficient cash, it might have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily margin requirements at a time when the Advisor would not otherwise elect to do so. In addition, the Fund may be required to deliver or take delivery of instruments underlying futures contracts it holds. The Advisor will seek to minimize these risks by limiting the contracts entered into on behalf of the Fund to those traded on national futures exchanges and for which there appears to be a liquid secondary market. The Fund could suffer losses if the prices of its futures and options positions were poorly correlated with its other investments, or if securities underlying futures contracts purchased by the Fund had different maturities than those of the portfolio securities being hedged. Such imperfect correlation may give rise to circumstances in which the Fund loses money on a futures contract at the same time that it experiences a decline in the value of its hedged portfolio securities. The Fund also could lose margin payments it has deposited with a margin broker, if, for example, the broker became bankrupt. Most futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures 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 the 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 the limit. However, the daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and, therefore, does not limit potential losses. In addition, the daily limit may prevent 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. Options on Futures By purchasing an option on a futures contract, the Fund obtains the right, but not the obligation, to sell the futures contract (a put option) or to buy the contract (a call option) at a fixed strike price. The Fund can terminate its position in a put option by allowing it to expire or by exercising the option. If the option is exercised, the Fund completes the sale of the underlying security at the strike price. Purchasing an option on a futures contract does not require the Fund to make margin payments unless the option is exercised. Although it does not currently intend to do so, the Fund may write (or sell) call options that obligate them to sell (or deliver) the option's underlying instrument upon exercise of the option. While the receipt of option premiums would mitigate the effects of price declines, the Fund would give up some ability to participate in a price increase on the underlying security. If the Fund were to engage in options transactions, it would own the futures contract at the time a call was written and would keep the contract open until the obligation to deliver it pursuant to the call expired. 13 Restrictions on the Use of Futures Contracts and Options Under the Commodity Exchange Act, the Fund may enter into futures and options transactions (a) for hedging purposes without regard to the percentage of assets committed to initial margin and option premiums or (b) for purposes other than hedging, provided that assets committed to initial margin and option premiums do not exceed 5% of the Fund's total assets. To the extent required by law, the Fund will segregate cash or securities on its records in an amount sufficient to cover its obligations under the futures contracts and options. Eurodollar Obligations. Eurodollar bank obligations are US dollar-denominated certificates of deposit and time deposits issued outside the US capital markets by foreign branches of US banks and US branches of foreign banks. Eurodollar obligations are subject to the same risks that pertain to domestic issues, notably credit risk, market risk and liquidity risk. Additionally, Eurodollar obligations are subject to certain sovereign risks. Foreign Currencies. Because investments in foreign securities usually will involve currencies of foreign countries, and because the Fund may hold foreign currencies and forward contracts, futures contracts and options on foreign currencies and foreign currency futures contracts, the value of the assets of the Fund as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency exchange rates and exchange control regulations, and the Fund may incur costs and experience conversion difficulties and uncertainties in connection with conversions between various currencies. Fluctuations in exchange rates may also affect the earning power and asset value of the foreign entity issuing the security. The strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar against these currencies is responsible for part of the Fund's investment performance. If the dollar falls in value relative to the Japanese yen, for example, the dollar value of a Japanese stock held in the portfolio will rise even though the price of the stock remains unchanged. Conversely, if the dollar rises in value relative to the yen, the dollar value of the Japanese stock will fall. Many foreign currencies have experienced significant devaluation relative to the dollar. Although the Fund values its assets daily in terms of U.S. dollars, it does not intend to convert its holdings of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. It will do so from time to time, and investors should be aware of the costs of currency conversion. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the "spread") between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to the Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire to resell that currency to the dealer. The Fund will conduct its foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into options or forward or futures contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies. Foreign Fixed Income Securities. Since most foreign fixed income securities are not rated, the Fund will invest in foreign fixed income securities based on the Advisor's analysis without relying on published ratings. Since such investments will be based upon the Advisor's analysis rather than upon published ratings, achievement of the Fund's goals may depend more upon the abilities of the Advisor than would otherwise be the case. The value of the foreign fixed income securities held by the Fund, and thus the net asset value of the Fund's shares, generally will fluctuate with (a) changes in the perceived creditworthiness of the issuers of those securities, (b) movements in interest rates, and (c) changes in the relative values of the currencies in which the Fund's investments in fixed income securities are denominated with respect to the US Dollar. The extent of the fluctuation will depend on various factors, such as the average maturity of the Fund's investments in foreign fixed income securities, and the extent to which the Fund hedges its interest rate, credit and currency exchange rate risks. A longer average maturity generally is associated with a higher level of volatility in the market value of such securities in response to changes in market conditions. Investments in sovereign debt, including Brady Bonds (Brady Bonds are debt securities issued under a plan implemented to allow debtor nations to restructure their outstanding commercial bank indebtedness), involve special risks. Foreign governmental issuers of debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or pay interest when due. In the event of default, there may be limited or no legal recourse in that, generally, remedies for defaults must be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party. Political conditions, especially a sovereign entity's willingness to meet the terms of its fixed income securities, are of 14 considerable significance. Also, there can be no assurance that the holders of commercial bank loans to the same sovereign entity may not contest payments to the holders of sovereign debt in the event of default under commercial bank loan agreements. In addition, there is no bankruptcy proceeding with respect to sovereign debt on which a sovereign has defaulted, and the Fund may be unable to collect all or any part of its investment in a particular issue. Foreign investment in certain sovereign debt is restricted or controlled to varying degrees, including requiring governmental approval for the repatriation of income, capital or proceed of sales by foreign investors. These restrictions or controls may at times limit or preclude foreign investment in certain sovereign debt or increase the costs and expenses of the Fund. Sovereign debt of emerging market governmental issuers is to be considered speculative. Emerging market governmental issuers are among the largest debtors to commercial banks, foreign governments, international financial organizations and other financial institutions. Certain emerging market governmental issuers have not been able to make payments of interest on or principal of debt obligations as those payments have come due. There is a history of defaults with respect to commercial bank loans by public and private entities issuing sovereign debt. All or a portion of the interest payments and/or principal repayment with respect to sovereign debt may be uncollateralized. Obligations arising from past restructuring agreements may affect the economic performance and political and social stability of those issuers. The ability of emerging market country governmental issuers to make timely payments on their obligations is likely to be influenced strongly by the issuer's balance of payments, including export performance, and its access to international credits and investments. An emerging market whose exports are concentrated in a few commodities could be vulnerable to a decline in the international prices of one or more of those commodities. Increased protectionism on the part of an emerging market's trading partners could also adversely affect the country's exports and diminish its trade account surplus, if any. To the extent that emerging markets receive payment for its exports in currencies other than dollars or non-emerging market currencies, its ability to make debt payments denominated in dollars or non-emerging market currencies could be affected. Another factor bearing on the ability of emerging market countries to repay debt obligations is the level of international reserves of the country. Fluctuations in the level of these reserves affect the amount of foreign exchange readily available for external debt payments and thus could have a bearing on the capacity of emerging market countries to make payments on these debt obligations. To the extent that an emerging market country cannot generate a trade surplus, it must depend on continuing loans from foreign governments, multilateral organizations or private commercial banks, aid payments from foreign governments and inflows of foreign investment. The access of emerging markets to these forms of external funding may not be certain, and a withdrawal of external funding could adversely affect the capacity of emerging market country governmental issuers to make payments on their obligations. In addition, the cost of servicing emerging market debt obligations can be affected by a change in international interest rates since the majority of these obligations carry interest rates that are adjusted periodically based upon international rates. Foreign Investment. Foreign securities are normally denominated and traded in foreign currencies. As a result, the value of the fund's foreign investments and the value of its shares may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency exchange rates relative to the US dollar. There may be less information publicly available about a foreign issuer than about a US issuer, and foreign issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the US. The securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and at times more volatile than securities of comparable US issuers. Foreign brokerage commissions and other fees are also generally higher than in the US. Foreign settlement procedures and trade regulations may involve certain risks (such as delay in payment or delivery of securities or in the recovery of the fund's assets held abroad) and expenses not present in the settlement of investments in US markets. Payment for securities without delivery may be required in certain foreign markets. In addition, foreign securities may be subject to the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets, imposition of currency exchange controls or restrictions on the repatriation of foreign currency, confiscatory taxation, political or financial instability and diplomatic developments which could affect the value of the fund's investments in certain foreign countries. Governments of many countries have exercised and continue to exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector through the ownership or control of many companies, including some of the largest in these 15 countries. As a result, government actions in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions which may adversely affect prices of certain portfolio securities. There is also generally less government supervision and regulation of stock exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the US. Dividends or interest on, or proceeds from the sale of, foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, and special US tax considerations may apply. Moreover, foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the US economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. Legal remedies available to investors in certain foreign countries may be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the US or in other foreign countries. The laws of some foreign countries may limit the fund's ability to invest in securities of certain issuers organized under the laws of those foreign countries. Of particular importance, many foreign countries are heavily dependent upon exports, particularly to developed countries, and, accordingly, have been and may continue to be adversely affected by trade barriers, managed adjustments in relative currency values, and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the US and other countries with which they trade. These economies also have been and may continue to be negatively impacted by economic conditions in the US and other trading partners, which can lower the demand for goods produced in those countries. The risks described above, including the risks of nationalization or expropriation of assets, typically are increased in connection with investments in "emerging markets." For example, political and economic structures in these countries may be in their infancy and developing rapidly, and such countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries (including amplified risk of war and terrorism). Certain of these countries have in the past failed to recognize private property rights and have at times nationalized and expropriated the assets of private companies. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative. The currencies of certain emerging market countries have experienced devaluations relative to the US dollar, and future devaluations may adversely affect the value of assets denominated in such currencies. In addition, currency hedging techniques may be unavailable in certain emerging market countries. Many emerging market countries have experienced substantial, and in some periods extremely high, rates of inflation or deflation for many years, and future inflation may adversely affect the economies and securities markets of such countries. In addition, unanticipated political or social developments may affect the value of investments in emerging markets and the availability of additional investments in these markets. Any change in the leadership or politics of emerging market countries, or the countries that exercise a significant influence over those countries, may halt the expansion of or reverse the liberalization of foreign investment policies now occurring and adversely affect existing investment opportunities. The small size, limited trading volume and relative inexperience of the securities markets in these countries may make investments in securities traded in emerging markets illiquid and more volatile than investments in securities traded in more developed countries. For example, limited market size may cause prices to be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions. In addition, the fund may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements before making investments in securities traded in emerging markets. There may be little financial or accounting information available with respect to issuers of emerging market securities, and it may be difficult as a result to assess the value of prospects of an investment in such securities. The risk also exists that an emergency situation may arise in one or more emerging markets as a result of which trading of securities may cease or may be substantially curtailed and prices for the Fund's securities in such markets may not be readily available. the Fund may suspend redemption of its shares for any period during which an emergency exists, as determined by the SEC. Accordingly if the Fund believes that appropriate circumstances exist, it will promptly apply to the SEC for a determination that an emergency is present. During the period commencing from the Fund's identification of such condition until the date of the SEC action, the Fund's securities in the affected markets will be valued at fair value determined in good faith by or under the direction of the Fund's Board. Certain of the foregoing risks may also apply to some extent to securities of US issuers that are denominated in foreign currencies or that are traded in foreign markets, or securities of US issuers having significant foreign operations. 16 High Yield/High Risk Bonds. The Fund may also purchase debt securities which are rated below investment-grade (commonly referred to as "junk bonds"), that is, rated below Baa by Moody's or below BBB by S&P and unrated securities judged to be of equivalent quality as determined by the Advisor. These securities usually entail greater risk (including the possibility of default or bankruptcy of the issuers of such securities), generally involve greater volatility of price and risk to principal and income, and may be less liquid, than securities in the higher rating categories. The lower the ratings of such debt securities, the more their risks render them like equity securities. Securities rated D may be in default with respect to payment of principal or interest. Issuers of such high yielding securities often are highly leveraged and may not have available to them more traditional methods of financing. Therefore, the risk associated with acquiring the securities of such issuers generally is greater than is the case with higher rated securities. For example, during an economic downturn or a sustained period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers of high yield securities may experience financial stress. During such periods, such issuers may not have sufficient revenues to meet their interest payment obligations. The issuer's ability to service its debt obligations may also be adversely affected by specific corporate developments, or the issuer's inability to meet specific projected business forecasts, or the unavailability of additional financing. The risk of loss from default by the issuer is significantly greater for the holders of high yield securities because such securities are generally unsecured and are often subordinated to other creditors of the issuer. Prices and yields of high yield securities will fluctuate over time and, during periods of economic uncertainty, volatility of high yield securities may adversely affect the Fund's net asset value. In addition, investments in high yield zero coupon or pay-in-kind bonds, rather than income-bearing high yield securities, may be more speculative and may be subject to greater fluctuations in value due to changes in interest rates. The Fund may have difficulty disposing of certain high yield (high risk) securities because they may have a thin trading market. Because not all dealers maintain markets in all high yield securities, the Fund anticipates that such securities could be sold only to a limited number of dealers or institutional investors. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse effect on the market price and the Fund's ability to dispose of particular issues and may also make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing the Fund's assets. Market quotations generally are available on many high yield issues only from a limited number of dealers and may not necessarily represent firm bids of such dealers or prices for actual sales. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield securities. These securities may also involve special registration responsibilities, liabilities and costs, and liquidity and valuation difficulties. Credit quality in the high-yield securities market can change suddenly and unexpectedly, and even recently issued credit ratings may not fully reflect the actual risks posed by a particular high-yield security. For these reasons, it is generally the policy of the Advisor not to rely exclusively on ratings issued by established credit rating agencies, but to supplement such ratings with its own independent and on-going review of credit quality. The achievement of the Fund's investment objective by investment in such securities may be more dependent on the Advisor's credit analysis than is the case for higher quality bonds. Should the rating of a portfolio security be downgraded, the Advisor will determine whether it is in the best interests of the Fund to retain or dispose of such security. Illiquid Securities and Restricted Securities. The Fund may purchase securities that are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale ("restricted securities"). Generally speaking, restricted securities may be sold (i) only to qualified institutional buyers; (ii) in a privately negotiated transaction to a limited number of purchasers; (iii) 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; or (iv) in a public offering for which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"). Issuers of restricted securities may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements that would be applicable if their securities were publicly traded. Restricted securities are often illiquid, but they may also be liquid. For example, restricted securities that are eligible for resale under Rule 144A are often deemed to be liquid. 17 The Trust's Board has approved guidelines for use by the Advisor in determining whether a security is liquid or illiquid. Among the factors the Advisor may consider in reaching liquidity decisions relating to Rule 144A securities are: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (4) the nature of the security and the nature of the market for the security (i.e., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of the transfer. Issuers of restricted securities may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirement that would be applicable if their securities were publicly traded. Where a registration statement is required for the resale of restricted securities, the Fund may be required to bear all or part of the registration expenses. The Fund may be deemed to be an "underwriter" for purposes of the 1933 Act, when selling restricted securities to the public and, in such event, the Fund may be liable to purchasers of such securities if the registration statement prepared by the issuer is materially inaccurate or misleading. The Fund may also purchase securities that are not subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, but that are deemed illiquid. Such securities may be illiquid, for example, because there is a limited trading market for them. The Fund may be unable to sell a restricted or illiquid security. In addition, it may be more difficult to determine a market value for restricted or illiquid securities. Moreover, if adverse market conditions were to develop during the period between the Fund's decision to sell a restricted or illiquid security and the point at which the Fund is permitted or able to sell such security, the Fund might obtain a price less favorable than the price that prevailed when it decided to sell. IPO Risk. Securities issued through an initial public offering (IPO) can experience an immediate drop in value if the demand for the securities does not continue to support the offering price. Information about the issuers of IPO securities is also difficult to acquire since they are new to the market and may not have lengthy operating histories. The Fund may engage in short-term trading in connection with its IPO investments, which could produce higher trading costs and adverse tax consequences. The number of securities issued in an IPO is limited, so it is likely that IPO securities will represent a smaller component of the Fund's portfolio as the Fund's assets increase (and thus have a more limited effect on the Fund's performance). Interfund Borrowing and Lending Program. The Fund has received exemptive relief from the SEC, which permits the Fund to participate in an interfund lending program among certain investment companies advised by the Advisor. The interfund lending program allows the participating funds to borrow money from and loan money to each other for temporary or emergency purposes. The program is subject to a number of conditions designed to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all participating funds, including the following: (1) no fund may borrow money through the program unless it receives a more favorable interest rate than a rate approximating the lowest interest rate at which bank loans would be available to any of the participating funds under a loan agreement; and (2) no fund may lend money through the program unless it receives a more favorable return than that available from an investment in repurchase agreements and, to the extent applicable, money market cash sweep arrangements. In addition, the Fund may participate in the program only if and to the extent that such participation is consistent with the fund's investment objectives and policies (for instance, money market funds would normally participate only as lenders and tax exempt funds only as borrowers). Interfund loans and borrowings may extend only overnight, but could have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called on one day's notice. The Fund may have to borrow from a bank at a higher interest rate if an interfund loan is called or not renewed. Any delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional costs. The program is subject to the oversight and periodic review of the Board. To the extent the Fund is actually engaged in borrowing through the interfund lending program, the Fund will comply with its nonfundamental policy on borrowing. Investment Company Securities. The Fund may acquire securities of other investment companies to the extent consistent with its investment objective and subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by such other investment companies. For example, the Fund may invest in a variety of investment companies which seek to track the composition and performance of specific indexes or a specific portion of an index. These index-based investments hold substantially all of their assets in securities representing their specific index. Accordingly, the main risk of investing in index-based investments is the same as investing in a portfolio of equity securities comprising the index. The market prices of index-based investments will fluctuate in accordance with both changes in the market value of their underlying portfolio securities and due to supply and demand for the instruments on the exchanges on which they are traded (which may result in their trading at a discount or premium to their NAVs). Index-based investments may not replicate exactly the performance of their specified index because of transaction costs and because of the temporary unavailability of certain component securities of the index. 18 Examples of index-based investments include: SPDRs(R): SPDRs, an acronym for "Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts," are based on the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price Index. They are issued by the SPDR Trust, a unit investment trust that holds shares of substantially all the companies in the S&P 500 in substantially the same weighting and seeks to closely track the price performance and dividend yield of the Index. MidCap SPDRs(R): MidCap SPDRs are based on the S&P MidCap 400 Index. They are issued by the MidCap SPDR Trust, a unit investment trust that holds a portfolio of securities consisting of substantially all of the common stocks in the S&P MidCap 400 Index in substantially the same weighting and seeks to closely track the price performance and dividend yield of the Index. Select Sector SPDRs(R): Select Sector SPDRs are based on a particular sector or group of industries that are represented by a specified Select Sector Index within the Standard & Poor's Composite Stock Price Index. They are issued by The Select Sector SPDR Trust, an open-end management investment company with nine portfolios that each seeks to closely track the price performance and dividend yield of a particular Select Sector Index. DIAMONDS(SM): DIAMONDS are based on the Dow Jones Industrial Average(SM). They are issued by the DIAMONDS Trust, a unit investment trust that holds a portfolio of all the component common stocks of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and seeks to closely track the price performance and dividend yield of the Dow. Nasdaq-100 Shares: Nasdaq-100 Shares are based on the Nasdaq 100 Index. They are issued by the Nasdaq-100 Trust, a unit investment trust that holds a portfolio consisting of substantially all of the securities, in substantially the same weighting, as the component stocks of the Nasdaq 100 Index and seeks to closely track the price performance and dividend yield of the Index. WEBsSM: WEBs, an acronym for "World Equity Benchmark Shares," are based on 17 country-specific Morgan Stanley Capital International Indexes. They are issued by the WEBs Index Fund, Inc., an open-end management investment company that seeks to generally correspond to the price and yield performance of a specific Morgan Stanley Capital International Index. Investment of Uninvested Cash Balances. The Fund may have cash balances that have not been invested in portfolio securities ("Uninvested Cash"). Uninvested Cash may result from a variety of sources, including dividends or interest received from portfolio securities, unsettled securities transactions, reserves held for investment strategy purposes, scheduled maturity of investments, liquidation of investment securities to meet anticipated redemptions and dividend payments, and new cash received from investors. Uninvested Cash may be invested directly in money market instruments or other short-term debt obligations. Pursuant to an Exemptive Order issued by the SEC, the Fund may use Uninvested Cash to purchase shares of affiliated funds including money market funds, short-term bond funds and Cash Management Investment Trust, or one or more future entities for which the Advisor acts as trustee or investment advisor that operate as cash management investment vehicles and that are excluded from the definition of investment company pursuant to section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act (collectively, the "Central Funds") in excess of the limitations of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. Investment by the Fund in shares of the Central Funds will be in accordance with the Fund's investment policies and restrictions as set forth in its registration statement. Certain of the Central Funds comply with rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act. The other Central Funds are or will be short-term bond funds that invest in fixed-income securities and maintain a dollar weighted average maturity of three years or less. Each of the Central Funds will be managed specifically to maintain a highly liquid portfolio, and access to them will enhance the Fund's ability to manage Uninvested Cash. 19 The Fund will invest Uninvested Cash in Central Funds only to the extent that the Fund's aggregate investment in the Central Funds does not exceed 25% of its total assets. Purchase and sales of shares of Central Funds are made at net asset value. Lending of Portfolio Securities. The Fund may lend its investment securities to approved institutional borrowers who need to borrow securities in order to complete certain transactions, such as covering short sales, avoiding failures to deliver securities or completing arbitrage operations. By lending its investment securities, the Fund attempts to increase its net investment income through the receipt of interest on the loan. Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would belong to the Fund. The Fund may lend its investment securities so long as the terms, structure and the aggregate amount of such loans are not inconsistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and regulations or interpretations of the SEC thereunder, which currently require that (a) the borrower pledge and maintain with the Fund collateral consisting of liquid, unencumbered assets having a value at all times not less than 100% of the value of the securities loaned, (b) the borrower add to such collateral whenever the price of the securities loaned rises (i.e., the borrower "marks to the market" on a daily basis), (c) the loan be made subject to termination by the Fund at any time, and (d) the Fund receives reasonable interest on the loan (which may include the Fund investing any cash collateral in interest bearing short-term investments), and distributions on the loaned securities and any increase in their market value. There may be risks of delay in recovery of the securities or even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially. However, loans will be made only to borrowers selected by the Fund's delegate after a commercially reasonable review of relevant facts and circumstances, including the creditworthiness of the borrower. At the present time, the staff of the SEC does not object if an investment company pays reasonable negotiated fees in connection with loaned securities, so long as such fees are set forth in a written contract and approved by the investment company's Board of Trustees/Directors. In addition, voting rights may pass with the loaned securities, but if a material event occurs affecting an investment on loan, the loan must be called and the securities voted. Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the SEC, cash collateral received by the Fund may be invested in a money market fund managed by the Advisor (or one of its affiliates). Micro-Cap Company Risk. While, historically, micro-capitalization company stocks have outperformed the stocks of large companies, the former have customarily involved more investment risk as well. There can be no assurance that this will continue to be true in the future. Micro-capitalization companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources; may lack management depth or experience; and may be more vulnerable to adverse general market or economic developments than large companies. The prices of micro-capitalization company securities are often more volatile than prices associated with large company issues, and can display abrupt or erratic movements at times, due to limited trading volumes and less publicly available information. Also, because micro-capitalization companies normally have fewer shares outstanding and these shares trade less frequently than large companies, it may be more difficult for the Fund to buy and sell significant amounts of such shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing market prices. Some of the companies in which the Fund may invest may distribute, sell or produce products which have recently been brought to market and may be dependent on key personnel. The securities of micro-capitalization companies are often traded over-the-counter and may not be traded in the volumes typical on a national securities exchange. Consequently, in order to sell this type of holding, the Fund may need to discount the securities from recent prices or dispose of the securities over a long period of time. Participation Interests. The Fund may purchase from financial institutions participation interests in securities in which the Fund may invest. A participation interest gives the Fund an undivided interest in the security in the proportion that the Fund's participation interest bears to the principal amount of the security. These instruments may have fixed, floating or variable interest rates, with remaining maturities of 397 days or less. If the participation interest is unrated, or has been given a rating below that which is permissible for purchase by the Fund, the participation interest will be backed by an irrevocable letter of credit or guarantee of a bank, or the payment obligation otherwise will be collateralized by US Government securities, or, in the case of unrated participation interest, determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality to those instruments in which the Fund may invest. For certain participation interests, the Fund will have the right to demand payment, on not more than seven days' notice, for all or any part of the Fund's participation interests in the security, plus accrued interest. As to these instruments, the Fund generally intends to exercise its right to demand payment only upon a default under the terms of the security. 20 Privatized Enterprises. Investments in foreign securities may include securities issued by enterprises that have undergone or are currently undergoing privatization. The governments of certain foreign countries have, to varying degrees, embarked on privatization programs contemplating the sale of all or part of their interests in state enterprises. The Fund's investments in the securities of privatized enterprises may include privately negotiated investments in a government or state-owned or controlled company or enterprise that has not yet conducted an initial equity offering, investments in the initial offering of equity securities of a state enterprise or former state enterprise and investments in the securities of a state enterprise following its initial equity offering. In certain jurisdictions, the ability of foreign entities, such as the Fund, to participate in privatizations may be limited by local law, or the price or terms on which the Fund may be able to participate may be less advantageous than for local investors. Moreover, there can be no assurance that governments that have embarked on privatization programs will continue to divest their ownership of state enterprises, that proposed privatizations will be successful or that governments will not re-nationalize enterprises that have been privatized. In the case of the enterprises in which the Fund may invest, large blocks of the stock of those enterprises may be held by a small group of stockholders, even after the initial equity offerings by those enterprises. The sale of some portion or all of those blocks could have an adverse effect on the price of the stock of any such enterprise. Prior to making an initial equity offering, most state enterprises or former state enterprises go through an internal reorganization or management. Such reorganizations are made in an attempt to better enable these enterprises to compete in the private sector. However, certain reorganizations could result in a management team that does not function as well as an enterprise's prior management and may have a negative effect on such enterprise. In addition, the privatization of an enterprise by its government may occur over a number of years, with the government continuing to hold a controlling position in the enterprise even after the initial equity offering for the enterprise. Prior to privatization, most of the state enterprises in which the Fund may invest enjoy the protection of and receive preferential treatment from the respective sovereigns that own or control them. After making an initial equity offering, these enterprises may no longer have such protection or receive such preferential treatment and may become subject to market competition from which they were previously protected. Some of these enterprises may not be able to operate effectively in a competitive market and may suffer losses or experience bankruptcy due to such competition. Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs"). REITs are sometimes informally categorized into equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Investment in REITs may subject the Fund to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate, such as decreases in real estate values, overbuilding, increased competition and other risks related to local or general economic conditions, increases in operating costs and property taxes, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, possible environmental liabilities, regulatory limitations on rent and fluctuations in rental income. Equity REITs generally experience these risks directly through fee or leasehold interests, whereas mortgage REITs generally experience these risks indirectly through mortgage interests, unless the mortgage REIT forecloses on the underlying real estate. Changes in interest rates may also affect the value of the Fund's investment in REITs. For instance, during periods of declining interest rates, certain mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that the mortgagors elect to prepay, which prepayment may diminish the yield on securities issued by those REITs. Certain REITs have relatively small market capitalizations, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of their securities. Furthermore, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code and to maintain exemption from the registration requirements of the 1940 Act. By investing in REITs indirectly through the Fund, a shareholder will bear not only his or her proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, expenses of the REITs. In addition, REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders. 21 Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter in repurchase agreements pursuant to its investment guidelines. In a repurchase agreement, the Fund acquires ownership of a security and simultaneously commits to resell that security to the seller, typically a bank or broker/dealer. A repurchase agreement provides a means for the Fund to earn income on funds for periods as short as overnight. It is an arrangement under which the purchaser (i.e., the Fund) acquires a security ("Obligation") and the seller agrees, at the time of sale, to repurchase the Obligation at a specified time and price. Securities subject to a repurchase agreement are held in a segregated account and, as described in more detail below, and the value of such securities kept at least equal to the repurchase price on a daily basis. The repurchase price may be higher than the purchase price, the difference being income to the Fund, or the purchase and repurchase prices may be the same, with interest at a stated rate due to the Fund together with the repurchase price upon repurchase. In either case, the income to the Fund is unrelated to the interest rate on the Obligation itself. Obligations will be held by the Custodian or in the Federal Reserve Book Entry system. It is not clear whether a court would consider the Obligation purchased by the Fund subject to a repurchase agreement as being owned by the Fund or as being collateral for a loan by the Fund to the seller. In the event of the commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings with respect to the seller of the Obligation before repurchase of the Obligation under a repurchase agreement, the Fund may encounter delay and incur costs before being able to sell the security. Delays may involve loss of interest or decline in price of the Obligation. If the court characterizes the transaction as a loan and the Fund has not perfected a security interest in the Obligation, the Fund may be required to return the Obligation to the seller's estate and be treated as an unsecured creditor of the seller. As an unsecured creditor, the Fund would be at risk of losing some or all of the principal and income involved in the transaction. As with any unsecured debt instrument purchased for the Fund, the Advisor seeks to minimize the risk of loss through repurchase agreements by analyzing the creditworthiness of the obligor, in this case the seller of the Obligation. Apart from the risk of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, there is also the risk that the seller may fail to repurchase the Obligation, in which case the Fund may incur a loss if the proceeds to the Fund of the sale to a third party are less than the repurchase price. However, if the market value (including interest) of the Obligation subject to the repurchase agreement becomes less than the repurchase price (including interest), the Fund will direct the seller of the Obligation to deliver additional securities so that the market value (including interest) of all securities subject to the repurchase agreement will equal or exceed the repurchase price. Repurchase Commitments. The Fund may enter into repurchase commitments with any party deemed creditworthy by the Advisor, including foreign banks and broker/dealers, if the transaction is entered into for investment purposes and the counterparty's creditworthiness is at least equal to that of issuers of securities which the Fund may purchase. Such transactions may not provide the Fund with collateral marked-to-market during the term of the commitment. Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may enter into "reverse repurchase agreements," which are repurchase agreements in which the Fund, as the seller of the securities, agrees to repurchase them at an agreed time and price. The Fund maintains a segregated account in connection with outstanding reverse repurchase agreements. The Fund will enter into reverse repurchase agreements only when the Advisor believes that the interest income to be earned from the investment of the proceeds of the transaction will be greater than the interest expense of the transaction. Such transactions may increase fluctuations in the market value of Fund assets and its yield. Small Company Risk. The Advisor believes that many small companies may have sales and earnings growth rates which exceed those of larger companies, and that such growth rates may in turn be reflected in more rapid share price appreciation over time. However, investing in smaller company stocks involves greater risk than is customarily associated with investing in larger, more established companies. For example, smaller companies can have limited product lines, markets, or financial and managerial resources. Smaller companies may also be dependent on one or a few key persons, and may be more susceptible to losses and risks of bankruptcy. Also, the securities of smaller companies may be thinly traded (and therefore have to be sold at a discount from current market prices or sold in small lots over an extended period of time). Transaction costs in smaller company stocks may be higher than those of larger companies. 22 Sovereign Debt. Investment in sovereign debt can involve a high degree of risk. The governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be able or willing to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt. A governmental entity's willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the governmental entity's policy toward the International Monetary Fund, and the political constraints to which a governmental entity may be subject. Governmental entities may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others abroad to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The commitment on the part of these governments, agencies and others to make such disbursements may be conditioned on a governmental entity's implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor's obligations. Failure to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of such third parties commitments to lend funds to the governmental entity, which may further impair such debtor's ability or willingness to service its debts in a timely manner. Consequently, governmental entities may default on their sovereign debt. Holders of sovereign debt may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to extend further loans to governmental entities. There is no bankruptcy proceeding by which sovereign debt on which governmental entities have defaulted may be collected in whole or in part. Strategic Transactions and Derivatives. The Fund may, but is not required to, utilize various other investment strategies as described below for a variety of purposes, such as hedging various market risks, managing the effective maturity or duration of the fixed-income securities in the Fund's portfolio or enhancing potential gain. These strategies may be executed through the use of derivative contracts. In the course of pursuing these investment strategies, the Fund may purchase and sell exchange-listed and over-the-counter put and call options on securities, equity and fixed-income indices and other instruments, purchase and sell futures contracts and options thereon, enter into various transactions such as swaps, caps, floors, collars, currency forward contracts, currency futures contracts, currency swaps or options on currencies, or currency futures and various other currency transactions (collectively, all the above are called "Strategic Transactions"). In addition, strategic transactions may also include new techniques, instruments or strategies that are permitted as regulatory changes occur. Strategic Transactions may be used without limit (subject to certain limits imposed by the 1940 Act) to attempt to protect against possible changes in the market value of securities held in or to be purchased for the Fund's portfolio resulting from securities markets or currency exchange rate fluctuations, to protect the Fund's unrealized gains in the value of its portfolio securities, to facilitate the sale of such securities for investment purposes, to manage the effective maturity or duration of the Fund's portfolio, or to establish a position in the derivatives markets as a substitute for purchasing or selling particular securities. Some Strategic Transactions may also be used to enhance potential gain although no more than 5% of the Fund's assets will be committed to certain Strategic Transactions entered into for non-hedging purposes. Any or all of these investment techniques may be used at any time and in any combination, and there is no particular strategy that dictates the use of one technique rather than another, as use of any Strategic Transaction is a function of numerous variables including market conditions. The ability of the Fund to utilize these Strategic Transactions successfully will depend on the Advisor's ability to predict pertinent market movements, which cannot be assured. The Fund will comply with applicable regulatory requirements when implementing these strategies, techniques and instruments. Strategic Transactions will not be used to alter fundamental investment purposes and characteristics of the Fund, and the Fund will segregate assets (or as provided by applicable regulations, enter into certain offsetting positions) to cover its obligations under options, futures and swaps to limit leveraging of the Fund. Strategic Transactions, including derivative contracts, have risks associated with them including possible default by the other party to the transaction, illiquidity and, to the extent the Advisor's view as to certain market movements is incorrect, the risk that the use of such Strategic Transactions could result in losses greater than if they had not been used. Use of put and call options may result in losses to the Fund, force the sale or purchase of portfolio securities at inopportune times or for prices higher than (in the case of put options) or lower than (in the case of call options) current market values, limit the amount of appreciation the Fund can realize on its investments or cause the Fund to hold a security it might otherwise sell. The use of currency transactions can result in the Fund incurring losses as a result of a number of factors including the imposition of exchange controls, suspension of settlements, or the inability to deliver or receive a specified currency. The use of options and futures transactions entails certain other risks. In particular, the variable degree of correlation between price movements of futures contracts and price movements in the related portfolio position of the Fund creates the possibility that losses on the hedging instrument may be greater than gains in the value of the Fund's position. In addition, futures and options markets may not be liquid in all circumstances and certain over-the-counter options may have no markets. As a result, in certain markets, 23 the Fund might not be able to close out a transaction without incurring substantial losses, if at all. Although the use of futures and options transactions for hedging should tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged position, at the same time they tend to limit any potential gain which might result from an increase in value of such position. Finally, the daily variation margin requirements for futures contracts would create a greater ongoing potential financial risk than would purchases of options, where the exposure is limited to the cost of the initial premium. Losses resulting from the use of Strategic Transactions would reduce net asset value, and possibly income, and such losses can be greater than if the Strategic Transactions had not been utilized. General Characteristics of Options. Put options and call options typically have similar structural characteristics and operational mechanics regardless of the underlying instrument on which they are purchased or sold. Thus, the following general discussion relates to each of the particular types of options discussed in greater detail below. In addition, many Strategic Transactions involving options require segregation of Fund assets in special accounts, as described below under "Use of Segregated and Other Special Accounts." A put option gives the purchaser of the option, upon payment of a premium, the right to sell, and the writer the obligation to buy, the underlying security, commodity, index, currency or other instrument at the exercise price. For instance, the Fund's purchase of a put option on a security might be designed to protect its holdings in the underlying instrument (or, in some cases, a similar instrument) against a substantial decline in the market value by giving the Fund the right to sell such instrument at the option exercise price. A call option, upon payment of a premium, gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the seller the obligation to sell, the underlying instrument at the exercise price. The Fund's purchase of a call option on a security, financial future, index, currency or other instrument might be intended to protect the Fund against an increase in the price of the underlying instrument that it intends to purchase in the future by fixing the price at which it may purchase such instrument. An American style put or call option may be exercised at any time during the option period while a European style put or call option may be exercised only upon expiration or during a fixed period prior thereto. The Fund is authorized to purchase and sell exchange listed options and over-the-counter options ("OTC options"). Exchange listed options are issued by a regulated intermediary such as the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC"), which guarantees the performance of the obligations of the parties to such options. The discussion below uses the OCC as an example, but is also applicable to other financial intermediaries. With certain exceptions, OCC issued and exchange listed options generally settle by physical delivery of the underlying security or currency, although in the future cash settlement may become available. Index options and Eurodollar instruments are cash settled for the net amount, if any, by which the option is "in-the-money" (i.e., where the value of the underlying instrument exceeds, in the case of a call option, or is less than, in the case of a put option, the exercise price of the option) at the time the option is exercised. Frequently, rather than taking or making delivery of the underlying instrument through the process of exercising the option, listed options are closed by entering into offsetting purchase or sale transactions that do not result in ownership of the new option. The Fund's ability to close out its position as a purchaser or seller of an OCC or exchange listed put or call option is dependent, in part, upon the liquidity of the option market. Among the possible reasons for the absence of a liquid option market on an exchange are: (i) insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions on transactions imposed by an exchange; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities including reaching daily price limits; (iv) interruption of the normal operations of the OCC or an exchange; (v) inadequacy of the facilities of an exchange or OCC to handle current trading volume; or (vi) a decision by one or more exchanges to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the relevant market for that option on that exchange would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange would generally continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms. The hours of trading for listed options may not coincide with the hours during which the underlying financial instruments are traded. To the extent that the option markets close before the markets for the underlying financial instruments, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the option markets. 24 OTC options are purchased from or sold to securities dealers, financial institutions or other parties ("Counterparties") through direct bilateral agreement with the Counterparty. In contrast to exchange listed options, which generally have standardized terms and performance mechanics, all the terms of an OTC option, including such terms as method of settlement, term, exercise price, premium, guarantees and security, are set by negotiation of the parties. The Fund will only sell OTC options (other than OTC currency options) that are subject to a buy-back provision permitting the Fund to require the Counterparty to sell the option back to the Fund at a formula price within seven days. The Fund expects generally to enter into OTC options that have cash settlement provisions, although it is not required to do so. Unless the parties provide for it, there is no central clearing or guaranty function in an OTC option. As a result, if the Counterparty fails to make or take delivery of the security, currency or other instrument underlying an OTC option it has entered into with the Fund or fails to make a cash settlement payment due in accordance with the terms of that option, the fund will lose any premium it paid for the option as well as any anticipated benefit of the transaction. Accordingly, the Advisor must assess the creditworthiness of each such Counterparty or any guarantor or credit enhancement of the Counterparty's credit to determine the likelihood that the terms of the OTC option will be satisfied. The Fund will engage in OTC option transactions only with US government securities dealers recognized by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as "primary dealers" or broker/dealers, domestic or foreign banks or other financial institutions which have received (or the guarantors of the obligation of which have received) a short-term credit rating of A-1 from S&P or P-1 from Moody's or an equivalent rating from any nationally recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO") or, in the case of OTC currency transactions, are determined to be of equivalent credit quality by the Advisor. The staff of the SEC currently takes the position that OTC options purchased by the Fund, and portfolio securities "covering" the amount of the Fund's obligation pursuant to an OTC option sold by it (the cost of the sell-back plus the in-the-money amount, if any) are illiquid, and are subject to the Fund's limitation on investing no more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. If the Fund sells a call option, the premium that it receives may serve as a partial hedge, to the extent of the option premium, against a decrease in the value of the underlying securities or instruments in its portfolio or will increase the Fund's income. The sale of put options can also provide income. The Fund may purchase and sell call options on securities including US Treasury and agency securities, mortgage-backed securities, foreign sovereign debt, corporate debt securities, equity securities (including convertible securities) and Eurodollar instruments that are traded on US and foreign securities exchanges and in the over-the-counter markets, and on securities indices, currencies and futures contracts. All calls sold by the fund must be "covered" (i.e., the Fund must own the securities or futures contract subject to the call) or must meet the asset segregation requirements described below as long as the call is outstanding. Even though the Fund will receive the option premium to help protect it against loss, a call sold by the Fund exposes the fund during the term of the option to possible loss of opportunity to realize appreciation in the market price of the underlying security or instrument and may require the Fund to hold a security or instrument which it might otherwise have sold. The Fund may purchase and sell put options on securities including US Treasury and agency securities, mortgage-backed securities, foreign sovereign debt, corporate debt securities, equity securities (including convertible securities) and Eurodollar instruments (whether or not it holds the above securities in its portfolio), and on securities indices, currencies and futures contracts other than futures on individual corporate debt and individual equity securities. The Fund will not sell put options if, as a result, more than 50% of the Fund's total assets would be required to be segregated to cover its potential obligations under such put options other than those with respect to futures and options thereon. In selling put options, there is a risk that the Fund may be required to buy the underlying security at a disadvantageous price above the market price. General Characteristics of Futures. The Fund may enter into futures contracts or purchase or sell put and call options on such futures as a hedge against anticipated interest rate, currency or equity market changes, and for duration management, risk management and return enhancement purposes. Futures are generally bought and sold on the commodities exchanges where they are listed with payment of initial and variation margin as described below. The sale of a futures contract creates a firm obligation by the Fund, as seller, to deliver to the buyer the specific type of financial instrument called for in the contract at a specific future time for a specified price (or, with respect to index futures and Eurodollar instruments, the net cash amount). Options on futures contracts are similar to options on securities except that an option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right in return for the premium paid to assume a position in a futures contract and obligates the seller to deliver such position. 25 The Fund has claimed exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" adopted by the CFTC and the National Futures Association, which regulate trading in the futures markets. Therefore, the Fund is not subject to commodity pool operator registration and regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act. Futures and options on futures may be entered into for bona fide hedging, risk management (including duration management) or other portfolio and return enhancement management purposes to the extent consistent with the exclusion from commodity pool operator registration. Typically, maintaining a futures contract or selling an option thereon requires the Fund to deposit with a financial intermediary as security for its obligations an amount of cash or other specified assets (initial margin) which initially is typically 1% to 10% of the face amount of the contract (but may be higher in some circumstances). Additional cash or assets (variation margin) may be required to be deposited thereafter on a daily basis as the marked to market value of the contract fluctuates. The purchase of an option on financial futures involves payment of a premium for the option without any further obligation on the part of the Fund. If the Fund exercises an option on a futures contract it will be obligated to post initial margin (and potential subsequent variation margin) for the resulting futures position just as it would for any position. Futures contracts and options thereon are generally settled by entering into an offsetting transaction but there can be no assurance that the position can be offset prior to settlement at an advantageous price, nor that delivery will occur. Options on Securities Indices and Other Financial Indices. The Fund also may purchase and sell call and put options on securities indices and other financial indices and in so doing can achieve many of the same objectives it would achieve through the sale or purchase of options on individual securities or other instruments. Options on securities indices and other financial indices are similar to options on a security or other instrument except that, rather than settling by physical delivery of the underlying instrument, they settle by cash settlement, i.e., an option on an index gives the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the option is based exceeds, in the case of a call, or is less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option (except if, in the case of an OTC option, physical delivery is specified). This amount of cash is equal to the excess of the closing price of the index over the exercise price of the option, which also may be multiplied by a formula value. The seller of the option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. The gain or loss on an option on an index depends on price movements in the instruments making up the market, market segment, industry or other composite on which the underlying index is based, rather than price movements in individual securities, as is the case with respect to options on securities. Currency Transactions. The Fund may engage in currency transactions with Counterparties primarily in order to hedge, or manage the risk of the value of portfolio holdings denominated in particular currencies against fluctuations in relative value. Currency transactions include forward currency contracts, exchange listed currency futures, exchange listed and OTC options on currencies, and currency swaps. A forward currency contract involves a privately negotiated obligation to purchase or sell (with delivery generally required) a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. A currency swap is an agreement to exchange cash flows based on the notional difference among two or more currencies and operates similarly to an interest rate swap, which is described below. The Fund may enter into currency transactions with Counterparties which have received (or the guarantors of the obligations which have received) a credit rating of A-1 or P-1 by S&P or Moody's, respectively, or that have an equivalent rating from a NRSRO or (except for OTC currency options) are determined to be of equivalent credit quality by the Advisor. The Fund's dealings in forward currency contracts and other currency transactions such as futures, options, options on futures and swaps generally will be limited to hedging involving either specific transactions or portfolio positions except as described below. Transaction hedging is entering into a currency transaction with respect to specific assets or liabilities of the fund, which will generally arise in connection with the purchase or sale of its portfolio securities or the receipt of income therefrom. Position hedging is entering into a currency transaction with respect to portfolio security positions denominated or generally quoted in that currency. The Fund generally will not enter into a transaction to hedge currency exposure to an extent greater, after netting all transactions intended wholly or partially to offset other transactions, than the aggregate market value (at the time of entering into the transaction) of the securities held in its portfolio that are denominated or generally quoted in or currently convertible into such currency, other than with respect to proxy hedging or cross hedging as described below. 26 The Fund may also cross-hedge currencies by entering into transactions to purchase or sell one or more currencies that are expected to decline in value relative to other currencies to which the fund has or in which the Fund expects to have portfolio exposure. To reduce the effect of currency fluctuations on the value of existing or anticipated holdings of portfolio securities, the fund may also engage in proxy hedging. Proxy hedging is often used when the currency to which the Fund's portfolio is exposed is difficult to hedge or to hedge against the dollar. Proxy hedging entails entering into a commitment or option to sell a currency whose changes in value are generally considered to be correlated to a currency or currencies in which some or all of the Fund's portfolio securities are or are expected to be denominated, in exchange for US dollars. The amount of the commitment or option would not exceed the value of the fund's securities denominated in correlated currencies. For example, if the Advisor considers that the Austrian schilling is correlated to the German deutschemark (the "D-mark"), the fund holds securities denominated in schillings and the Advisor believes that the value of schillings will decline against the US dollar, the Advisor may enter into a commitment or option to sell D-marks and buy dollars. Currency hedging involves some of the same risks and considerations as other transactions with similar instruments. Currency transactions can result in losses to the Fund if the currency being hedged fluctuates in value to a degree or in a direction that is not anticipated. Further, there is the risk that the perceived correlation between various currencies may not be present or may not be present during the particular time that the Fund is engaging in proxy hedging. If the Fund enters into a currency hedging transaction, the Fund will comply with the asset segregation requirements described below. Risks of Currency Transactions. Currency transactions are subject to risks different from those of other portfolio transactions. Because currency control is of great importance to the issuing governments and influences economic planning and policy, purchases and sales of currency and related instruments can be negatively affected by government exchange controls, blockages, and manipulations or exchange restrictions imposed by governments. These can result in losses to the Fund if it is unable to deliver or receive currency or funds in settlement of obligations and could also cause hedges it has entered into to be rendered useless, resulting in full currency exposure as well as incurring transaction costs. Buyers and sellers of currency futures are subject to the same risks that apply to the use of futures generally. Further, settlement of a currency futures contract for the purchase of most currencies must occur at a bank based in the issuing nation. Trading options on currency futures is relatively new, and the ability to establish and close out positions on such options is subject to the maintenance of a liquid market which may not always be available. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate based on factors extrinsic to that country's economy. Risks of Strategic Transactions Outside the US. When conducted outside the US, Strategic Transactions may not be regulated as rigorously as in the US, may not involve a clearing mechanism and related guarantees, and are subject to the risk of governmental actions affecting trading in, or the prices of, foreign securities, currencies and other instruments. The value of such positions also could be adversely affected by: (i) other complex foreign political, legal and economic factors, (ii) lesser availability than in the US of data on which to make trading decisions, (iii) delays in the Fund's ability to act upon economic events occurring in foreign markets during non-business hours in the US, (iv) the imposition of different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and margin requirements than in the US, and (v) lower trading volume and liquidity. Swaps, Caps, Floors and Collars. Among the Strategic Transactions into which the Fund may enter are interest rate, currency, index and other swaps and the purchase or sale of related caps, floors and collars. The Fund expects to enter into these transactions primarily to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio, to protect against currency fluctuations, as a duration management technique or to protect against any increase in the price of securities the fund anticipates purchasing at a later date. The Fund will not sell interest rate caps or floors where it does not own securities or other instruments providing the income stream the fund may be obligated to pay. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g., an exchange of floating rate payments for fixed rate payments with respect to a notional amount of principal. A currency swap is an agreement to exchange cash flows on a notional amount of two or more currencies based on the relative value differential among them and an index swap is an agreement to swap cash flows on a notional amount based on changes in the values of the reference indices. The purchase of a cap entitles the purchaser to receive payments on a notional principal amount from the party selling such cap to the extent that a specified index exceeds a predetermined interest rate or amount. The purchase of a floor entitles the purchaser to receive payments on a notional principal amount from the party selling such floor to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate or amount. A collar is a combination of a cap and a floor that preserves a certain return within a predetermined range of interest rates or values. 27 Use of Segregated and Other Special Accounts. Many Strategic Transactions, in addition to other requirements, require that the Fund segregate cash or liquid assets with its custodian to the extent fund obligations are not otherwise "covered" through ownership of the underlying security, financial instrument or currency. In general, either the full amount of any obligation by the Fund to pay or deliver securities or assets must be covered at all times by the securities, instruments or currency required to be delivered, or, subject to any regulatory restrictions, an amount of cash or liquid assets at least equal to the current amount of the obligation must be segregated with the custodian. The segregated assets cannot be sold or transferred unless equivalent assets are substituted in their place or it is no longer necessary to segregate them. For example, a call option written by the Fund will require the Fund to hold the securities subject to the call (or securities convertible into the needed securities without additional consideration) or to segregate cash or liquid assets sufficient to purchase and deliver the securities if the call is exercised. A call option sold by the Fund on an index will require the Fund to own portfolio securities which correlate with the index or to segregate cash or liquid assets equal to the excess of the index value over the exercise price on a current basis. A put option written by the Fund requires the Fund to segregate cash or liquid assets equal to the exercise price. Except when the Fund enters into a forward contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a particular currency, which requires no segregation, a currency contract which obligates the Fund to buy or sell currency will generally require the Fund to hold an amount of that currency or liquid assets denominated in that currency equal to the Fund's obligations or to segregate cash or liquid assets equal to the amount of the Fund's obligation. OTC options entered into by the Fund, including those on securities, currency, financial instruments or indices and OCC issued and exchange listed index options, will generally provide for cash settlement. As a result, when the Fund sells these instruments it will only segregate an amount of cash or liquid assets equal to its accrued net obligations, as there is no requirement for payment or delivery of amounts in excess of the net amount. These amounts will equal 100% of the exercise price in the case of a non cash-settled put, the same as an OCC guaranteed listed option sold by the Fund, or the in-the-money amount plus any sell-back formula amount in the case of a cash-settled put or call. In addition, when the Fund sells a call option on an index at a time when the in-the-money amount exceeds the exercise price, the Fund will segregate, until the option expires or is closed out, cash or cash equivalents equal in value to such excess. OCC issued and exchange listed options sold by the Fund other than those above generally settle with physical delivery, or with an election of either physical delivery or cash settlement and the Fund will segregate an amount of cash or liquid assets equal to the full value of the option. OTC options settling with physical delivery, or with an election of either physical delivery or cash settlement will be treated the same as other options settling with physical delivery. In the case of a futures contract or an option thereon, the Fund must deposit initial margin and possible daily variation margin in addition to segregating cash or liquid assets sufficient to meet its obligation to purchase or provide securities or currencies, or to pay the amount owed at the expiration of an index-based futures contract. Such liquid assets may consist of cash, cash equivalents, liquid debt or equity securities or other acceptable assets. With respect to swaps, the Fund will accrue the net amount of the excess, if any, of its obligations over its entitlements with respect to each swap on a daily basis and will segregate an amount of cash or liquid assets having a value equal to the accrued excess. Caps, floors and collars require segregation of assets with a value equal to the Fund's net obligation, if any. Strategic Transactions may be covered by other means when consistent with applicable regulatory policies. The Fund may also enter into offsetting transactions so that its combined position, coupled with any segregated assets, equals its net outstanding obligation in related options and Strategic Transactions. For example, the Fund could purchase a put option if the strike price of that option is the same or higher than the strike price of a put option sold by the Fund. Moreover, instead of segregating cash or liquid assets if the Fund held a futures or forward contract, it could purchase a put option on the same futures or forward contract with a strike price as high or higher than the price of the contract held. Other Strategic Transactions may also be offset in combinations. If the offsetting transaction terminates at the time of or after the primary transaction no segregation is required, but if it terminates prior to such time, cash or liquid assets equal to any remaining obligation would need to be segregated. 28 Combined Transactions. The Fund may enter into multiple transactions, including multiple options transactions, multiple futures transactions, multiple currency transactions (including forward currency contracts) and multiple interest rate transactions and any combination of futures, options, currency and interest rate transactions ("component" transactions), instead of a single Strategic Transaction, as part of a single or combined strategy when, in the opinion of the Advisor, it is in the best interests of the Fund to do so. A combined transaction will usually contain elements of risk that are present in each of its component transactions. Although combined transactions are normally entered into based on the Advisor's judgment that the combined strategies will reduce risk or otherwise more effectively achieve the desired portfolio management goal, it is possible that the combination will instead increase such risks or hinder achievement of the portfolio management objective. Supranational Entities. Supranational entities are international organizations designated or supported by governmental entities to promote economic reconstruction or development and international banking institutions and related government agencies. Examples include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank), the European Coal and Steel Community, The Asian Development Bank and the InterAmerican Development Bank. Obligations of supranational entities are backed by the guarantee of one or more foreign governmental parties which sponsor the entity. When-Issued Securities. The Fund may from time to time purchase equity and debt securities on a "when-issued," "delayed delivery" or "forward delivery" basis. The price of such securities, which may be expressed in yield terms, is fixed at the time the commitment to purchase is made, but delivery and payment for the securities takes place at a later date. During the period between purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the Fund to the issuer and no interest accrues to the Fund. When the Fund purchases such securities, it immediately assumes the risks of ownership, including the risk of price fluctuation. Failure to deliver a security purchased on this basis may result in a loss or missed opportunity to make an alternative investment. To the extent that assets of the Fund are held in cash pending the settlement of a purchase of securities, the Fund would earn no income. While such securities may be sold prior to the settlement date, the Fund intends to purchase them with the purpose of actually acquiring them unless a sale appears desirable for investment reasons. At the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase a security on this basis, it will record the transaction and reflect the value of the security in determining its net asset value. The market value of the securities may be more or less than the purchase price. The Fund will establish a segregated account in which it will maintain cash and liquid securities equal in value to commitments for such securities. Warrants. The Fund may invest in warrants up to 5% of the value of its total assets. The holder of a warrant has the right, until the warrant expires, to purchase a given number of shares of a particular issuer at a specified price. Such investments can provide a greater potential for profit or loss than an equivalent investment in the underlying security. Prices of warrants do not necessarily move, however, in tandem with the prices of the underlying securities and are, therefore, considered speculative investments. Warrants pay no dividends and confer no rights other than a purchase option. Thus, if a warrant held by the Fund were not exercised by the date of its expiration, that Fund would lose the entire purchase price of the warrant. Zero Coupon Securities. The Fund may invest in zero coupon securities which pay no cash income and are sold at substantial discounts from their value at maturity. When held to maturity, their entire income, which consists of accretion of discount, comes from the difference between the purchase price and their value at maturity. The effect of owning instruments which do not make current interest payments is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during the life of the obligation. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at the same rate eliminates the risk of being unable to reinvest distributions at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero coupon bond, but at the same time eliminates any opportunity to reinvest earnings at higher rates. For this reason, zero coupon bonds are subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing market interest rates than those of comparable securities that pay interest currently, which fluctuation is greater as the period to maturity is longer. Zero coupon convertible securities which are convertible into common stock offer the opportunity for capital appreciation (or depreciation) as increases (or decreases) in market value of such securities closely follow the movements in the market value of the underlying common stock. Zero coupon convertible securities generally are expected to be less volatile than the underlying common stocks, as they usually are issued with maturities of 15 years or less and are issued with options and/or redemption features exercisable by the holder of the obligation entitling the holder to redeem the obligation and receive a defined cash payment. 29 Non-diversification. The Fund is classified as a non-diversified management investment company under the 1940 Act, which means that the Fund is not limited by the 1940 Act in the proportion of its assets that it may invest in the obligations of a single issuer. The investment of a large percentage of the Fund's assets in the securities of a small number of issuers may cause the Fund's share price to fluctuate more than that of a diversified fund. Portfolio Holdings Information In addition to the public disclosure of fund portfolio holdings through required Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") quarterly filings, the Fund may make its portfolio holdings information publicly available on the DWS Funds Web site as described in the Fund's prospectus. The Fund does not disseminate non-public information about portfolio holdings except in accordance with policies and procedures adopted by the Fund. The Fund's procedures permit non-public portfolio holdings information to be shared with Deutsche Asset Management, Inc. and its affiliates (collectively "DeAM"), subadvisors, if any, custodians, independent registered public accounting firms, securities lending agents, financial printers, proxy voting firms and other service providers to the Fund who require access to this information to fulfill their duties to the Fund, subject to the requirements described below. This non-public information may also be disclosed to certain mutual fund analysts and rating and tracking agencies, to shareholders in connection with in-kind redemptions, or to other entities if the Fund has a legitimate business purpose in providing the information, subject to the requirements described below. Prior to any disclosure of the Fund's non-public portfolio holdings information to the foregoing types of entities or persons, a person authorized by the Fund's Trustees must make a good faith determination in light of the facts then known that the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for providing the information, that the disclosure is in the best interest of the Fund, and that the recipient assents or otherwise has a duty to keep the information confidential and to not trade based on the information received while the information remains non-public. No compensation is received by the Fund or DeAM for disclosing non-public holdings information. Periodic reports regarding these procedures will be provided to the Fund's Trustees. Portfolio holdings information distributed by the trading desks of DeAM or a subadvisor for the purpose of facilitating efficient trading of such securities and receipt of relevant research is not subject to the foregoing requirements. Non-public portfolio holding information does not include portfolio characteristics (other than holdings or subsets of holdings) about the Fund and information derived therefrom, including, but not limited to, how the Fund's investments are divided among various sectors, industries, countries, value and growth stocks, bonds, currencies and cash, types of bonds, bond maturities, duration, bond coupons and bond credit quality ratings so long as the Fund's holdings could not be derived from such information. Registered investment companies that are subadvised by DeAM may be subject to different portfolio holdings disclosure policies, and neither DeAM nor the Fund's Trustees exercise control over such policies. In addition, separate account clients of DeAM have access to their portfolio holdings and are not subject to the Fund's portfolio holdings disclosure policy. The portfolio holdings of some of the funds subadvised by DeAM and some of the separate accounts managed by DeAM may substantially overlap with the portfolio holdings of the Fund. DeAM also manages certain unregistered commingled trusts and creates model portfolios, the portfolio holdings of which may substantially overlap with the portfolio holdings of the Fund. To the extent that investors in these commingled trusts or recipients of model portfolio holdings information may receive portfolio holdings information of their trust or of a model portfolio on a different basis from that on which fund portfolio holdings information is made public, DeAM has implemented procedures reasonably designed to encourage such investors and recipients to keep such information confidential, and to prevent those investors from trading on the basis of non-public holdings information. 30 There is no assurance that the Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings information will protect the Fund from the potential misuse of portfolio holdings information by those in possession of that information. MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND Investment Advisor On April 5, 2002, 100% of Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc., not including certain UK operations (known as Threadneedle Investments), was acquired by Deutsche Bank AG. and changed its name to Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. ("DeIM" or the "Advisor"). DeIM, which is part of Deutsche Asset Management ("DeAM"), is the investment advisor for the Fund. DeIM is the investment advisor for the fund. Under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, DeIM, with headquarters at 345 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10154, supervises the activities of the subadvisor and the sub-subadvisors. DeIM and its predecessors have more than 80 years of experience managing mutual funds and DeIM provides a full range of investment advisory services to institutional and retail clients. DeIM is also responsible for selecting brokers and dealers and for negotiating brokerage commissions and dealer charges. DeAM is the marketing name in the US for the asset management activities of Deutsche Bank AG, DeIM, Deutsche Asset Management Inc., Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas and DWS Trust Company. DeAM is a global asset management organization that offers a wide range of investing expertise and resources, including hundreds of portfolio managers and analysts and an office network that reaches the world's major investment centers. This well-resourced global investment platform brings together a wide variety of experience and investment insight, across industries, regions, asset classes and investing styles. DeIM is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG. Deutsche Bank AG is a major global banking institution that is engaged in a wide range of financial services, including investment management, mutual fund, retail, private and commercial banking, investment banking and insurance. Pursuant to investment management agreement (the `Agreement') with the Fund, the Advisor acts as the Fund's investment advisor, manages its investments, administers its business affairs, furnishes office facilities and equipment, provides clerical and administrative services and permits its officers and employees to serve without compensation as trustees or officers of one or more funds if elected to such positions. To the extent permissible by law, the Advisor may appoint certain of its affiliates as sub-advisors to perform certain of the Advisor's duties. In certain cases, the investments for the Fund is managed by the same individuals who manage one or more other mutual funds advised by the Advisor that have similar names, objectives and investment styles. You should be aware that the Fund is likely to differ from these other mutual funds in size, cash flow pattern and tax matters. Accordingly, the holdings and performance of a Fund can be expected to vary from those of these other mutual funds. Certain investments may be appropriate for the Fund and also for other clients advised by the Advisor. Investment decisions for the Fund and other clients are made with a view to achieving their respective investment objectives and after consideration of such factors as their current holdings, availability of cash for investment and the size of their investments generally. Frequently, a particular security may be bought or sold for only one client or in different amounts and at different times for more than one but less than all clients. Likewise, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when one or more other clients are selling the security. In addition, purchases or sales of the same security may be made for two or more clients on the same day. In such event, such transactions will be allocated among the clients in a manner believed by the Advisor to be equitable to each. In some cases, this procedure could have an adverse effect on the price or amount of the securities purchased or sold by the Fund. Purchase and sale orders for the Fund may be combined with those of other clients of the Advisor in the interest of achieving the most favorable net results to the Fund. The present investment advisory agreement between the Fund and DeIM (the "Agreement") was approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (including a majority of the Non-interested Trustees) on June 28, 2006. The Agreement will continue in effect until September 30, 2007, and from year to year only if its continuance is approved annually by the vote of a majority of those Trustees who are not parties to such Agreement or interested persons of the Advisor or the Trust, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and either by a vote of the Trust's Trustees or of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. 31 The Advisor provides assistance to the Board in valuing the securities and other instruments held by the Fund, to the extent reasonably required by valuation policies and procedures that may be adopted by the Fund. Pursuant to the Agreement, (unless otherwise provided in the agreement or as determined by the Board), the Advisor pays the compensation and expenses of all the Board members, officers, and executive employees of the Fund, including the Fund's share of payroll taxes, who are affiliated persons of the Advisor. The Fund pays the Advisor an advisory fee at the annual rates shown below: - --------------------------------------------------------------------- Average daily net assets Fee Rate - --------------------------------------------------------------------- first $500 million 1.000% - --------------------------------------------------------------------- next $500 million 0.985% - --------------------------------------------------------------------- next $1 billion 0.960% - --------------------------------------------------------------------- over $2 billion 0.945% - --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Fund commenced operations on July 1, 2006 and therefore does not have any advisory fee information to report. Through July 4, 2007, the advisor has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its management fee and reimburse or pay operating expenses of the fund to the extent necessary to maintain the fund's total operating expenses at 1.40% for Class S shares, excluding certain expenses such as extraordinary expenses, taxes, brokerage, interest, trustee and trustee counsel fees, and organizational and offering expenses. The Agreement provides that the Fund is responsible for expenses that include: fees payable to the Advisor; outside legal, accounting or auditing expenses; maintenance of books and records that are maintained by the Fund, the Fund's custodian, or other agents of the Fund; taxes and governmental fees; fees and expenses of the Fund's accounting agent, custodian, sub-custodians, depositories, transfer agents, dividend reimbursing agents and registrars; portfolio pricing or valuation services; brokerage commissions or other costs of acquiring or disposing of any portfolio securities or other instruments of the Fund; and litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund's business. The Agreement allows the Advisor to delegate any of its duties under the Agreement to a sub-adviser, subject to a majority vote of the Board of the Fund, including a majority of the Board who are not interested persons of the Fund, and, if applicable, subject to a majority vote of the Fund's shareholders. The Agreement provides that the Advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with matters to which the agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful malfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Advisor in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by the Advisor of its obligations and duties under the agreement. The Investment Management Agreement may be terminated at any time, without payment of penalty, by either party on 60 days' written notice. Subadvisor. RREEF America L.L.C. ("RREEF"), located at 875 North Michigan Avenue, 41st Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60611, an affiliate of the Advisor, is the subadvisor for the Fund. RREEF serves as sub-advisor pursuant to the terms of a Subadvisory Agreement between it and the Advisor. RREEF has provided real estate investment management services to institutional investors since 1975 and has been an investment advisor of real estate securities since 1993. RREEF's ultimate parent company was RoPro U.S. Holding, Inc. ("RoPro U.S."). RoPro U.S. was a US subsidiary of RoProperty Holdings B.V., a Dutch holding company owned by the following Dutch companies: Rodamco North America N.V., Rodamco Europe N.V., Rodamco Haslemere N.V., Robeco Groep N.V., and Rodamco Asia N.V. RREEF is also the investment advisor to various institutional and accredited investor accounts investing in real estate securities. On April 22, 2002, RoPro U.S. was fully acquired by an affiliate of Deutsche Bank AG. 32 While DeIM is the investment advisor to the fund, the day-to-day activities of managing the fund's portfolio have been delegated to RREEF. DeIM compensates RREEF out of the management fee it receives from the fund. The Subadvisory Agreement provides that RREEF will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with matters to which the Subadvisory Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of RREEF in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by RREEF of its obligations and duties under the Research and Advisory Agreement. The Subadvisory Agreement shall continue in effect until September 30, 2007 and year to year thereafter, but only as long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually (a) by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to such agreement or interested persons of any such party except in their capacity as Trustees of the Trust, and (b) by the shareholders or the Board of Trustees of the Trust. The Research and Advisory Agreement may be terminated at any time upon sixty days' notice by the Advisor or by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by majority vote of the outstanding shares of the Fund, and will terminate automatically upon assignment or upon termination of the Fund's investment management agreement. The fund's shareholder report for the period ended December 31, 2006, will contain a discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees' approval of the investment management agreement and the Subadvisory Agreement for the fund. Sub-subadvisors. Pursuant to investment sub-subadvisory agreements between DeIM and Deutsche Asset Management lnternational GmbH, RREEF Global Advisers Limited, Deutsche Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited and Deutsche Investments Australia Limited (the "sub-subadvisors"), these entities act as sub-subadvisors to the fund. As sub-subadvisors, under the supervision of the Board of Trustees, DeIM and RREEF the sub-subadvisors manage the fund's investments in specific foreign markets. Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH, Mainzer Landstrasse 178-190, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, manages stock selection decisions for the European portion of the fund's portfolio. Currently, RREEF Global Advisers Limited, Winchester House, 1 Great Winchester Street, London, United Kingdom, EC2N 2DB, acts as an adviser to Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH with respect to the fund. Deutsche Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited, 55/F Cheung Kong Centre, 2 Queen's Road Centre, Hong Kong, China, and Deutsche Investments Australia Limited, Level 21, 83 Clarence Street, Sydney, Australia, NSW, 2000, manage the stock selection decisions for the Asian and Australian portions of the fund's portfolio. The fund's shareholder report for the period ended December 31, 2006 will contain a discussion regarding tile basis for the Board of Trustees' approval of the investment management agreement, the subadvisory agreement and the sub-subadvisory agreements for the fund. Compensation of Portfolio Managers The Fund has been advised that each of the Advisors seeks to offer each of its investment professionals competitive short-term and long-term compensation. Portfolio managers and research professionals are paid (i) base salaries, which are linked to job function, responsibilities and financial services industry peer comparison and (ii) variable compensation, which is linked to investment performance, individual contributions to the team and DWS Scudder's and Deutsche Bank's financial results. Variable compensation may include a cash bonus incentive and participation in a variety of long-term equity programs (usually in the form of Deutsche Bank equity). 33 Bonus and long-term incentives comprise a greater proportion of total compensation as an investment professional's seniority and compensation levels increase. Top performing investment professionals earn a total compensation package that is highly competitive, including a bonus that is a multiple of their base salary. The amount of equity awarded under the long-term equity programs is generally based on the individual's total compensation package and may comprise from 0%-40% of the total compensation award. As incentive compensation increases, the percentage of compensation awarded in Deutsche Bank equity also increases. Certain senior investment professionals may be subject to a mandatory diverting of a portion of their equity compensation into proprietary mutual funds that they manage. To evaluate its investment professionals, the Advisors use a Performance Management Process. Objectives evaluated by the process are related to investment performance and generally take into account peer group and benchmark related data. The ultimate goal of this process is to link the performance of investment professionals with client investment objectives and to deliver investment performance that meets or exceeds clients' risk and return objectives. When determining total compensation, the Advisors consider a number of quantitative and qualitative factors such as: o DWS Scudder's performance and the performance of Deutsche Asset Management; quantitative measures which include 1, 3 and 5 year pre-tax returns versus benchmark (such as the benchmark used in the prospectus) and appropriate peer group, taking into consideration risk targets. Additionally, the portfolio manager's retail/institutional asset mix is weighted, as appropriate for evaluation purposes. o Qualitative measures include adherence to the investment process and individual contributions to the process, among other things. In addition, the Advisor assesses compliance, risk management and teamwork skills. o Other factors, including contributions made to the investment team as well as adherence to compliance, risk management, and "living the values" of the Advisor, are part of a discretionary component which gives management the ability to reward these behaviors on a subjective basis through bonus incentives. In addition, the Advisors analyze competitive compensation levels through the use of extensive market data surveys. Portfolio manager compensation is reviewed and may be modified each year as appropriate to reflect changes in the market, as well as to adjust the factors used to determine overall compensation to promote good sustained investment performance. The Fund has been advised that the Advisors seek to offer its investment professionals competitive short-term and long-term compensation. Portfolio managers and research professionals are paid (i) base salaries, which are linked to job function, responsibilities and financial services industry peer comparison and (ii) variable compensation. Variable compensation consists of a compensation pool that is determined based on revenues generated by the funds they manage, which are generally impacted by overall investment performance. The compensation pool is shared equally among those senior investment professionals. The compensation structure for these investment professionals is dependent on, among other things, their continuing obligation to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities to their clients and to "live the values" of the Advisors through adherence to the Advisor's compliance policies and procedures. This compensation structure creates an incentive to maximize the size of the funds. However, the Advisor has in place controls designed to maintain disciplined growth of the products managed by this team within the capacity constraints of the investment process. The Advisors believe that this compensation structure has been a positive incentive to this team and has contributed to the development of a strong team culture and a risk managed consistent investment approach that has benefited fund shareholders over time. Performance information is provided in the relevant fund prospectus. Fund Ownership of Portfolio Managers The following table shows the dollar range of shares owned beneficially and of record by each member of the Fund's portfolio management team in the Fund as well as in all DWS Funds as a group (i.e. those funds advised by Deutsche Asset Management or its affiliates), including investments by their immediate family members sharing the same household and amounts invested through retirement and deferred compensation plans. This information is provided as of the Fund's most recent fiscal year end. 34 Dollar Range of Dollar Range of All Name of Portfolio Manager Fund Shares Owned DWS Fund Shares Owned - ------------------------- ----------------- --------------------- John F. Robertson $0 Over $1,000,000 Daniel Ekins $0 $0 John Hammond $0 $0 Kurt Klauditz $0 $0 William Leung $0 $0 Conflicts of Interest In addition to managing the assets of the Fund, the Fund's portfolio managers may have responsibility for managing other client accounts of the Advisors or their affiliates. The tables below show, for each portfolio manager, the number and asset size of (1) SEC registered investment companies (or series thereof) other than the Fund, (2) pooled investment vehicles that are not registered investment companies and (3) other accounts (e.g., accounts managed for individuals or organizations) managed by each portfolio manager. The tables also show the number of performance based fee accounts, as well as the total assets of the accounts for which the advisory fee is based on the performance of the account. This information is provided as of the Fund's most recent fiscal year end. Other SEC Registered Investment Companies Managed:
Number of Total Assets of Investment Company Registered Accounts with Total Assets of Number of Registered Investment Performance-Based Performance-Based Name of Portfolio Manager Investment Companies Companies Fee Fee Accounts - ------------------------- -------------------- --------- --- ------------ John F. Robertson 10 $4,650,000,000 $0 $0 Daniel Ekins 2 $613,000,000 $0 $0 John Hammond 2 $613,000,000 $0 $0 Kurt Klauditz 2 $613,000,000 $0 $0 William Leung 2 $613,000,000 $0 $0
35 Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Managed:
Number of Number of Pooled Total Assets of Pooled Total Assets of Investment Vehicle Performance- Investment Pooled Investment Accounts with Based Fee Name of Portfolio Manager Vehicles Vehicles Performance-Based Fee Accounts - ------------------------- -------- -------- --------------------- -------- John F. Robertson 7 $445,770,000 2 $53,980,000 Daniel Ekins 3 $488,200,000 0 $0 John Hammond 3 $69,180,000 2 $60,340,000 Kurt Klauditz 3 $7,920,000,000 2 $2,870,000,000 William Leung 1 $4,500,000 0 $0
Other Accounts Managed:
Number of Other Total Assets of Number of Accounts with Performance- Other Total Assets of Performance- Based Fee Name of Portfolio Manager Accounts Other Accounts Based Fee Accounts - ------------------------- -------- -------------- --------- -------- John F. Robertson 46 $3,860,000,000 5 $684,040,000 Daniel Ekins 7 $905,300,000 2 $180,100,000 John Hammond 2 $58,440,000 0 $0 Kurt Klauditz 0 $0 0 $0 William Leung 1 $14,300,000 1 $14,300,000
In addition to the accounts above, an investment professional may manage accounts in a personal capacity that may include holdings that are similar to, or the same as, those of the Fund. Each Advisor has in place a Code of Ethics that is designed to address conflicts of interest and that, among other things, imposes restrictions on the ability of portfolio managers and other "access persons" to invest in securities that may be recommended or traded in the funds and other client accounts. Real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day portfolio management responsibilities with respect to more than one fund or account, including the following: 36 o Certain investments may be appropriate for the Fund and also for other clients advised by the Advisors, including other client accounts managed by the Fund's portfolio management team. Investment decisions for the Fund and other clients are made with a view to achieving their respective investment objectives and after consideration of such factors as their current holdings, availability of cash for investment and the size of their investments generally. A particular security may be bought or sold for only one client or in different amounts and at different times for more than one but less than all clients. Likewise, because clients of the Advisor may have differing investment strategies, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when one or more other clients are selling the security. The investment results achieved for the Fund may differ from the results achieved for other clients of the Advisors. In addition, purchases or sales of the same security may be made for two or more clients on the same day. In such event, such transactions will be allocated among the clients in a manner believed by the Advisors to be most equitable to each client, generally utilizing a pro rata allocation methodology. In some cases, the allocation procedure could potentially have an adverse effect or positive effect on the price or amount of the securities purchased or sold by the Fund. Purchase and sale orders for the Fund may be combined with those of other clients of the Advisor in the interest of achieving the most favorable net results to the Fund and the other clients. o To the extent that a portfolio manager has responsibilities for managing multiple client accounts, a portfolio manager will need to divide time and attention among relevant accounts. The Advisor attempts to minimize these conflicts by aligning its portfolio management teams by investment strategy and by employing similar investment models across multiple client accounts. o In some cases, an apparent conflict may arise where the Advisor has an incentive, such as a performance-based fee, in managing one account and not with respect to other accounts it manages. The Advisor will not determine allocations based on whether it receives a performance-based fee from the client. Additionally, the Advisors have in place supervisory oversight processes to periodically monitor performance deviations for accounts with like strategies. The Advisors are owned by Deutsche Bank AG, a multi-national financial services company. Therefore, the Advisors are affiliated with a variety of entities that provide, and/or engage in commercial banking, insurance, brokerage, investment banking, financial advisory, broker-dealer activities (including sales and trading), hedge funds, real estate and private equity investing, in addition to the provision of investment management services to institutional and individual investors. Since Deutsche Bank AG, its affiliates, directors, officers and employees (the "Firm") are engaged in businesses and have interests other than managing asset management accounts; such other activities involve real, potential or apparent conflicts of interests. These interests and activities include potential advisory, transactional and financial activities and other interests in securities and companies that may be directly or indirectly purchased or sold by the Firm for its clients' advisory accounts. These are considerations of which advisory clients should be aware and which may cause conflicts that could be to the disadvantage of the Advisors' advisory clients. The Advisor has instituted business and compliance policies, procedures and disclosures that are designed to identify, monitor and mitigate conflicts of interest and, as appropriate, to report them to the Fund's Board. Administrator. Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. (the "Administrator"), serves as the Trust's administrator pursuant to an Administration Agreement. Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, the Administrator has agreed to furnish statistical and research data, clerical services, and stationery and office supplies; prepare and file various reports with the appropriate regulatory agencies including the SEC and state securities commissions; and provide accounting and bookkeeping services for the Fund, including the computation of the Fund's net asset value, net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any. For its services under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator receives a fee of 0.10% of the aggregate average daily net assets of the Fund. The Administrator will pay Accounting Agency and Transfer Agency fees out of the Administration fee. The Fund commenced operations on July 1, 2006, and therefore does not have any administrative fee information to report. The Administration Agreement provides that the Administrator will not be liable under the Administration Agreement except for bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or from the reckless disregard by it of its duties and obligations thereunder. 37 Various third-party service providers (the "Service Providers"), some of which are affiliated with the Advisor, provide certain services to the Fund pursuant to separate agreements with the Fund. The Advisor will pay the Service Providers for the provision of their services to the Fund and will pay most other fund expenses, including insurance, registration, printing and postage fees. In return, the Fund will pay the Advisor an Administrative Fee. The fee payable by the Fund to the Advisor pursuant to the Administrative Agreement is reduced by the amount of any credit received from the Fund's custodian for cash balances. Certain expenses of the Fund will not be borne by the Advisor under the Administrative Agreement, such as taxes, brokerage, interest and extraordinary expenses; and the fees and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including the fees and expenses of their independent counsel). In addition, the Fund will continue to pay the fees required by its investment management agreement with the Advisor. Code of Ethics The Fund, the Advisor, subadvisor and the Fund's principal underwriter have each adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. Board members, officers of the Trust and employees of the Advisor, subadvisors and principal underwriter are permitted to make personal securities transactions, including transactions in securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund, subject to certain requirements and restrictions set forth in the applicable Code of Ethics. The Advisor's Code of Ethics contains provisions and requirements designed to identify and address certain conflicts of interest between personal investment activities and the interests of the Fund. Among other things, the Advisor's Code of Ethics prohibits certain types of transactions absent prior approval, imposes time periods during which personal transactions may not be made in certain securities, and requires the submission of duplicate broker confirmations and quarterly reporting of securities transactions. Additional restrictions apply to portfolio managers, traders, research analysts and others involved in the investment advisory process. Exceptions to these and other provisions of the Advisor's Code of Ethics may be granted in particular circumstances after review by appropriate personnel. Portfolio Transactions. The Advisor is generally responsible for placing the orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities, including the allocation of brokerage. With respect to those funds for which a sub-investment advisor manages the fund's investments, references in this section to the "Advisor" should be read to mean the Sub-Advisor. The policy of the Advisor in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities for the Fund is to seek best execution, taking into account such factors, among others, as price; commission (where applicable); the broker-dealer's ability to ensure that securities will be delivered on settlement date; the willingness of the broker-dealer to commit its capital and purchase a thinly traded security for its own inventory; whether the broker-dealer specializes in block orders or large program trades; the broker-dealer's knowledge of the market and the security; the broker-dealer's ability to maintain confidentiality; the financial condition of the broker-dealer; and whether the broker-dealer has the infrastructure and operational capabilities to execute and settle the trade. The Advisor seeks to evaluate the overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions with commissions charged on comparable transactions and compares the brokerage commissions (if any) paid by the Fund to reported commissions paid by others. The Advisor routinely reviews commission rates, execution and settlement services performed and makes internal and external comparisons. Commission rates on transactions in equity securities on U.S. securities exchanges are subject to negotiation. Commission rates on transactions in equity securities on foreign securities exchanges are generally fixed. Purchases and sales of fixed-income securities and other over-the-counter securities are effected on a net basis, without the payment of brokerage commissions. Transactions in fixed income and other over-the-counter securities are generally placed by the Advisor with the principal market makers for these securities unless the Advisor reasonably believes more favorable results are available elsewhere. Transactions with dealers serving as market makers reflect the spread between the bid and asked prices. Purchases of underwritten issues will include an underwriting fee paid to the underwriter. Money market instruments are normally purchased in principal transactions directly from the issuer or from an underwriter or market maker. 38 It is likely that the broker-dealers selected based on the considerations described in this section will include firms that also sell shares of the Fund to their customers. However, the Advisor does not consider sales of shares of the Fund as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund and, accordingly, has implemented policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent its traders from considering sales of shares of the Fund as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund. The Advisor is permitted by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("1934 Act"), when placing portfolio transactions for the Fund, to cause the fund to pay brokerage commissions in excess of that which another broker-dealer might charge for executing the same transaction in order to obtain research and brokerage services. The Advisor, however, does not as a matter of policy execute transactions with broker-dealers for the fund in order to obtain research from such broker-dealers that is prepared by third parties (i.e., "third party research"). However, the Advisor may from time to time, in reliance on Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, obtain proprietary research prepared by the executing broker-dealer in connection with a transaction or transactions through that broker-dealer (i.e., "proprietary research"). Consistent with the Advisor's policy regarding best execution, where more than one broker is believed to be capable of providing best execution for a particular trade, the Advisor may take into consideration the receipt of proprietary research in selecting the broker-dealer to execute the trade. Proprietary research provided by broker-dealers may include, but is not limited to, information on the economy, industries, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, accounting and tax law interpretations, political developments, legal developments affecting portfolio securities, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance analysis and measurement and analysis of corporate responsibility issues. Proprietary research is typically received in the form of written reports, telephone contacts and personal meetings with security analysts, but may also be provided in the form of access to various computer software and associated hardware, and meetings arranged with corporate and industry representatives. In reliance on Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, the Advisor may also select broker-dealers and obtain from them brokerage services in the form of software and/or hardware that is used in connection with executing trades. Typically, this computer software and/or hardware is used by the Advisor to facilitate trading activity with those broker-dealers. Proprietary research and brokerage services received from a broker-dealer chosen to execute a particular trade may be useful to the Advisor in providing services to clients other than the fund making the trade, and not all such information is used by the Advisor in connection with such fund. Conversely, such information provided to the Advisor by broker-dealers through which other clients of the Advisor effect securities transactions may be useful to the Advisor in providing services to the fund. The Advisor will monitor regulatory developments and market practice in the use of client commissions to obtain research and brokerage services, whether proprietary or third party. Investment decisions for the Fund and for other investment accounts managed by the Advisor are made independently of each other in light of differing conditions. However, the same investment decision may be made for two or more of such accounts. In such cases, simultaneous transactions are inevitable. To the extent permitted by law, the Advisor may aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased for the Fund with those to be sold or purchased for other accounts in executing transactions. Purchases or sales are then averaged as to price and commission and allocated as to amount in a manner deemed equitable to each account. While in some cases this practice could have a detrimental effect on the price paid or received by, or on the size of the position obtained or disposed of for, the Fund, in other cases it is believed that the ability to engage in volume transactions will be beneficial to the Fund. Deutsche Bank AG or one of its affiliates may act as a broker for the Fund and receive brokerage commissions or other transaction-related compensation from the Fund in the purchase and sale of securities, options or futures contracts when, in the judgment of the Advisor, and in accordance with procedures approved by the Fund's Board, the affiliated broker will be able to obtain a price and execution at least as favorable as those obtained from other qualified brokers and if, in the transaction, the affiliated broker charges the Fund a rate consistent with that charged to comparable unaffiliated customers in similar transactions. The Fund commenced operations on July 1, 2006, and therefore does not have any brokerage commissions to report. 39 Portfolio Turnover The Advisor will purchase and sell securities without regard to the length of time the security has been held. Accordingly, the Fund's rate of portfolio turnover may be substantial. The Advisor intends to purchase a given security whenever it believes it will contribute to the stated objective of the Fund. In order to achieve the Fund's investment objectives, the Advisor may sell a given security, no matter how long or how short a period it has been held in the portfolio, and no matter whether the sale is at a gain or at a loss, if the Advisor believes that the security is not fulfilling its purpose, either because, among other things, it did not live up to the Advisor's expectations, or because it may be replaced with another security holding greater promise, or because it has reached its optimum potential, or because of a change in the circumstances of a particular company or industry or in general economic conditions, or because of some combination of such reasons. Because investment decisions are based on the anticipated contribution of the security in question to the Fund's objective, the Advisor believes that the rate of portfolio turnover is irrelevant when it believes a change is in order to achieve the objectives. As a result, the Fund's annual portfolio turnover rate cannot be anticipated and may be higher than other mutual funds with similar investment objective. Higher turnover would generate correspondingly greater brokerage commissions, which is a cost the Fund pays directly. Portfolio turnover also may affect the character of capital gains realized and distributed by the Fund, if any, because short-term capital gains are taxable as ordinary income. Distributor and Underwriter Distributor. The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has entered into a Underwriting and Distribution Services Agreement (the "Distribution Agreement") pursuant to which DWS-SDI, 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL 60606 as agent, serves as principal underwriter for the continuous offering of shares of the Fund. DWS-SDI, an affiliate of the Advisor, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG. DWS-SDI has agreed to use its best efforts to solicit orders for the purchase of shares of the Fund, although it is not obligated to sell any particular amount of shares. Under the Distribution Agreement, the Fund is responsible for: the payment of all fees and expenses in connection with the preparation and filing with the SEC of its registration statement and prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto; the registration and qualification of shares for sale in the various states, including registering the Fund as a broker or dealer in various states, as required; the fees and expenses of preparing, printing and mailing prospectuses annually to existing shareholders (see below for expenses relating to prospectuses paid by the Distributor); notices, proxy statements, reports or other communications to shareholders of the Fund; the cost of printing and mailing confirmations of purchases of shares and any prospectuses accompanying such confirmations; any issuance taxes and/or any initial transfer taxes; a portion of shareholder toll-free telephone charges and expenses of shareholder service representatives; the cost of wiring funds for share purchases and redemptions (unless paid by the shareholder who initiates the transaction); the cost of printing and postage of business reply envelopes; and a portion of the cost of computer terminals used by both the Fund and the Distributor. The Distributor will pay for printing and distributing prospectuses or reports prepared for its use in connection with the offering of the Fund's shares to the public and preparing, printing and mailing any other literature or advertising in connection with the offering of shares of the fund to the public. The Distributor will pay all fees and expenses in connection with its qualification and registration as a broker or dealer under federal and state laws, a portion of the cost of toll-free telephone service and expenses of shareholder service representatives, a portion of the cost of computer terminals, and expenses of any activity which is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares issued by the fund, unless a Rule 12b-1 Plan is in effect which provides that the Fund shall bear some or all of such expenses. Although the Fund does not currently have a 12b-1 Plan for Class S shares, and the Trustees have no current intention of adopting one, the Fund will also pay those fees and expenses permitted to be paid or assumed by the Trust pursuant to a 12b-1 Plan, if any, adopted by the Trust, notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary in the underwriting agreement. 40 The Distributor currently offers shares of the Fund on a continuous basis to investors in all states in which shares of the Fund may from time to time be registered or where permitted by applicable law. The underwriting agreement provides that the Distributor accepts orders for shares at net asset value because no sales commission or load is charged to the investor. The Distributor has made no firm commitment to acquire shares of the Fund. FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS Custodian, Transfer Agent and Shareholder Service Agent Custodian. Brown Brothers Harriman and Co. (the "Custodian"), 40 Water Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, serves as the Trust's custodian pursuant to a Custodian Agreement. Under its custody agreement with the Trust, the Custodian (i) maintains separate accounts in the name of the Fund, (ii) holds and transfers portfolio securities on account of the Fund, (iii) accepts receipts and makes disbursements of money on behalf of the Fund, (iv) collects and receives all income and other payments and distributions on account of the Fund's portfolio securities and (v) makes periodic reports to the Trust's Board of Trustees concerning the Fund's operations. The Custodian is authorized to select one or more foreign or domestic banks or companies to serve as sub-custodian on behalf of the Fund, pursuant to Rule 17f-5 or the 1940 Act. Transfer Agent and Shareholder Service Agent. DWS Scudder Service Corporation ("DWS-SSC"), P.O. Box 2291, Boston, Massachusetts 02107-2291, a subsidiary of the Advisor, is the transfer and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund. DWS-SSC also serves as shareholder service agent for the Fund and provides subaccounting and recordkeeping services for shareholder accounts in certain retirement and employee benefit plans. The Fund pays DWS-SSC an annual fee of $23.50 for each regular account (including Individual Retirement Accounts), $26.50 for each retirement account (excluding Individual Retirement Accounts; Class S shares only), $2.00 per account, as applicable, in connection with contingent deferred sales charge, and $4.00 per account, as applicable, for closed retail accounts and $5.00 per account, as applicable, for closed retirement accounts (excluding Individual Retirement Accounts). Pursuant to a sub-transfer agency agreement between DWS-SSC and DST Systems, Inc. ("DST"), DWS-SSC has delegated certain transfer agent and dividend paying agent functions to DST. The costs and expenses of such delegation are born by DWS-SSC, not by the Fund. The Fund, or the Advisor (including any affiliate of the Advisor), or both, may pay unaffiliated third parties for providing recordkeeping and other administrative services with respect to accounts of participants in retirement plans or other beneficial owners of Fund shares whose interests are generally held in an omnibus account. Fund Accounting Agent DWS Scudder Fund Accounting Corporation ("DWS-SFAC"), Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110, a subsidiary of the Advisor, is the fund accounting agent for the Fund. DWS-SFAC is responsible for determining net asset value per share and maintaining the portfolio and general accounting records for the Fund. Pursuant to an agreement between DWS-SFAC and State Street Bank and Trust Company ("SSB"), DWS-SFAC has delegated certain fund accounting functions to SSB under the fund accounting agreement. The costs and expenses of such delegation are borne by DWS-SFAC, not by the Fund. Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 125 High Street, Boston, MA 02110, independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting, audits the financial statements of the Fund and provides other audit, tax and related services. Shareholders will receive annual audited financial statements and semi-annual unaudited financial statements. 41 Legal Counsel Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, serves as legal counsel to the Fund. PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES General Information Policies and procedures affecting transactions in Fund shares can be changed at any time without notice, subject to applicable law. Transactions may be contingent upon proper completion of application forms and other documents by shareholders and their receipt by the Fund's agents. Transaction delays in processing (and changing account features) due to circumstances within or beyond the control of the Fund and its agents may occur. Shareholders (or their financial service firms) are responsible for all losses and fees resulting from bad checks, cancelled orders or the failure to consummate transactions effected pursuant to instructions reasonably believed to genuine. A distribution will be reinvested in shares of the same Fund and class if the distribution check is returned as undeliverable. Orders will be confirmed at a price based on the net asset value of the Fund next determined after receipt in good order by DWS-SDI of the order accompanied by payment. However, orders received by dealers or other financial services firms prior to the determination of net asset value and received in good order by DWS-SDI prior to the determination of net asset value next determined after receipt by DWS-SDI will be confirmed at a price based on the net asset value ("trade date"). The Fund has authorized one or more financial service institutions, including certain members of the NASD other than the Distributor ("financial institutions"), to accept purchase and redemption orders for the Fund's shares. Such financial institutions may also designate other parties, including plan administrator intermediaries, to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Fund's behalf. Orders for purchases or redemptions will be deemed to have been received by the Fund when such financial institutions or, if applicable, their authorized designees accept the orders. Subject to the terms of the contract between the Fund and the financial institution, ordinarily orders will be priced at the Fund's net asset value next computed after acceptance by such financial institution or its authorized designees and accepted by the Fund. Further, if purchases or redemptions of the Fund's shares are arranged and settlement is made at an investor's election through any other authorized financial institution, that financial institution may, at its discretion, charge a fee for that service. The Board of Trustees and the Distributor, also the Fund's principal underwriter, each has the right to limit the amount of purchases by, and to refuse to sell to, any person. The Trustees and the Distributor may suspend or terminate the offering of shares of the Fund at any time for any reason. Additional Minimum Balance Policies. For fiduciary accounts such as IRAs, and custodial accounts such as Uniform Gifts to Minor Act and Uniform Transfers to Minor Act accounts, the minimum balances are $1,000 for Class S. A shareholder may open an account with at least $1,000 ($500 for fiduciary/custodial accounts), if an automatic investment plan (AIP) of $50/month is established. Scudder group retirement plans and certain other accounts have similar or lower minimum share balance requirements. Reductions in value that result solely from market activity will not trigger involuntary redemption. Shareholders with a combined household account balance in any of the DWS Funds of $100,000 or more, as well as group retirement and certain other accounts will not be subject to automatic redemption. Fiduciary (e.g., IRA or Roth IRA) and custodial accounts (e.g., UGMA or UTMA) with balances below $100 are subject to automatic redemption following 60 days' written notice to applicable shareholders. Certificates. Share certificates will not be issued. 42 Use of Financial Services Firms. Investment dealers and other firms provide varying arrangements for their clients to purchase and redeem the Fund's shares, including higher minimum investments, and may assess transaction or other fees. Firms may arrange with their clients for other investment or administrative services. Such firms may independently establish and charge additional amounts to their clients for such services. Firms also may hold the Fund's shares in nominee or street name as agent for and on behalf of their customers. In such instances, the Fund's transfer agent, DWS Scudder Service Corporation ("DWS-SSC" or the "Transfer Agent"), will have no information with respect to or control over the accounts of specific shareholders. Such shareholders may obtain access to their accounts and information about their accounts only from their firm. Certain of these firms may receive compensation from the Fund through the Shareholder Service Agent for record-keeping and other expenses relating to these nominee accounts. In addition, certain privileges with respect to the purchase and redemption of shares or the reinvestment of dividends may not be available through such firms. Some firms may participate in a program allowing them access to their clients' accounts for servicing including, without limitation, transfers of registration and dividend payee changes; and may perform functions such as generation of confirmation statements and disbursement of cash dividends. Such firms, including affiliates of DWS-SDI, may receive compensation from the Fund through the Shareholder Service Agent for these services. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker, service organization or, if applicable, an authorized designee, accepts the order. Shares of the Fund may be purchased or redeemed on any business day at the net asset value next determined after receipt of the order, in good order, by the Transfer Agent. Investors who invest through authorized brokers, service organizations or their designated intermediaries should submit purchase and redemption orders directly to their broker, service organization or designated intermediary. The broker or intermediary may charge you a transaction fee. Telephone and Electronic Transaction Procedures. Shareholders have various telephone, Internet, wire and other electronic privileges available. The Fund or its agents may be liable for any losses, expenses or costs arising out of fraudulent or unauthorized instructions pursuant to these privileges unless the Fund or its agents reasonably believe, based upon reasonable verification procedures, that the instructions were genuine. Verification procedures include recording instructions, requiring certain identifying information before acting upon instructions and sending written confirmations. During periods when it is difficult to contact the Shareholder Service Agent, it may be difficult to use telephone, wire and other privileges. QuickBuy and QuickSell. QuickBuy and QuickSell permits the transfer of money via the Automated Clearing House System (minimum $50 and maximum $250,000) from or to a shareholder's bank, savings and loan, or credit union account in connection with the purchase or redemption of Fund shares. Shares purchased by check or through QuickBuy and QuickSell or Direct Deposit may not be redeemed under this privilege until such Shares have been owned for at least 10 calendar days. QuickBuy and QuickSell cannot be used with passbook savings accounts or for certain tax-deferred plans such as IRAs. Share Pricing. Purchases will be filled at the net asset value per share next computed after receipt of the application in good order. The net asset value of shares of each Fund is calculated at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time or the close of business on each day the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") is open for trading. Orders received after the close of regular trading on the Exchange will be executed at the next business day's net asset value. If the order has been placed by a member of the NASD, other than the Distributor, it is the responsibility of the member broker, rather than the fund, to forward the purchase order to (the "transfer agent") in Kansas City by the close of regular trading on the Exchange. Direct Deposit. Investors may have dividends and distributions automatically deposited to their predesignated bank account through Direct Deposit. Shareholders who elect to participate in Direct Deposit, and whose predesignated checking account of record is with a member bank of Automated Clearing House Network (ACH) can have income and capital gain distributions automatically deposited to their personal bank account usually within three business days after the fund pays its distribution. An electronic services request form can be obtained by calling 1-800-728-3337. Confirmation Statements will be mailed to shareholders as notification that distributions have been deposited. 43 Purchases The Fund reserves the right to withdraw all or any part of the offering made by its Prospectus and to reject purchase orders for any reason. Also, from time to time, the Fund may temporarily suspend the offering of any class of its shares to new investors. During the period of such suspension, persons who are already shareholders of the Fund may be permitted to continue to purchase additional shares of such class and to have dividends reinvested. To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. For more information, please see "Policies You Should Know About" in the Fund's Prospectus. The Fund may waive the investment minimum, if any, for purchases by a current or former director or trustee of the DWS mutual funds, an employee, the employee's spouse or life partner and children or step-children age 21 or younger of Deutsche Bank or its affiliates, or a sub-advisor to any fund in the DWS family of funds, or a broker-dealer authorized to sell shares of the funds. Eligible Class S Investors A. The following investors may purchase Class S shares of DWS Funds either (i) directly from DWS-SDI, the Fund's principal underwriter; or (ii) through an intermediary relationship with a financial services firm established with respect to the DWS Funds as of December 31, 2004. Investors may not otherwise purchase Class S shares through a broker-dealer, registered investment advisor or other financial services firm. 1. Existing shareholders of Class S shares of any DWS Fund as of December 31, 2004, and household members residing at the same address. 2. Shareholders who own Class S shares continuously since December 31, 2004 and household members residing at the same address may open new accounts for Class S shares of any DWS Fund. 3. Any participant who owns Class S shares of any DWS Fund through an employee sponsored retirement, employee stock, bonus, pension or profit sharing plan continuously since December 31, 2004 may open a new individual account for Class S shares of any DWS Fund. 4. Any participant who owns Class S shares of any DWS Fund through a retirement, employee stock, bonus, pension or profit sharing plan may complete a direct rollover to an IRA account that will hold Class S shares. This applies to individuals who begin their retirement plan investments with a DWS Fund at any time, including after December 31, 2004. 5. Officers, Fund Trustees and Directors, and full-time employees and their family members, of the Advisor and its affiliates. 6. Class S shares are available to any accounts managed by the Advisor, any advisory products offered by the Advisor or DWS-SDI and to the Portfolios of DWS Pathway Series or other fund of funds managed by the Advisor or its affiliates. B. The following additional investors may purchase Class S shares of DWS Funds. 1. Broker-dealers and registered investment advisors ("RIAs") may purchase Class S shares in connection with a comprehensive or "wrap" fee program or other fee based program. 2. Any group retirement, employee stock, bonus, pension or profit-sharing plans. 44 DWS-SDI may, at its discretion, require appropriate documentation that shows an investor is eligible to purchase Class S shares. Clients having a regular investment counsel account with the Advisor or its affiliates and members of their immediate families, officers and employees of the Advisor or of any affiliated organization and members of their immediate families, members of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD") and banks may, if they prefer, subscribe initially for at least $2,500 for Class S through DeAM Investor Services, Inc. by letter, fax, or telephone. Automatic Investment Plan. A shareholder may purchase shares of the Fund through an automatic investment program. With the Direct Deposit Purchase Plan ("Direct Deposit"), investments are made automatically (minimum $50 and maximum $250,000 for both initial and subsequent investments) from the shareholder's account at a bank, savings and loan or credit union into the shareholder's Fund account. Termination by a shareholder will become effective within thirty days after the Shareholder Service Agent has received the request. The Fund may immediately terminate a shareholder's Plan in the event that any item is unpaid by the shareholder's financial institution. Payroll Investment Plans. A shareholder may purchase shares through Payroll Direct Deposit or Government Direct Deposit. Under these programs, all or a portion of a shareholder's net pay or government check is invested each payment period. A shareholder may terminate participation in these programs by giving written notice to the shareholder's employer or government agency, as appropriate. (A reasonable time to act is required.) The Fund is not responsible for the efficiency of the employer or government agency making the payment or any financial institutions transmitting payments. Expedited Purchase Procedures for Existing Shareholders. Shareholders of other DWS funds who have submitted an account application and have certified a tax identification number, clients having a regular investment counsel account with the Advisor or its affiliates and members of their immediate families, officers and employees of the Advisor or of any affiliated organization and their immediate families, members of the NASD, and banks may open an account by wire by calling 1-800-728-3337 for instructions. The investor must send a duly completed and signed application to the Fund promptly. A subsequent purchase order for $10,000 or more that is not greater than four times an account value may be placed by telephone, fax, etc. by established shareholders (except by DWS Scudder Individual Retirement Account (IRA), DWS Scudder Horizon Plan, DWS Scudder Profit Sharing and Money Purchase Pension Plans, DWS Scudder 401(k) and DWS Scudder 403(b) Plan holders), members of the NASD, and banks. Redemptions The Fund will impose a redemption fee of 2% of the total redemption amount (calculated at net asset value, without regard to the effect of any contingent deferred sales charge; any contingent deferred sales charge is also assessed on the total redemption amount without regard to the assessment of the 2% redemption fee) on all Fund shares redeemed or exchanged within 30 days of buying them (either by purchase or exchange). The redemption fee is paid directly to the Fund, and is designed to encourage long-term investment and to offset transaction and other costs associated with short-term or excessive trading. For purposes of determining whether the redemption fee applies, shares held the longest time will be treated as being redeemed first and shares held the shortest time will be treated as being redeemed last. The redemption fee is applicable to Fund shares purchased either directly or through a financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer. Transactions through financial intermediaries typically are placed with the Fund on an omnibus basis and include both purchase and sale transactions placed on behalf of multiple investors. These purchase and sale transactions are generally netted against one another and placed on an aggregate basis; consequently the identities of the individuals on whose behalf the transactions are placed generally are not known to the Fund. For this reason, the Fund has undertaken to notify financial intermediaries of their obligation to assess the redemption fee on customer accounts and to collect and remit the proceeds to the Fund. However, due to operational requirements, the intermediaries' methods for tracking and calculating the fee may be inadequate or differ in some respects from the Fund. Policies and procedures affecting transactions in fund shares can be changed at any time without notice, subject to applicable law. Transactions may be contingent upon proper completion of application forms and other documents by shareholders and their receipt by the Fund's agents. Transaction delays in processing (and changing account features) due to circumstances within or beyond the control of the Fund and its agents may occur. Shareholders (or their financial service firms) are responsible for all losses and fees resulting from bad checks, cancelled orders or the failure to consummate transactions effected pursuant to instructions reasonably believed to be genuine. 45 A distribution will be reinvested in shares of the same fund and class if the distribution check is returned as undeliverable. Orders will be confirmed at a price based on the net asset value (including any applicable sales charge) of the Fund next determined after receipt in good order by DWS-SDI of the order accompanied by payment. However, orders received by dealers or other financial services firms prior to the determination of net asset value and received in good order by DWS-SDI prior to the close of its business day will be confirmed at a price based on the net asset value effective on that day ("trade date"). The Fund may suspend the right of redemption or delay payment more than seven days (a) during any period when the Exchange is closed other than customary weekend and holiday closings or during any period in which trading on the Exchange is restricted, (b) during any period when an emergency exists as a result of which (i) disposal of the Fund's investments is not reasonably practicable, or (ii) it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to determine the value of its net assets, or (c) for such other periods as the SEC may by order permit for the protection of the Fund's shareholders. A request for repurchase (confirmed redemption) may be communicated by a shareholder through a financial services firm to DWS-SDI, which firms must promptly submit orders to be effective. Redemption requests must be unconditional. Redemption requests (and a stock power for certificated shares) must be duly endorsed by the account holder. As specified in the prospectus, signatures may need to be guaranteed by a commercial bank, trust company, savings and loan association, federal savings bank, member firm of a national securities exchange or other financial institution permitted by SEC rule. Additional documentation may be required, particularly from institutional and fiduciary account holders, such as corporations, custodians (e.g., under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act), executors, administrators, trustees or guardians. Wires. Delivery of the proceeds of a wire redemption of $250,000 or more may be delayed by the Fund for up to seven days if the Fund or the Shareholder Service Agent deems it appropriate under then-current market conditions. The ability to send wires is limited by the business hours and holidays of the firms involved. The Fund is not responsible for the efficiency of the federal wire system or the account holder's financial services firm or bank. The account holder is responsible for any charges imposed by the account holder's firm or bank. To change the designated account to receive wire redemption proceeds, send a written request to the Fund Shareholder Service Agent with signatures guaranteed as described above or contact the firm through which Fund shares were purchased. Automatic Withdrawal Plan. An owner of $5,000 or more of a class of the Fund's shares at the offering price may provide for the payment from the owner's account of any requested dollar amount to be paid to the owner or a designated payee monthly, quarterly, semiannually or annually. The $5,000 minimum account size is not applicable to IRAs. The minimum periodic payment is $50. Shares are redeemed so that the payee should receive payment approximately on the first of the month. Investors using this Plan must reinvest Fund distributions. Non-retirement plan shareholders may establish an Automatic Withdrawal Plan (the "Plan") to receive monthly, quarterly or periodic redemptions from his or her account for any designated amount of $50 or more. Shareholders may designate which day they want the automatic withdrawal to be processed. The check amounts may be based on the redemption of a fixed dollar amount, fixed share amount, percent of account value or declining balance. The Plan provides for income dividends and capital gains distributions, if any, to be reinvested in additional shares. Shares are then liquidated as necessary to provide for withdrawal payments. Since the withdrawals are in amounts selected by the investor and have no relationship to yield or income, payments received cannot be considered as yield or income on the investment and the resulting liquidations may deplete or possibly extinguish the initial investment and any reinvested dividends and capital gains distributions. Any such requests must be received by the Fund's transfer agent ten days prior to the date of the first automatic withdrawal. An Automatic Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any time by the shareholder, the Trust or its agent on written notice, and will be terminated when all shares of the Fund under the Plan have been liquidated or upon receipt by the Trust of notice of death of the shareholder. 46 Exchanges Shareholders may request a taxable exchange of their shares for shares of the corresponding class of other DWS Funds, subject to the provisions below. Series of DWS Target Fund are available on exchange only during the Offering Period for such series as described in the applicable prospectus. Cash Management Fund Investment, Tax Free Money Fund Investment, New York Tax Free Money Fund Investment, Treasury Money Fund Investment, Money Market Fund Investment, Cash Management Fund Institutional, Cash Reserves Fund Institutional, Treasury Money Fund Institutional, Cash Reserve Fund, Inc. Prime Series, Cash Reserve Fund, Inc. -- Treasury Series, Cash Reserve Fund, Inc. Tax-Free Series, Tax-Exempt California Money Market Fund, Cash Account Trust, Investors Municipal Cash Fund and Investors Cash Trust are available on exchange but only through a financial services firm having a services agreement with DWS-SDI. All exchanges among money funds must meet applicable investor eligibility and investment requirements. Exchanges may only be made for funds that are available for sale in the shareholder's state of residence. Currently, Tax-Exempt California Money Market Fund is available for sale only in California and the portfolios of Investors Municipal Cash Fund are available for sale in certain states. Shareholders must obtain prospectuses of the fund of funds they are exchanging into from dealers, other firms or DWS-SDI. Automatic Exchange Plan. The owner of $1,000 or more of any class of shares of a DWS Fund may authorize the automatic exchange of a specified amount ($50 minimum) of such shares for shares of the same class of another such DWS Fund. Exchanges will be made automatically until the shareholder or the fund terminates the privilege. Exchanges are subject to the terms and conditions described above. In-kind Redemptions. The Fund reserves the right to honor any request for redemption or repurchase by making payment in whole or in part in readily marketable securities. These securities will be chosen by the fund and valued as they are for purposes of computing the Fund's net asset value. A shareholder may incur transaction expenses in converting these securities to cash. The Fund reserves the right to redeem all of its shares, if the Fund's Board of Trustees votes to liquidate and terminate the Fund. The Fund has authorized one or more financial service institutions, including certain members of the NASD other than the Distributor ("financial institutions"), to accept purchase and redemption orders for the Fund's shares. Such financial institutions may also designate other parties, including plan administrator intermediaries, to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Fund's behalf. Orders for purchases or redemptions will be deemed to have been received by the Fund when such financial institutions or, if applicable, their authorized designees accept the orders. Subject to the terms of the contract between the Fund and the financial institution, ordinarily orders will be priced at the Fund's net asset value next computed after acceptance by such financial institution or its authorized designees and acceptance by the Fund. Further, if purchases or redemptions of the Fund's shares are arranged and settlement is made at an investor's election through any other authorized financial institution, that financial institution may, at its discretion, charge a fee for that service. The Board of Trustees and the Distributor, also the Fund's principal underwriter, each has the right to limit the amount of purchases by, and to refuse to sell to, any person. The Trustees and the Distributor may suspend or terminate the offering of shares of the Fund at any time for any reason. Dividends The Fund intends to follow the practice of distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income, which includes any excess of net realized short-term capital gains over net realized long-term capital losses. The Fund may follow the practice of distributing the entire excess of net realized long-term capital gains over net realized short-term capital losses. However, the Fund may retain all or part of such gain for reinvestment, after paying the related federal taxes for which shareholders may then be able to claim a credit against their federal income tax liability. If the Fund does not distribute the amount of capital gain and/or ordinary income required to be distributed by an excise tax provision of the Code, the Fund may be subject to that excise tax. In certain circumstances, the Fund may determine that it is in the interest of shareholders to distribute less than the required amount. 47 The Fund intends to pay distributions of substantially all of its income annually. Any dividends or capital gains distributions declared in October, November or December with a record date in such a month and paid during the following January will be treated by shareholders for federal income tax purposes as if received on December 31 of the calendar year declared. Income and capital gain distributions, if any, of the Fund will be credited to shareholder accounts in full and fractional shares of the same class of the Fund at net asset value on the reinvestment date, except that, upon written request to the Shareholder Service Agent, a shareholder may select one of the following options: 1. To receive income and short-term capital gain distributions in cash and long-term capital gain distributions in shares of the same class at net asset value; or 2. To receive income and capital gain distributions in cash. Dividends will be reinvested in shares of the same class of the Fund unless shareholders indicate in writing that they wish to receive them in cash or in shares of other DWS Funds with multiple classes of shares or DWS Funds as provided in the prospectus. See "Combined Purchases" for a listing of such other funds. To use this privilege of investing dividends of the Fund in shares of another DWS Fund, shareholders must maintain a minimum account value of $1,000 in the Fund distributing the dividends. The Fund will reinvest dividend checks (and future dividends) in shares of that same Fund and class if checks are returned as undeliverable. Dividends and other distributions of the Fund in the aggregate amount of $10 or less are automatically reinvested in shares of the Fund unless the shareholder requests that such policy not be applied to the shareholder's account. If an investment is in the form of a retirement plan, all dividends and capital gains distributions must be reinvested into the shareholder's account. If a shareholder has elected to reinvest any dividends and/or other distributions, such distributions will be made in shares of the Fund and confirmations will be mailed to the shareholder. If a shareholder has chosen to receive cash, a check will be sent. Distributions of investment company taxable income and net realized capital gains are taxable, whether made in shares or cash. Each distribution is accompanied by a brief explanation of the form and character of the distribution. The characterization of distributions on such correspondence may differ from the characterization for federal tax purposes. In January of each year, the Fund issues to each shareholder a statement of the federal income tax status of all distributions in the prior calendar year. The Fund may at any time vary its foregoing dividend practices and, therefore, reserves the right from time to time to either distribute or retain for reinvestment such of its net investment income and its net short-term and long-term capital gains as its Board determines appropriate under the then current circumstances. In particular, and without limiting the foregoing, the Fund may make additional distributions of net investment income or capital gain net income in order to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements contained in the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code"). TAXES The following is intended to be a general summary of certain federal income tax consequences of investing in the Fund. It is not intended as a complete discussion of all such consequences, nor does it purport to deal with all categories of investors. Investors are therefore advised to consult with their tax advisors before making an investment in the Fund. The summary is based on the laws in effect on the date of this statement of additional information and existing judicial and administrative interpretations thereof, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. 48 Taxation of the Fund. The Fund has elected to be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code and has qualified as such since its inception. The Fund intends to continue to so qualify in each taxable year as required under the Code in order to avoid payment of federal income tax at the Fund level. In order to qualify as a regulated investment company, the Fund must meet certain requirements regarding the source of its income, the diversification of its assets, and the distribution of its income: (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures, or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies and (ii) net income derived from interests in "qualified publicly traded partnerships" (as defined below); (b) The Fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund's assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies and other securities limited in respect of any one issuer of such other securities to a value not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its assets is invested in the securities (other than those of the U.S. Government or other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer, of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses or in the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships. (c) The Fund is required to distribute to its shareholders at least 90% of its taxable and tax-exempt net investment income (including the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital losses) and generally is not subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes annually such net investment income and net realized capital gains in the manner required under the Code. Fund investments in partnerships, including in qualified publicly traded partnerships, may result in the Fund's being subject to state, local or foreign income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities. If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify for the special federal income tax treatment afforded regulated investment companies, all of its taxable income will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates (without any deduction for distributions to its shareholders), and all distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Such distributions would be eligible (i) to be treated as qualified dividend income in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. 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 that is accorded special tax treatment. The Fund is subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on amounts required to be but that are not distributed under a prescribed formula. The formula requires payment to shareholders during a calendar year of distributions representing at least 98% of the Fund's taxable ordinary income for the calendar year and at least 98% of the excess of its capital gains over capital losses realized during the one-year period ending October 31 (in most cases) of such year as well as amounts that were neither distributed nor taxed to the Fund during the prior calendar year. Although the Fund's distribution policies should enable it to avoid excise tax liability, the Fund may retain (and be subject to income or excise tax on) a portion of its capital gain or other income if it appears to be in the interest of the Fund. Taxation of Fund distributions. Distributions from the Fund generally will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income to the extent derived from investment income and net short-term capital gains. Distributions of net capital gains (that is, the excess of net gains from the sale of capital assets held more than one year over net losses from the sale of capital assets held for not more than one year) properly designated as capital gain dividends will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long a shareholder has held the shares in the Fund. 49 Long-term capital gain rates applicable to individuals have been temporarily reduced--in general, to 15% with a lower rate applying to taxpayers in the 10% and 15% rate brackets--for taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008. For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2008, "qualified dividend income" received by an individual will be taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. Qualified dividend income does not include interest from fixed-income securities. In order for some portion of the dividends received by the Fund shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund's shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, or (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest. In order for a dividend paid by a foreign corporation to constitute "qualified dividend income," the foreign corporation must (1) be eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (or the stock on which the dividend is paid must be readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States), and (2) not be treated as a passive foreign investment company. In general, distributions of investment income designated by a regulated investment company as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual, provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Fund's shares. If the aggregate qualified dividends received by the Fund during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income (excluding net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), then 100% of the Fund's dividends (other than properly designated capital gain dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, the only gain included in the term "gross income" is the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss. Capital gains distributions may be reduced if Fund capital loss carryforwards are available. Any capital loss carryforwards and any post-October loss deferrals to which the Fund is entitled are disclosed in the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. All distributions by the Fund result in a reduction in the net asset value of the Fund's shares. Should a distribution reduce the net asset value below a shareholder's cost basis, such distribution would nevertheless be taxable to the shareholder as ordinary income or capital gain as described above, even though, from an investment standpoint, it may constitute a partial return of capital. In particular, investors should be careful to consider the tax implications of buying shares just prior to a distribution. The price of shares purchased at that time includes the amount of the forthcoming distribution. Those purchasing just prior to a distribution will receive a partial return of capital upon the distribution, which will nevertheless be taxable to them. Sale or redemption of shares. The sale, exchange or redemption of Fund shares may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Fund shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Fund shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares of the Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. 50 Dividends received deduction. It is not anticipated that dividends from domestic corporations will comprise a substantial part of the Fund's gross income. If any such dividends constitute a portion of the Fund's gross income, a portion of the income distributions of the Fund may be eligible for the 70% deduction for dividends received by corporations. Shareholders will be informed of the portion of dividends which so qualify. The dividends-received deduction is reduced to the extent the shares of the Fund with respect to which the dividends are received are treated as debt-financed under federal income tax law and is eliminated if either those shares or the shares of the Fund are deemed to have been held by the Fund or the shareholder, as the case may be, for fewer than 46 days during the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the shares become ex-dividend. Foreign Taxation. Foreign withholding or other foreign taxes with respect to income (possibly including, in some cases, capital gains) on certain foreign securities may occur. These taxes may be reduced or eliminated under the terms of an applicable U.S. income tax treaty. The Fund may elect for U.S. income tax purposes to treat foreign taxes paid by it as paid by its shareholders if more than 50% of the Fund's total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of stock or securities of foreign corporations. The Fund may qualify for and make this election in some, but not necessarily all, of its taxable years. If the Fund were to make such an election, shareholders of the Fund would be required to take into account an amount equal to their pro rata portions of such foreign taxes in computing their taxable income and then treat an amount equal to those foreign taxes as a U.S. federal income tax deduction or as a foreign tax credit against their U.S. federal income taxes. No deduction for foreign taxes may be claimed by a shareholder who does not itemize deductions. Certain limitations will be imposed on the extent to which the credit (but not the deduction) for foreign taxes may be claimed. Passive Foreign Investment Companies. Equity investments by the Fund in certain "passive foreign investment companies" ("PFICs") could potentially subject the Fund to a U.S. federal income tax (including interest charges) on distributions received from the company or on proceeds received from the disposition of shares in the company, which tax cannot be eliminated by making distributions to the Fund shareholders. However, the Fund may elect to avoid the imposition of that tax. For example, the Fund may elect to treat a PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" (a "QEF election"), in which case the Fund will be required to include its share of the company's income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it receives any distribution from the company. The Fund also may make an election to mark the gains (and to a limited extent losses) in such holdings "to the market" as though it had sold and repurchased its holdings in those PFICs on the last day of the Fund's taxable year. The election must be made separately for each PFIC owned by the Fund and, once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable years, unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. Such gains and losses are treated as ordinary income and loss. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may accelerate the recognition of income (without the 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 the Fund to liquidate other investments (including when it is not advantageous to do so) to meet its distribution requirement, which also may accelerate the recognition of gain and affect the Fund's total return. Dividends paid by PFICs will not be eligible to be treated as "qualified dividend income." Tax effects of certain transactions. The Fund's use of options, futures contracts, forward contracts (to the extent permitted) and certain other Strategic Transactions will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale, short sale and other rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income, defer losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of portfolio securities, convert capital gains into ordinary income and convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to investors. Transactions in foreign currencies, foreign investment currency-denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts, forward contracts and similar instruments (to the extent permitted) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. The Fund's investment in zero coupon bonds and other debt obligations having original issue discount may cause the Fund to recognize taxable income in excess of any cash received from the investment. Under current law, the Fund serves to block unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI") from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in the Fund if either: (1) the Fund invests in real estate investment trusts ("REITs") that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits ("REMICs"); or (2) shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b). If a charitable remainder trust (as defined in Code Section 664) realizes any UBTI for a taxable year, it will lose its tax-exempt status for the year. The Fund may invest in REITs that hold residual interests in REMICs. 51 As a result of entering into swap contracts, the Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. The Fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction. Periodic net payments will generally constitute ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the Fund has been a party to the swap for more than one year). Other tax considerations. Under the backup withholding provisions of the Code, redemption proceeds as well as distributions may be subject to federal income tax withholding for certain shareholders, including those who fail to furnish the Fund with their taxpayer identification numbers and certifications as to their tax status. Shareholders of the Fund may be subject to state and local taxes on distributions received from the Fund and on redemptions of the Fund's shares. Special tax rules apply to investments through defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the suitability of shares of the Fund as an investment through such plans and the precise effect of an investment on their particular tax situation. If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Fund's shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service 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. 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. Non-U.S. Shareholders. In general, dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid by the Fund to a shareholder that is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (such shareholder, a "foreign person") are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) 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, before January 1, 2008, the Fund will not be required to withhold any amounts (i) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to a foreign person (w) that has not provided a satisfactory statement that the beneficial owner is not a U.S. person, (x) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the foreign person is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer, (y) that is within certain foreign countries that have inadequate information exchange with the United States, or (z) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the foreign person and the foreign person is a controlled foreign corporation) from U.S.-source interest income that would not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign person, to the extent such distributions are properly designated by the Fund, and (ii) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to an individual foreign person who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the distribution) of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, to the extent such distributions are properly designated by the Fund. Depending on the circumstances, the Fund may make such designations with respect to all, some or none of its potentially eligible dividends and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a foreign person will need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-US status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN or substitute Form). In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if the Fund makes a designation with respect to a payment. Foreign persons should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts. If a beneficial holder who is a foreign person has a trade or business in the United States, and the dividends are effectively connected with the conduct by the beneficial holder of a trade or business in the United States, the dividend will be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at regular income tax rates. 52 Shareholders of the Fund may be subject to state and local taxes on distributions received from the Fund and on redemptions of the Fund's shares. Special tax rules apply to investments though defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their tax adviser to determine the suitability of shares of a fund as an investment through such plans and the precise effect of and investment on their particular tax situation. Under Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Fund's shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service 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. NET ASSET VALUE The net asset value of shares of the Fund is computed as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") on each day the Exchange is open for trading (the "Value Time"). The Exchange is scheduled to be closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and on the preceding Friday or subsequent Monday when one of these holidays falls on a Saturday or Sunday, respectively. Net asset value per share is determined separately for each class of shares by dividing the value of the total assets of the Fund attributable to the shares of that class, less all liabilities attributable to that class, by the total number of shares of that class outstanding. The per share net asset value may be lower for certain classes of the Fund because of higher expenses borne by these classes. An equity security is valued at its most recent sale price on the security's primary exchange or over-the-counter ("OTC") market as of the Value Time. Lacking any sales, the security is valued at the calculated mean between the most recent bid quotation and the most recent asked quotation (the "Calculated Mean") on such exchange or OTC market as of the Value Time. If it is not possible to determine the Calculated Mean, the security is valued at the most recent bid quotation on such exchange or OTC market as of the Value Time. In the case of certain foreign exchanges or OTC markets, the closing price reported by the exchange or OTC market (which may sometimes be referred to as the " official close" or the "official closing price" or other similar term) will be considered the most recent sale price. Debt securities are valued as follows. Money market instruments purchased with an original or remaining maturity of 60 days or less, maturing at par, are valued at amortized cost. Other money market instruments are valued based on information obtained from an approved pricing agent or, if such information is not readily available, by using matrix pricing techniques (formula driven calculations based primarily on current market yields). Bank loans are valued at prices supplied by an approved pricing agent (which are intended to reflect the mean between the bid and asked prices), if available, and otherwise at the mean of the most recent bid and asked quotations or evaluated prices, as applicable, based on quotations or evaluated prices obtained from one or more broker-dealers. Privately placed debt securities, other than Rule 144A debt securities, initially are valued at cost and thereafter based on all relevant factors including type of security, size of holding and restrictions on disposition. Municipal debt securities are valued at prices supplied by an approved pricing agent (which are intended to reflect the mean between the bid and asked prices), if available, and otherwise at the average of the means based on the most recent bid and asked quotations or evaluated prices obtained from two broker-dealers. Other debt securities are valued at prices supplied by an approved pricing agent, if available, and otherwise at the most recent bid quotation or evaluated price, as applicable, obtained from one or more broker-dealers. If it is not possible to value a particular debt security pursuant to the above methods, the security is valued on the basis of factors including (but not limited to) maturity, coupon, creditworthiness, currency denomination, and the movement of the market in which the security is normally traded. 53 An exchange-traded option contract on securities, currencies and other financial instruments is valued at its most recent sale price on the relevant exchange. Lacking any sales, the option contract is valued at the Calculated Mean. If it is not possible to determine the Calculated Mean, the option contract is valued at the most recent bid quotation in the case of a purchased option contract or the most recent asked quotation in the case of a written option contract, in each case as of the Value Time. An option contract on securities, currencies and other financial instruments traded in the OTC market is valued on the Value Date at the evaluated price provided by the broker-dealer with which it was traded. Futures contracts (and options thereon) are valued at the most recent settlement price, if available, on the security's primary exchange. With the exception of stock index futures, contracts which trade on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, closing settlement times are prior to the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. For stock index futures contracts which trade on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, closing settlement prices are normally available at approximately 4:20 p.m. Eastern time. If no settlement price is available, the last traded price on such exchange will be used. If market quotations for a portfolio asset are not readily available or the value of a portfolio asset as determined in accordance with Board approved procedures does not represent the fair market value of the portfolio asset, the value of the portfolio asset is taken to be an amount which, in the opinion of the Fund's Pricing Committee (or, in some cases, the Board's Valuation Committee), represents fair market value. The value of other portfolio holdings owned by the Fund is determined in a manner which is intended to fairly reflect the fair market value of the asset on the valuation date, based on valuation procedures adopted by the Fund's Board and overseen primarily by the Fund's Pricing Committee. TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS [TO BE UPDATED] The overall business and affairs of the Trust and the Fund is managed by the Board of Trustees. The Board approves all significant agreements between the Fund and persons or companies furnishing services to the Fund, including the Fund agreements with its investment advisor, distributor, custodian and transfer agent. The Board of Trustees and the executive officers are responsible for managing the Fund affairs and for exercising the Fund powers except those reserved for the shareholders and those assigned to the Advisor or other service providers. Each Trustee holds office until he or she resigns, is removed or a successor is appointed or elected and qualified. Each officer is elected to serve until he or she resigns, is removed or a successor has been duly appointed and qualified. The following information is provided for each Trustee and Officer of the Trust and the Fund's Board as of July 1, 2006. The first section of the table lists information for each Trustee who is not an "interested person" of the Trust and Fund. Information for the Non-Independent Trustee ("Interested Trustee") follows. The Interested Trustee is considered to be interested persons as defined by the 1940 Act because of their employment with either the Fund's advisor and/or underwriter. The mailing address for the Trustees and Officers with respect to the Trust's operations is One South Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The following individuals hold the same position with the Fund and the Trust. 54 Independent Trustees
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name, Date of Birth, Number of Position with the Funds in DWS Fund and Length of Business Experience and Directorships Fund Complex Time Served(1) During the Past 5 Years Overseen - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Martin J. Gruber Nomura Professor of Finance, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New 51 7/15/37 York University (since September 1965); Director, Japan Equity Fund, Trustee, 2002-present Inc. (since January 1992), Thai Capital Fund, Inc. (since January 2000) and Singapore Fund, Inc. (since January 2000) (registered investment companies), DWS Global High Income Fund, Inc. (since October 2005), DWS Global Commodities Stock Fund, Inc. (since October 2005). Formerly, Trustee, TIAA (pension funds) (January 1996-January 2000); Trustee, CREF and CREF Mutual Funds (January 2000-March 2005); Chairman, CREF and CREF Mutual Funds, (February 2004-March 2005) and Director, S.G. Cowen Mutual Funds (January 1985- January 2001) - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Richard J. Herring Jacob Safra Professor of International Banking and Professor, Finance 51 2/18/46 Department, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (since Trustee, 2002-present July 1972); Director, Lauder Institute of International Management Studies (since July 2000); Co-Director, Wharton Financial Institutions Center (since July 2000); Director, DWS Global High Income Fund, Inc. (since October 2005), DWS Global Commodities Stock Fund, Inc. (since October 2005). Formerly, Vice Dean and Director, Wharton Undergraduate Division (July 1995-June 2000) - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Graham E. Jones Senior Vice President, BGK Realty, Inc. (commercial real estate) 51 1/31/33 (since 1995); Director, DWS Global High Income Fund, Inc. (since Trustee, 1993-present October 2005), DWS Global Commodities Stock Fund, Inc. (since October 2005). Formerly, Trustee of various investment companies managed by Sun Capital Advisers, Inc. (1998-2005); Trustee, Morgan Stanley Asset Management, various funds (1985-2001); Trustee, Weiss, Peck and Greer, various funds (1985-2005) - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rebecca W. Rimel President and Chief Executive Officer, The Pew Charitable Trusts 51 4/10/51 (charitable foundation) (1994 to present); Trustee, Thomas Jefferson Trustee, 2002-present Foundation (charitable organization) (1994-present); Trustee, Executive Committee, Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (2001-present); Director, DWS Global High Income Fund, Inc. (since October 2005), DWS Global Commodities Stock Fund, Inc. (since October 2005). Formerly, Executive Vice President, The Glenmede Trust Company (investment trust and wealth management) (1983 -2004); Board Member, Investor Education (charitable organization) (2004-2005) - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Philip Saunders, Jr. Principal, Philip Saunders Associates (economic and financial 51 10/11/35 consulting) (since November 1988); Director, DWS Global High Income Trustee, 2002-present Fund, Inc. (since October 2005), DWS Global Commodities Stock Fund, Inc. (since October 2005). Formerly, Director, Financial Industry Consulting, Wolf & Company (consulting) (1987-1988); President, John Hancock Home Mortgage Corporation (1984-1986); Senior Vice President of Treasury and Financial Services, John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, Inc. (1982-1986) - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- William N. Searcy, Jr. Private investor since October 2003; Trustee of 7 open-end mutual 51 9/03/46 funds managed by Sun Capital Advisers, Inc. (since October 1998); Lead Trustee, 1993-present Director, DWS Global High Income Fund, Inc. (since October 2005), DWS Global Commodities Stock Fund, Inc. (since October 2005). Formerly, Pension & Savings Trust Officer, Sprint Corporation(3) (telecommunications) (November 1989-September 2003) - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
55 Interested Trustee
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- William N. Shiebler(2) Vice Chairman, Deutsche Asset Management ("DeAM") and a member of the 120 2/06/42 DeAM Global Executive Committee (since 2002); Vice Chairman of Putnam Trustee, 2004-present Investments, Inc. (1999); Director and Senior Managing Director of Putnam Investments, Inc. and President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Putnam Mutual Funds Inc. (1990-1999) - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officers
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name, Date of Birth, Position with the Fund and Length of Business Experience and Directorships Time Served(1) During the Past 5 Years - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vincent J. Esposito(5) Managing Director(4), Deutsche Asset Management (since 2003); President and Chief 6/8/56 Executive Officer of The Central Europe and Russia Fund, Inc., The European Equity President, 2005-present Fund, Inc., The New Germany Fund, Inc. (since 2003) (registered investment companies); Vice Chairman and Director of The Brazil Fund, Inc. (2004-present); formerly, Managing Director, Putnam Investments (1991-2002) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paul H. Schubert(5) Managing Director(4), Deutsche Asset Management (since July 2004); formerly, Executive 1/11/63 Director, Head of Mutual Fund Services and Treasurer for UBS Family of Funds Chief Financial Officer, (1998-2004); Vice President and Director of Mutual Fund Finance at UBS Global Asset since 2004 Management (1994-1998) Treasurer, 2005-present - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Millette(5) Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management 8/23/62 Secretary, 2003-present - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Patricia DeFilippis(4) Vice President, Deutsche Asset Management (since June 2005); Counsel, New York Life 6/21/63 Investment Management LLC (2003-2005); legal associate, Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC Assistant Secretary, (1998-2003) 2005-present - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elisa D. Metzger(4) Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management (since September 2005); Counsel, Morrison and 9/15/62 Foerster LLP (1999-2005) Assistant Secretary, 2005-present - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Caroline Pearson(5) Managing Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management 4/01/62 Assistant Secretary, 2002-present - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scott M. McHugh(5) Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management 9/13/71 Assistant Treasurer, 2005-present - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kathleen Sullivan Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management D'Eramo(5) 1/25/57 Assistant Treasurer, 2003-present - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Robbins(4) Managing Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management (since 2005); formerly, Chief 4/8/66 Compliance Officer and Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer for GE Asset Anti-Money Laundering Management (1999-2005) Compliance Officer, 2005-present - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
56
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name, Date of Birth, Position with the Fund and Length of Business Experience and Directorships Time Served(1) During the Past 5 Years - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Philip Gallo(4) Managing Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management (2003-present). Formerly, Co-Head of 8/02/62 Goldman Sachs Asset Management Legal (1994-2003) Chief Compliance Officer, 2004-present - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A. Thomas Smith(4) Managing Director(3), Deutsche Asset Management (2004-present); formerly, General 12/14/56 Counsel, Morgan Stanley and Van Kampen and Investments (1999-2004); Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Associate General Counsel, New York Life Insurance Company (1994-1999); senior 2005-present attorney, The Dreyfus Corporation (1991-1993); senior attorney, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP (1989-1991); staff attorney, US Securities & Exchange Commission and the Illinois Securities Department (1986-1989) - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Length of time served represents the date that each Trustee or officer first began serving in that position with DWS Advisor Funds of which this Fund is a series. (2) Mr. Shiebler is a Trustee who is an "interested person" within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. Mr. Shiebler is a Managing Director of Deutsche Asset Management, the US asset management unit of Deutsche Bank AG and its affiliates. Mr. Shiebler's business address is 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154. (3) Executive title, not a board directorship. (4) Address: 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154. (5) Address: Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. Each Officer also holds similar positions for other investment companies for which DeAM, Inc. or an affiliate serves as the advisor. Officer's Role with Principal Underwriter: DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc. Vincent J. Esposito: Director, Chairman of the Board, CEO and Vice President Paul H. Schubert: Vice President Caroline Pearson: Secretary Information Concerning Committees and Meetings of Trustees The Board of Trustees of the Trust met 10 times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005 and each Trustee attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board and meetings of the committees of the Board of Trustees on which such Trustee served. Board Committees. The Board of Trustees oversees a number of investment companies managed by the Advisor. Information shown below represents meetings held on behalf of all such funds. The common Board currently has the following committees: Audit Committee. The Audit Committee, formerly known as the Audit and Compliance Committee, selects the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund, confers with the independent registered public accounting firm regarding the Fund's financial statements, the results of audits and related matters, and performs such other tasks as it deems necessary or appropriate. The Audit Committee approves all significant services proposed to be performed by the independent registered public accounting firm and considers the possible effect of such services on their independence. The members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Saunders (Chair), Jones, Herring and Searcy. The Audit Committee met seven times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005. 57 Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee. The primary responsibilities of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee are to make recommendations to the Board on issues related to the composition and operation of the Board, and communicate with management on those issues. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee also evaluates and nominates Board member candidates. Fund shareholders may also submit nominees that will be considered by the Committee when a Board vacancy occurs. Submissions should be mailed to the attention of the Secretary of the Funds. The members of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee are Mr. Jones and Ms. Rimel. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee, which meets as often as deemed appropriate by the Committee, met five times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005. Valuation Committee. The Valuation Committee oversees the valuation of the Fund's securities and other assets in accordance with the Fund's Valuation Procedures. Messrs. Herring, Gruber and Saunders (Chair) are members of the Committee. All other Trustees serve as alternates (Independent and Interested). Two Trustees are required to constitute a quorum for meetings of the Valuation Committee. The Valuation Committee met six times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005. Additional Committees. The Board of Trustees has established a Fixed Income Oversight Committee and an Equity Oversight Committee. The members of the Fixed Income Oversight Committee are Messrs. Jones and Searcy (Chair). The members of the Equity Oversight Committee are Messrs. Gruber (Chair), Herring, Saunders and Rimel. The Fixed Income Oversight and Equity Oversight Committees periodically review the investment performance of the Fund. The Fixed Income Oversight Committee met six times and the Equity Oversight Committee met six times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005. Marketing/Shareholder Service Committee: The Marketing/Shareholder Service Committee oversees (i) the quality, costs and types of shareholder services provided to the Funds and their shareholders, and (ii) the distribution-related services provided to the Fund and their shareholders. The members of the committee are Messrs. Gruber, Herring (Chair), Shiebler and Ms. Rimel. The Marketing/Shareholder Service Committee met six times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005. Legal/Regulatory/Compliance Committee: The Legal/Regulatory/Compliance Committee oversees (i) the significant legal affairs of the Fund, including the handling of pending or threatened litigation or regulatory action involving the Fund, and (ii) general compliance matters relating to the Fund. The members of the Legal/Regulatory/Compliance Committee are Mr. Searcy and Ms. Rimel. The Legal/Regulatory/Compliance Committee met six times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005. Expense/Operations Committee: The Expense/Operations Committee (previously known as the Operations Committee) (i) monitors the Fund's total operating expense levels, (ii) oversees the provision of administrative services to the Funds, including the Fund's custody, fund accounting and insurance arrangements, and (iii) reviews the Fund's investment advisers' brokerage practices, including the implementation of related policies. The members of the Expense/Operations Committee are Messrs. Jones (Chair), Saunders and Searcy. The Expense/Operations Committee met six times during the calendar year ended December 31, 2005. Remuneration. Officers of the Fund receive no direct remuneration from the Fund. Officers and Trustees of the Fund who are officers or Trustees of Deutsche Asset Management or the Advisor may be considered to have received remuneration indirectly. Each Trustee who is not an "interested person" of the Fund receives compensation from the Fund for his or her services, which includes an annual retainer fee and an attendance fee for each Board meeting attended (plus reimbursement for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with his or her attendance at board meetings). Additionally, each Independent Trustee receives a fee for each telephonic Audit Committee or Board meeting in which he or she participates. Each Independent Trustee also may receive a fee for certain special committee meetings attended. In addition, the Chair of the Audit Committee receives an annual fee for his services. Members of the Board of Trustees who are employees of the Advisor or its affiliates receive no direct compensation from the Fund, although they are compensated as employees of the Advisor, or its affiliates, and as a result may be deemed to participate in fees paid by the Fund. The following table shows compensation received by each Trustee from the Trust and the Fund and aggregate compensation from the Fund Complex during the calendar year 2005. 58
Total Compensation Paid Pension or Retirement to Trustee from the Fund Compensation from Benefits Accrued as and the Fund Name of Trustee DWS Advisor Funds Part of Fund Expenses Complex(1),(3) - --------------- ----------------- --------------------- -------------- Martin J. Gruber $135,000 Richard J. Herring(2) $136,000 Graham E. Jones $144,000 Rebecca W. Rimel(2) $146,280 Philip Saunders, Jr. $145,000 William N. Searcy, Jr. $150,500
(1) During calendar year 2005, the total number of funds overseen by each Trustee was 55 funds. (2) Of the amounts payable to Ms. Rimel and Mr. Herring $45,630 and $28,724, respectively, was deferred pursuant to a deferred compensation plan. (3) Aggregate compensation reflects amounts paid to the Trustees for special meetings of ad hoc committees of the New York Board in connection with the possible consolidation of the various DWS Fund Boards and with respect to legal and regulatory matters. Such amounts totaled $3,000 for Mr. Gruber, $3,000 for Mr. Herring, $11,000 for Mr. Jones, $12,280 for Ms. Rimel, $3,500 for Mr. Saunders and $17,500 for Mr. Searcy. These meeting fees were borne by the funds. Certain funds in the Fund Complex, including this Fund, have adopted a Retirement Plan for Trustees who are not employees of the Trust, the Trust's Administrator or their respective affiliates (the "Retirement Plan"). After completion of six years of service, each participant in the Retirement Plan will be entitled to receive an annual retirement benefit equal to a percentage of the fee earned by the participant in his or her last year of service. Upon retirement, each participant will receive annually 10% of such fee for each year that he or she served after completion of the first five years, up to a maximum annual benefit of 50% of the fee earned by the participant in his or her last year of service. The fee will be paid quarterly, for life, by the fund for which he or she serves. The Retirement Plan is unfunded and unvested. Such fees are allocated to each of the 25 funds that have adopted the Retirement Plan based upon the relative net assets of such fund. Trustee Ownership in the Fund(1) Dollar Range of Aggregate Dollar Range Beneficial Ownership of Ownership as of in DWS RREEF Global 12/31/05 in all Funds Real Estate Securities Overseen by Trustee in Trustee Fund the Fund Complex(2) - ------- ---- ------------------- Independent Trustees: - --------------------- Martin J. Gruber None Over $100,000 Richard J. Herring None Over $100,000 Graham E. Jones None Over $100,000 Rebecca W. Rimel None Over $100,000 Philip Saunders, Jr. None Over $100,000 William N. Searcy, Jr. None Over $100,000 Interested Trustee - ------------------ William N. Shiebler None Over $100,000 59 (1) The amount shown includes share equivalents of funds which the board member is deemed to be invested pursuant to the Fund's deferred compensation plan. The inclusion therein of any shares deemed beneficially owned does not constitute an admission of beneficial ownership of the shares. (2) Securities beneficially owned as defined under the 1934 Act include direct and/or indirect ownership of securities where the Trustee's economic interest is tied to the securities, employment ownership and securities when the Trustee can exert voting power and when the Trustee has authority to sell the securities. The dollar ranges are: None, $1-$10,000, $10,001-$50,000, $50,001-$100,000, over $100,000. Ownership in Securities of the Advisor and Related Companies As reported to the Fund, the information in the following table reflects ownership by the Independent Trustees and their immediate family members of certain securities as of December 31, 2005. An immediate family member can be a spouse, children residing in the same household including step and adoptive children and any dependents. The securities represent ownership in an investment advisor or principal underwriter of the Fund and any persons (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment advisor or principal underwriter of the Fund (including Deutsche Bank AG).
Value of Percent of Owner and Securities on Class on an Relationship to Title of an Aggregate Aggregate Independent Trustee Trustee Company Class Basis Basis - ------------------- ------- ------- ----- ----- ----- Martin J. Gruber n/a None n/a n/a n/a Richard Herring n/a None n/a n/a n/a Graham E. Jones n/a None n/a n/a n/a Rebecca W. Rimel n/a None n/a n/a n/a Philip Saunders, Jr. n/a None n/a n/a n/a William N. Searcy, Jr. n/a None n/a n/a n/a
Set forth in the table below are the estimated annual benefits payable to a participant upon retirement assuming various years of service and payment of a percentage of the fee earned by such participant in his or her last year of service, as described above. Estimated Annual Benefits Payable By Fund Complex Upon Retirement ----------------------------------------------------------------- Years of Service Chair Audit Committee Other Participants - ---------------- --------------------- ------------------ 6 years $4,900 $3,900 7 years $9,800 $7,800 8 years $14,700 $11,700 9 years $19,600 $15,600 10 years or more $24,500 $19,500 Effective February 12, 2001, the Board of Trustees of the Trust, as well as the Fund participating in the Retirement Plan, voted to amend the Plan as part of an overall review of the compensation paid to Trustees. The amendments provided that no further benefits would accrue to any current or future Trustees and included a onetime payment of benefits accrued under the Plan to Trustees, as calculated based on the following actuarial assumptions: (1) retirement benefits at the later of age 65 or 10 years of service based on a 10% per year of service vesting schedule; (2) a 6% interest rate; and (3) rounding all calculations to the next whole year as of January 31, 2001. At each Trustee's election, this one-time payment could be transferred into the Deferred Compensation Plan, described below. 60 Any Trustee who receives fees from the Fund is permitted to defer 50% to 100% of his or her annual compensation pursuant to a Deferred Compensation Plan. Messrs. Herring, Saunders and Ms. Rimel have each executed a Deferred Compensation Agreement. Currently, the deferring Trustees may select from among certain funds in the DWS Family of funds in which all or part of their deferral account shall be deemed to be invested. Distributions from the deferring Trustees' deferral accounts will be paid in cash, in generally equal quarterly installments over a period of ten years. Agreement to Indemnify Independent Trustees for Certain Expenses In connection with litigation or regulatory action related to possible improper market timing or other improper trading activity or possible improper marketing and sales activity in the Fund, the Fund's investment advisor has agreed, subject to applicable law and regulation, to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund against any and all loss, damage, liability and expense, arising from market timing or marketing and sales matters alleged in any enforcement actions brought by governmental authorities involving or potentially affecting the Fund or the investment advisor ("Enforcement Actions") or that are the basis for private actions brought by shareholders of the Fund against the Fund, its directors and officers, the Fund's investment advisor and/or certain other parties ("Private Litigation"), or any proceedings or actions that may be threatened or commenced in the future by any person (including governmental authorities), arising from or similar to the matters alleged in the Enforcement Actions or Private Litigation. In recognition of its undertaking to indemnify the Fund and in light of the rebuttable presumption generally afforded to independent directors/trustees of investment companies that they have not engaged in disabling conduct, the Fund's investment advisor has also agreed, subject to applicable law and regulation, to indemnify the Funds' Independent Trustees against certain liabilities the Independent Trustees may incur from the matters alleged in any Enforcement Actions or Private Litigation or arising from or similar to the matters alleged in the Enforcement Actions or Private Litigation, and advance expenses that may be incurred by the Independent Trustees in connection with any Enforcement Actions or Private Litigation. The investment advisor is not, however, required to provide indemnification and advancement of expenses: (1) with respect to any proceeding or action with respect to which the Fund's Board determines that the Independent Trustee ultimately would not be entitled to indemnification or (2) for any liability of the Independent Trustee to the Fund or its shareholders to which the Independent Trustee would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the Independent Trustee's duties as a director of the Fund as determined in a final adjudication in such action or proceeding. The estimated amount of any expenses that may be advanced to the Independent Trustees or indemnity that may be payable under the indemnity agreements is currently unknown. These agreements by the Fund's investment advisor will survive the termination of the investment management agreements between the investment advisor and the Fund. TRUST ORGANIZATION The Fund is a separate series of the Trust. The Trust offers shares of beneficial interest of separate series, par value $0.001 per share. On February 6, 2006, the name of the Trust was changed from Scudder Advisor Funds to DWS Advisor Funds. The Trust consists of nine separate series, including DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund, which offers Class A, Class C, Class S and Institutional Class shares. Class A, Class C and Institutional Class shares of the Fund are offered through a separate statement of additional information. The shares of the other series of the Trust are offered through separate prospectuses and statements of additional information. The shares of each series participate equally in the earnings, dividends and assets of the particular series - no series of shares has any preference over any other series. The Trust may create and reserves the right to issue additional series of shares, and more than one class of shares of the Fund. The Trust's Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to divide or combine the shares into a greater or lesser number of shares without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interest in a series. Each share represents an equal proportionate interest in a series with each other share. Shares when issued are fully paid and non-assessable, except as set forth below. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each share held. The Trust is an entity commonly known as a "Massachusetts business trust." Massachusetts law provides that shareholders could under certain circumstances be held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. However, the Declaration of Trust disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of this disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or a Trustee. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification from the Trust's property for all losses and expenses of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. Thus, the risk of shareholders incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and the Trust itself was unable to meet its obligations, a possibility that the Trust believes is remote. Upon payment of any liability incurred by the Trust, the shareholder paying the liability will be entitled to reimbursement from the general assets of the Trust. The Trustees intend to conduct the operations of the Trust in a manner so as to avoid, as far as possible, ultimate liability of the shareholders for liabilities of the Trust. 61 Each share, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the offering, is fully paid and non-assessable. Shares have no preemptive or subscription rights and are freely transferable. Each of the Fund's shares represents an interest in the assets of the Fund issuing the share and has identical voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights, and the same terms and conditions as any other shares except that if the Fund is authorized to issue additional series or classes (1) each dollar of net asset value per share is entitled to one vote, (2) the expenses related to a particular class, such as those related to the distribution of each class and the transfer agency expenses of each class are borne solely by each such class, and (3) each class of shares votes separately with respect to provisions of the Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan applicable to that class, which pertains to a particular class, and other matters for which separate class voting is appropriate under applicable law. Each fractional share has the same rights, in proportion, as a full share. Shares do not have cumulative voting rights; therefore, the holders of more than 50% of the voting power of the Trust can elect all of the Trustees of the Trust. The Trust does not hold annual shareholder meetings, but does hold special shareholder meetings when the Board of Trustees believes it is necessary or when required by law. The Trust will hold a special meeting when requested in writing by the holders of at least 10% of the shares eligible to vote at a meeting. In addition, subject to certain conditions, shareholders of the Fund may apply to the Fund to communicate with other shareholders to request a shareholders' meeting to vote upon the removal of a Trustee or Trustees. Upon 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders, the Fund may make redemption payments in whole or in part in securities or other property if the Trustees determine that existing conditions make cash payments undesirable. PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES The Fund has delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Advisor, subject to the Board's general oversight. The Fund has delegated proxy voting to the Advisor with the direction that proxies should be voted consistent with the Fund's best economic interests. The Advisor has adopted its own Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures ("Policies"), and Proxy Voting Guidelines ("Guidelines") for this purpose. The Policies address, among other things, conflicts of interest that may arise between the interests of the Fund, and the interests of the Advisor and its affiliates, including the Fund's principal underwriter. The Guidelines set forth the Advisor's general position on various proposals, such as: o Shareholder Rights -- The Advisor generally votes against proposals that restrict shareholder rights. o Corporate Governance -- The Advisor generally votes for confidential and cumulative voting and against supermajority voting requirements for charter and bylaw amendments. The Advisor generally votes for proposals to restrict a chief executive officer from serving on more than three outside boards of directors. The Advisor generally votes against proposals that require a company to appoint a Chairman who is an independent director. o Anti-Takeover Matters -- The Advisor generally votes for proposals that require shareholder ratification of poison pills or that request boards to redeem poison pills, and votes against the adoption of poison pills if they are submitted for shareholder ratification. The Advisor generally votes for fair price proposals. o Compensation Matters -- The Advisor generally votes for executive cash compensation proposals, unless they are unreasonably excessive. The Advisor generally votes against stock option plans that do not meet the Advisor's criteria. o Routine Matters -- The Advisor generally votes for the ratification of auditors, procedural matters related to the annual meeting and changes in company name, and against bundled proposals and adjournment. 62 The general provisions described above do not apply to investment companies. The Advisor generally votes proxies solicited by investment companies in accordance with the recommendations of an independent third party, except for proxies solicited by or with respect to investment companies for which the Advisor or an affiliate serves as the Advisor or principal underwriter ("affiliated investment companies"). The Advisor votes affiliated investment company proxies in the same proportion as the vote of the investment company's other shareholders (sometimes called "mirror" or "echo" voting). Master fund proxies solicited from feeder funds are voted in accordance with applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Although the Guidelines set forth the Advisor's general voting positions on various proposals, the Advisor may, consistent with the Funds' best interests, determine under some circumstances to vote contrary to those positions. The Guidelines on a particular issue may or may not reflect the view of individual members of the Board or of a majority of the Board. In addition, the Guidelines may reflect a voting position that differs from the actual practices of the public companies within the Deutsche Bank organization or of the investment companies for which the Advisor or an affiliate serves as investment advisor or sponsor. The Advisor may consider the views of a portfolio company's management in deciding how to vote a proxy or in establishing general voting positions for the Guidelines, but management's views are not determinative. As mentioned above, the Policies describe the way in which the Advisor resolves conflicts of interest. To resolve conflicts, the advisor, under normal circumstances, votes proxies in accordance with its Guidelines. If the Advisor departs from the Guidelines with respect to a particular proxy or if the Guidelines do not specifically address a certain proxy proposal, a proxy voting committee established by the advisor will vote the proxy. Before voting any such proxy, however, the Advisor's conflicts review committee will conduct an investigation to determine whether any potential conflicts of interest exist in connection with the particular proxy proposal. If the conflicts review committee determines that the Advisor has a material conflict of interest, or certain individuals on the proxy voting committee should be recused from participating in a particular proxy vote, it will inform the proxy voting committee. If notified that the Advisor has a material conflict, or fewer than three voting members are eligible to participate in the proxy vote, typically the Advisor will engage an independent third party to vote the proxy or follow the proxy voting recommendations of an independent third party. Under certain circumstances, the Advisor may not be able to vote proxies or the Advisor may find that the expected economic costs from voting outweigh the benefits associated with voting. For example, the Advisor may not vote proxies on certain foreign securities due to local restrictions or customs. The Advisor generally does not vote proxies on securities subject to share blocking restrictions. You may obtain information about how a fund voted proxies related to its portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30 by visiting the Securities and Exchange Commission's Web site at www.sec.gov or by visiting our Web site at: dws-scudder.com (click on "proxy voting" at the bottom of the page). FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Because the fund has not yet commenced operations, the fund has not yet delivered a shareholder report. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The CUSIP number for the class of DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund offered herein is: Class S: 23336Y649 DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund has a fiscal year ending December 31. 63 You may obtain information about how a fund voted proxies related to its portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30 by visiting the Securities and Exchange Commission's Web site at www.sec.gov or by visiting our Web site at: dws-scudder.com (click on "proxy voting" at the bottom of the page). Many of the investment changes in the Fund will be made at prices different from those prevailing at the time they may be reflected in a regular report to shareholders of the Fund. These transactions will reflect investment decisions made by the Advisor in light of the Fund's investment objective and policies, its other portfolio holdings and tax considerations, and should not be construed as recommendations for similar action by other investors. The Fund's prospectuses and this Statement of Additional Information omit certain information contained in the Registration Statement which the Funds have filed with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933 and reference is hereby made to the Registration Statement for further information with respect to each Fund and the securities offered hereby. This Registration Statement and its amendments are available for inspection by the public at the SEC in Washington, D.C. 64 RATINGS OF INVESTMENTS Standard & Poor's Corporation Bond Ratings AAA. Debt rated AAA had the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong. AA. Debt rated AA has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from the higher rated issues only in small degree. A. Debt rated A has a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated categories. BBB. Debt rated BBB is regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal for debt in this category than in higher rated categories. BB, B, CCC, CC and C. Debt rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C is regarded, on balance, as predominantly speculative 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 of speculation. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions. CI. The rating CI is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid. D. Debt rated D is in default, and payment of interest and/or repayment of principal is in arrears. Moody's Investors Service, Inc. Bond Ratings AAA. Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry 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 the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues. Aa. Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as 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. A. Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper medium grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future. Baa. Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium grade obligations, i.e., 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 length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well. Ba. Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class. 65 B. Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of the 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 which are rated Caa are 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 which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings. C. Bonds which are rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing. Fitch Long-Term Debt Ratings AAA. Highest credit quality. "AAA" ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events. AA. Very high credit quality. "AA"` ratings denote a very low expectation of credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events. A. High credit quality. "A" ratings denote a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings. BBB. Good credit quality. "BBB" ratings indicate that there is currently a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse changes in circumstances and in economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment-grade category. BB. Speculative. "BB" ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade. B. Highly speculative. "B" ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment. CCC, CC, C. High default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic developments. A "CC" rating indicates that default of some kind appears probable. "C" ratings signal imminent default. DDD, DD, D. Default. The ratings of obligations in this category are based on their prospects for achieving partial or full recovery in a reorganization or liquidation of the obligor. While expected recovery values are highly speculative and cannot be estimated with any precision, the following serve as general guidelines. "DDD" obligations have the highest potential for recovery, around 90%-100% of outstanding amounts and accrued interest. "DD" indicates potential recoveries in the range of 50%-90%, and "D" the lowest recovery potential, i.e., below 50%. Entities rated in this category have defaulted on some or all of their obligations. Entities rated "DDD" have the highest prospect for resumption of performance or continued operation with or without a formal reorganization process. Entities rated "DD" and "D" are generally undergoing a formal reorganization or liquidation process; those rated "DD" are likely to satisfy a higher portion of their outstanding obligations, while entities rated "D" have a poor prospect for repaying all obligations. 66 Fitch Short-Term Debt Ratings F1. Highest credit quality. Indicates the Best capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature. F2. Good credit quality. A satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings. F3. Fair credit quality. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non-investment grade. B. Speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions. C. High default risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment. D. Default. Denotes actual or imminent payment default. Commercial Paper Ratings Commercial paper rated by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services ("S&P") has the following characteristics: Liquidity ratios are adequate to meet cash requirements. Long-term senior debt is rated "A" or better. The issuer has access to at least two additional channels of borrowing. Basic earnings and cash flow have an upward trend with allowance made for unusual circumstances. Typically, the issuer's industry is well established and the issuer has a strong position within the industry. The reliability and quality of management are unquestioned. Relative strength or weakness of the above factors determine whether the issuer's commercial paper is rated A-1 or A-2. The ratings Prime-1 and Prime-2 are the two highest commercial paper ratings assigned by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's"). Among the factors considered by it in assigning ratings are the following: (1) evaluation of the management of the issuer; (2) economic evaluation of the issuer's industry or industries and an appraisal of speculative-type risks which may be inherent in certain areas; (3) evaluation of the issuer's products in relation to competition and customer acceptance; (4) liquidity; (5) amount and quality of long-term debt; (6) trend of earnings over a period of ten years; (7) financial strength of a parent company and the relationships which exist with the issuer; and (8) recognition by the management of obligations which may be present or may arise as a result of public interest questions and preparations to meet such obligations. Relative strength or weakness of the above factors determines whether the issuer's commercial paper is rated Prime-1 or 2. Municipal Notes Moody's: The highest ratings for state and municipal short-term obligations are "MIG 1," "MIG 2," and "MIG 3" (or "VMIG 1," "VMIG 2" and "VMIG 3" in the case of an issue having a variable rate demand feature). Notes rated "MIG 1" or "VMIG 1" are judged to be of the "best quality". Notes rated "MIG 2" or "VMIG 2" are of "high quality," with margins or protection "ample although not as large as in the preceding group". Notes rated "MIG 3" or "VMIG 3" are of "favorable quality," with all security elements accounted for but lacking the strength of the preceding grades.S&P: The "SP-1" rating reflects a "very strong or strong capacity to pay principal and interest". Notes issued with "overwhelming safety characteristics" will be rated "SP-1+". The "SP-2" rating reflects a "satisfactory capacity" to pay principal and interest. Fitch: The highest ratings for state and municipal short-term obligations are "F-1+," "F-1," and "F-2." 67 PART C. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 23. Exhibits - -------- -------- (a) Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust is filed herein. (1) Written Instrument Amending the Declaration of Trust (to be filed by amendment); (b) By-Laws; (1) (1) Amended By-Laws (to be filed by amendment); (c) Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (b) above; (d) (i) Investment Advisory Agreement dated July 30, 2002 between International Equity Portfolio and Deutsche Asset Management, Inc.; (2) (ii) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement dated September 30, 2002 among International Equity Portfolio, Deutsche Asset Management, Inc. and Deutsche Asset Management Investment Services Limited; (22) (iii) Investment Advisory Agreement dated July 30, 2002 between BT Investment Funds and Deutsche Asset Management, Inc.; (7) (1) Investment Advisory Agreement dated July 30, 2003 between the Registrant and Deutsche Asset Management, Inc.; (3) (2) Investment Advisory Agreement dated July 30, 2003 between the BT Investment Portfolios and Deutsche Asset Management, Inc.; (3) (3) Investment Advisory Agreement dated July 30, 2003 between Cash Management Portfolio and Deutsche Asset Management, Inc.; (7) (4) Investment Advisory Agreement dated July 30, 2002 between Treasury Money Portfolio and Deutsche Asset Management, Inc.; (3) (5) Form of Amendment to Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, Deutsche Asset Management, Inc. and Deutsche Asset Management Investment Services Limited;(6) (6) Form of Amendment dated December 17, 2004 to the Investment Advisory Agreement dated July 30, 2002 between the Registrant and Deutsche Asset Management, Inc.;(11) (7) Form of Investment Advisory Agreement dated August 20, 2004 between the Registrant and Deutsche Asset Management, Inc. on behalf of Lifecycle Short Range Fund and Lifecycle Mid Range Fund;(14) (8) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement dated August 20, 2004 between Deutsche Asset Management, Inc. and Northern Trust Investments, Inc., N.A. on behalf of Lifecycle Short Range Fund and Lifecycle Mid Range Fund; (15) (9) Amendment dated September 19, 2005, to the Investment Advisory Agreement dated July 30, 2002 between the Registrant and Deutsche Asset Management, Inc.; (15) 3 (10) Amendment to Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Deutsche Asset Management, Inc. on behalf of Scudder Limited-Duration Plus Fund to be filed by amendment; (11) Investment Management Agreement between the Registrant, on behalf of DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund, and Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc., dated July 1, 2006 (to be filed by amendment); (12) Sub-advisory Agreement between RREEF America L.L.C., in regards to DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund, and Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH, dated July 1, 2006 (to be filed by amendment); (13) Sub-advisory Agreement between RREEF America L.L.C., in regards to DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund, and RREEF Global Advisors Limited, dated July 1, 2006 (to be filed by amendment); (14) Sub-advisory Agreement between RREEF America L.L.C., in regards to DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund, and Deutsche Asset Management, Hong Kong, Limited, dated July 1, 2006 (to be filed by amendment); (15) Sub-advisory Agreement between the Registrant, on behalf of DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund, and Deutsche Investments Australia Limited, dated July 1, 2006 (to be filed by amendment); (e) Distribution Agreement dated August 19, 2002; (9) (f) Not applicable; (g) Custodian Agreement dated July 1, 1996; (2) (1) Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated April 1, 2003; (3) (h) (1) Administration Agreement dated July 1, 2001; (6) (2) Expense Limitation Agreement dated September 4, 2002; (9) (3) Fund Accounting Agreement between Investment Company Capital Corp. and Scudder Fund Accounting Corporation dated June 3, 2002; (3) (4) Sub-Administration and Sub-Fund Accounting Agreement between Investment Company Capital Corp., Scudder Fund Accounting and State Street Bank and Trust Company dated April 1, 2003; (7) (5) Transfer Agency Agreement dated December 16, 2002 with Scudder Investment Services Company; (6) (6) Agency Agreement between Scudder Investments Service Company and DST Systems, Inc., dated January 15, 2003; (3) (7) Expense Limitation Agreement dated April 25, 2003; (5) (8) Expense Limitation Agreement dated August 1, 2003; (7) (9) Letters of Indemnity to the Scudder Funds and Independent Directors/Trustees dated October 8, 2004; (5) 4 (10) Amendment dated November 17, 2004 to Exhibit A of the Expense Limitation Agreement dated April 25, 2003; (3)(1) (11) Form of Expense Limitation Agreement dated December 17, 2004 between Scudder Advisor Funds on behalf of Scudder Mid Cap Growth Fund, Deutsche Asset Management, Inc. and Investment Company Capital Corp.; (3)(1) (12) Form of Expense Limitation Agreement dated December 17, 2004 between Scudder Advisor Funds on behalf of Scudder Small Cap Growth Fund, Deutsche Asset Management, Inc. and Investment Company Capital Corp.; (5) (i) (1) Opinion and Consent of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP; (28) (2) Opinion and Consent of Bingham McCutchen LLP; (5) (3) Opinion and Consent of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP relating to Class S and AARP shares; (9) (4) Opinion and Consent of Bingham McCutchen LLP relating to Class S and AARP shares; (9) (5) Opinion and Consent of Counsel of Willkie Farr & Gallagher relating to DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Classes A, C, Institutional and S, is filed herein. (6) Opinion and Consent of Counsel of Bingham McCutcheon LLP relating to DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund, Classes A, C, Institutional and S, is filed herein. (j) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm is filed herein; (k) Not applicable; (1) Not applicable; (m) Rule 12b-1 Plan(s); (21)(,) (24) (1) Rule 12b-1 Plan for DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund - Classes A and C shares, dated July 1, 2006 (to be filed by amendment); (n) Rule 18f-3 Plan, as amended; (6) (1) Rule 18f-3 Plan for DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund, dated July 1, 2006 (to be filed by amendment); (p) Codes of Ethics for Funds15 and Advisor; (6), (3), (4), (5) (1) Code of Ethics for Deutsche Asset Management, Inc. - U.S., dated January 1, 2005; (11) (2) Consolidated Fund Code of Ethics; (15) (3) Code of Ethics for Funds dated March 14, 2006; (16) 5 (4) Code of Ethics for Deutsche Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited is filed herein; (q) Powers of Attorney; (12) (1) Power of Attorney, dated June 27, 2006, is filed herein.
- -------------------- (1) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 34 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-lA ("Registration Statement") as filed with the Securities and Exchange ("Commission") on July 31, 1995. (2) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 99 to Registrant's Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on February 28, 2003. (3) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 100 to Registrant's Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on April 30, 2003. (4) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 104 to Registrant's Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on October 1, 2003. (5) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 105 to Registrant's Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on January 30, 2004. (6) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 106 to Registrant's Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on February 27, 2004. (7) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 107 to Registrant's Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on April 29, 2004. (8) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 103 to Registrant's Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on July 25, 2003. (9) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 113 to Registrant's Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on August 31, 2004. (10) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 114 to Registrant's Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on December 3, 2004. (11) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 116 to Registrant's Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on February 1, 2005. (12) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 118 to Registrant's Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on February 1, 2005. (13) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 120 to Registrant's Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on July 1, 2005. (14) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 122 to Registrant's Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on August 1, 2005. (15) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 125 to Registrant's Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on January 27, 2006. (16) Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 133 to Registrant's Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on April 28, 2006. 6 Item 24. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant - -------- ------------------------------------------------------------- Information pertaining to persons controlled by or under common control with Registrant is incorporated by reference from the Statement of Additional Information contained in Part B of this Registration Statement. Item 25. Indemnification - -------- --------------- Under Article XI, Section 2 of the Trust's Declaration of Trust, any past or present Trustee or officer of the Trust (including persons who serve at the Trust's request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise hereinafter referred to as a "Covered Person") is indemnified to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and all expenses reasonably incurred by him in connection with any action, suit or proceeding to which he may be a party or otherwise involved by reason of his being or having been a Covered Person. This provision does not authorize indemnification when it is determined, in the manner specified in the Declaration of Trust, that such Covered Person has not acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his actions were in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust. Moreover, this provision does not authorize indemnification when it is determined, in the manner specified in the Declaration of Trust, that such Covered Person would otherwise be liable to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his duties. Expenses may be paid by the Trust in advance of the final disposition of any action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by such Covered Person to repay such expenses to the Trust in the event that it is ultimately determined that indemnification of such expenses is not authorized under the Declaration of Trust and either (i) the Covered Person provides security for such undertaking, (ii) the Trust is insured against losses from such advances or (iii) the disinterested Trustees or independent legal counsel determines, in the manner specified in the Declaration of Trust, that there is reason to believe the Covered Person will be found to be entitled to indemnification. Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the 1933 Act may be permitted to Trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Trust pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Trust has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Trust of expenses incurred or paid by a Trustee, officer or controlling person of the Trust in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such Trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Trust will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. Deutsche Asset Management, Inc. and Investment Company Capital Corp. (hereafter, "DeAM"), the investment advisor, have agreed, subject to applicable law and regulation, to indemnify and hold harmless the Registrant against any loss, damage, liability and expense, including, without limitation, the advancement and payment, as incurred, of reasonable fees and expenses of counsel (including counsel to the Registrant and counsel to the Independent Trustees) and consultants, whether retained by the Registrant or the Independent Trustees, and other customary costs and expenses incurred by the Registrant in connection with any litigation or regulatory action related to possible improper market timing or other improper trading activity or possible improper marketing and sales activity in the Registrant ("Private Litigation and Enforcement Actions"). In the event that this indemnification is unavailable to the Registrant for any reason, then DeAM has agreed to contribute to the amount paid or payable by the Registrant as a result of any loss, damage, liability or expense in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of DeAM and the Registrant with respect to the matters which resulted in such loss, damage, liability or expense, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided, that if no final 7 determination is made in such action or proceeding as to the relative fault of DeAM and the Registrant, then DeAM shall pay the entire amount of such loss, damage, liability or expense. In recognition of its undertaking to indemnify the Registrant, and in light of the rebuttable presumption generally afforded to non-interested board members of an investment company that they have not engaged in disabling conduct, DeAM has also agreed, subject to applicable law and regulation, to indemnify and hold harmless each of the Independent Trustees against any and all loss, damage, liability and expense, including without limitation the advancement and payment as incurred of reasonable fees and expenses of counsel and consultants, and other customary costs and expenses incurred by the Independent Trustees, arising from the matters alleged in any Private Litigation and Enforcement Actions or matters arising from or similar in subject matter to the matters alleged in the Private Litigation and Enforcement Actions (collectively, "Covered Matters"), including without limitation: 1. all reasonable legal and other expenses incurred by the Independent Trustees in connection with the Private Litigation and Enforcement Actions, and any actions that may be threatened or commenced in the future by any person (including any governmental authority), arising from or similar to the matters alleged in the Private Litigation and Enforcement Actions, including without limitation expenses related to the defense of, service as a witness in, or monitoring of such proceedings or actions; 2. all liabilities and reasonable legal and other expenses incurred by any Independent Trustee in connection with any judgment resulting from, or settlement of, any such proceeding, action or matter; 3. any loss or reasonable legal and other expenses incurred by any Independent Trustee as a result of the denial of, or dispute about, any insurance claim under, or actual or purported rescission or termination of, any policy of insurance arranged by DeAM (or by a representative of DeAM acting as such, acting as a representative of the Registrant or of the Independent Trustees or acting otherwise) for the benefit of the Independent Trustee, to the extent that such denial, dispute or rescission is based in whole or in part upon any alleged misrepresentation made in the application for such policy or any other alleged improper conduct on the part of DeAM, any of its corporate affiliates, or any of their directors, officers or employees; 4. any loss or reasonable legal and other expenses incurred by any Independent Trustee, whether or not such loss or expense is incurred with respect to a Covered Matter, which is otherwise covered under the terms of any specified policy of insurance, but for which the Independent Trustee is unable to obtain advancement of expenses or indemnification under that policy of insurance, due to the exhaustion of policy limits which is due in whole or in part to DeAM or any affiliate thereof having received advancement of expenses or indemnification under that policy for or with respect to any Covered Matter; provided, that the total amount that DeAM will be obligated to pay under this provision for all loss or expense shall not exceed the amount that DeAM and any of its affiliates actually receive under that policy of insurance for or with respect to any and all Covered Matters; and 5. all liabilities and reasonable legal and other expenses incurred by any Independent Trustee in connection with any proceeding or action to enforce his or her rights under the agreement, unless DeAM prevails on the merits of any such dispute in a final, nonappealable court order. DeAM is not required to pay costs or expenses or provide indemnification to or for any individual Independent Trustee (i) with respect to any particular proceeding or action as to which the Board of the Registrant has determined that such Independent Trustee ultimately would not be entitled to indemnification with respect thereto, or (ii) for any liability of the Independent Trustee to the Registrant or its shareholders to which such Independent Trustee would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Independent Trustee's duties as a Trustee of the Registrant as determined in a final adjudication in such proceeding or action. In addition, to the extent that DeAM has paid costs or expenses under the agreement to any individual Independent Trustee with respect to a particular proceeding or action, and there is a final adjudication in such proceeding or action 8 of the Independent Trustee's liability to the Registrant or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the Independent Trustee's duties as a Trustee of the Registrant, such Independent Trustee has undertaken to repay such costs or expenses to DeAM. Item 26. Business and Other Connections of Investment Advisor - -------- ---------------------------------------------------- During the last two fiscal years, no director or officer of Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc., the investment advisor, has engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature other than that of the business of investment management and, through affiliates, investment banking. Item 27. Principal Underwriters - -------- ---------------------- (a) DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc. acts as principal underwriter of the Registrant's shares and acts as principal underwriter for registered open-end management investment companies other funds managed by Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc., Deutsche Asset Management Inc. and Investment Company Capital Corp. (b) Information on the officers and directors of DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc., principal underwriter for the Registrant, is set forth below. The principal business address is 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
(1) (2) (3) DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc. Name and Principal Positions and Offices with DWS Positions and Business Address Scudder Distributors, Inc. Offices with Registrant ---------------- -------------------------- ----------------------- Michael L. Gallagher Director and President None 222 South Riverside Plaza Chicago, IL 60606 Philipp Hensler Director, Chairman of the Board and CEO None 345 Park Avenue New York, NY 10154 Michael Colon Director and Chief Operating Officer President 345 Park Avenue New York, NY 10154 Thomas Winnick Director and Vice President None 345 Park Avenue New York, NY 10154 Michael Concannon Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer None 345 Park Avenue New York, NY 10154 9 (1) (2) (3) DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc. Name and Principal Positions and Offices with DWS Positions and Business Address Scudder Distributors, Inc. Offices with Registrant ---------------- -------------------------- ----------------------- Robert Froehlich Vice President None 222 South Riverside Plaza Chicago, IL 60606 Katie Rose Vice President None 222 South Riverside Plaza Chicago, IL 60606 Paul Schubert Vice President Chief Financial Officer 345 Park Avenue and Treasurer New York, NY 10154 Mark Perrelli Vice President None 222 South Riverside Plaza Chicago, IL 60606 Donna White Chief Compliance Officer None 345 Park Avenue New York, NY 10154 John Robbins Vice President and AML Compliance Anti-Money Laundering 345 Park Avenue Officer Compliance Officer New York, NY 10154 Caroline Pearson Secretary Assistant Secretary Two International Place Boston, MA 02110 Philip J. Collora Assistant Secretary None 222 South Riverside Plaza Chicago, IL 60606
(c) Not applicable Item 28. Location of Accounts and Records - -------- -------------------------------- DWS Advisor Funds: 345 Park Avenue (Registrant) New York, New York 10154 Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc.: 345 Park Avenue (Investment Advisor) New York, NY 10017 Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc.: 345 Park Avenue (Administrator) New York, New York 10154 DWS Scudder Investments Service Company: 222 South Riverside Plaza (Transfer Agent) Chicago, IL 60606 DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc.: 222 South Riverside Plaza (Distributor) Chicago, IL 60606 10 Brown Brothers Harriman 40 Water Street (Custodian) Boston, MA 02110 DST Systems, Inc.: 127 West 10th Street (Sub-Transfer Agent and Kansas City, MO 64105 Sub-Dividend Distribution Agent)
Item 29. Management Services - -------- ------------------- Not applicable Item 30. Undertakings - -------- ------------ Not applicable 11 SIGNATURES ---------- Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this amendment to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of New York and the State of New York on the 28th day of June 2006. DWS ADVISOR FUNDS By: /s/Michael G. Clark ---------------------- Michael G. Clark Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Post-Effective Amendment to its Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
SIGNATURE TITLE DATE - --------- ----- ---- /s/Michael G. Clark - ------------------------------------- Michael G. Clark President June 28, 2006 /s/Paul H. Schubert - ------------------------------------- Paul H. Schubert Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer June 28, 2006 /s/Henry P. Becton, Jr. - ------------------------------------- Henry P. Becton, Jr.* Trustee June 28, 2006 /s/Dawn-Marie Driscoll - ------------------------------------- Dawn-Marie Driscoll* Trustee June 28, 2006 /s/Keith R. Fox - ------------------------------------- Keith R. Fox* Trustee June 28, 2006 /s/Kenneth C. Froewiss - ------------------------------------- Kenneth C. Froweiss* Trustee June 28, 2006 /s/Martin J. Gruber - ------------------------------------- Martin J. Gruber* Trustee June 28, 2006 /s/Richard J. Herring - ------------------------------------- Richard J. Herring* Trustee June 28, 2006 /s/Graham E. Jones - ------------------------------------- Graham E. Jones* Trustee June 28, 2006 /s/Rebecca W. Rimel - ------------------------------------- Rebecca W. Rimel* Trustee June 28, 2006 /s/Philip Saunders, Jr. - ------------------------------------- Philip Saunders, Jr.* Trustee June 28, 2006 /s/William N. Searcy, Jr. - ------------------------------------- William N. Searcy, Jr.* Trustee June 28, 2006 SIGNATURE TITLE DATE - --------- ----- ---- /s/Jean Gleason Stromberg - ------------------------------------- Jean Gleason Stromberg* Trustee June 28, 2006 /s/Carl W. Vogt - ------------------------------------- Carl W. Vogt* Trustee June 28, 2006 /s/Axel Schwarzer - ------------------------------------- Axel Schwarzer* Trustee June 28, 2006
*By: /s/Caroline Pearson -------------------------- Caroline Pearson** Assistant Secretary ** Attorney-in-fact pursuant to the powers of attorney as filed herein. 2 1933 Act File No. 33-07404 1940 Act File No. 811-04760 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 EXHIBITS TO FORM N-1A POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 141 TO REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 AND AMENDMENT NO. 141 TO REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 DWS ADVISOR FUNDS 12 DWS ADVISOR FUNDS EXHIBIT INDEX (a) (i)(5) (i)(6) (j) (p)(4) (q)(1) 13
EX-99.A 2 exa-af.htm

Exhibit (a)

 

DWS ADVISOR FUNDS

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED DECLARATION OF TRUST

 

DATED JUNE 27, 2006

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

  

Page

ARTICLE I NAME AND DEFINITIONS

  

1

Section 1.1. Name

  

1

Section 1.2. Definitions

  

1

ARTICLE II TRUSTEES

  

3

Section 2.1. General Powers

  

3

Section 2.2. Certain Specific Powers.

  

3

Section 2.3. Legal Title

  

6

Section 2.4. Issuance and Repurchase of Shares

  

6

Section 2.5. Delegation; Committees

  

6

Section 2.6. Collection and Payment

  

6

Section 2.7. Expenses

  

6

Section 2.8. Manner of Acting

  

6

Section 2.9. By-Laws

  

7

Section 2.10. Principal Transactions

  

7

Section 2.11. Number of Trustees

  

7

Section 2.12. Election and Term

  

7

Section 2.13. Resignation and Removal

  

7

Section 2.14. Vacancies

  

8

 

 

 



 

 

 

ARTICLE III CONTRACTS

  

8

Section 3.1. Distribution Contract; Transfer Agent; Shareholder Servicing Agent; Custodian

  

8

Section 3.2. Advisory or Management Contract; Administration

  

8

Section 3.3. Affiliations of Trustees or Officers, Etc

  

9

Section 3.4. Further Authority of Trustees

  

9

ARTICLE IV LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY OF SHAREHOLDERS,
TRUSTEES AND OTHERS

  

9

Section 4.1. No Personal Liability of Shareholders, Trustees, Etc. Generally

  

9

Section 4.2. Non-Liability of Trustees, Etc. to Trust or Shareholders

  

10

Section 4.3. Mandatory Indemnification

  

10

Section 4.4. No Bond Required of Trustees

  

12

Section 4.5. No Duty of Investigation; Notice in Trust Instruments, Etc

  

12

Section 4.6. Reliance on Experts, Etc

  

13

Section 4.7. Derivative Actions

  

13

ARTICLE V SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST

 

13

Section 5.1. Beneficial Interest

  

13

Section 5.2. Rights of Shareholders

  

14

Section 5.3. Trust Only

  

14

Section 5.4. Issuance of Shares

  

14

Section 5.5. Ownership of Shares; Small Accounts

  

14

Section 5.6. Disclosure of Holdings

  

15

Section 5.7. Notices; Reports

  

15

Section 5.8. Voting Powers

  

15

Section 5.9. Meetings of Shareholders; Action by Written Consent

  

16

 

 

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Section 5.10. Series

  

16

Section 5.11. Classes

  

17

Section 5.12. Establishment and Designation of Series and Classes

  

18

ARTICLE VI REDEMPTION AND REPURCHASE OF SHARES

  

18

Section 6.1. Redemption of Shares

  

18

Section 6.2. Price

  

18

Section 6.3. Payment

  

18

Section 6.4. Redemption of Shareholder’s Interest

  

19

Section 6.5. Reductions in Number of Outstanding Shares Pursuant to Net Asset Value Formula

  

19

Section 6.6. Suspension of Right of Redemption

  

19

ARTICLE VII DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE, NET INCOME AND DISTRIBUTIONS

  

20

Section 7.1. Determination of Net Asset Value

  

20

Section 7.2. Distributions to Shareholders

  

20

Section 7.3. Constant Net Asset Value

  

20

Section 7.4. Reserves

  

20

Section 7.5. Determination by Trustees

  

20

ARTICLE VIII DURATION; TERMINATION OF TRUST; AMENDMENT; MERGERS, ETC.

  

21

Section 8.1. Duration

  

21

Section 8.2. Termination of Trust

  

21

Section 8.3. Amendment Procedure

  

21

Section 8.4. Merger, Consolidation and Sale of Assets

  

22

ARTICLE IX MISCELLANEOUS

  

23

 

 

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Section 9.1. Filing

  

23

Section 9.2. Governing Law

  

23

Section 9.3. Counterparts and Headings

  

24

Section 9.4. Reliance by Third Parties

  

24

Section 9.5. Provisions in Conflict with Law

  

24

 

 

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Exhibit (a)

 

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

DECLARATION OF TRUST

OF

DWS ADVISOR FUNDS

 

DATED JUNE 27, 2006

 

THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED DECLARATION OF TRUST is made as of this 27th day of June, 2006 by the Trustees hereunder.

 

WHEREAS, the DWS Advisor Funds was established pursuant to a Declaration of Trust dated July 21, 1986 (as amended to the date hereof, the “Original Declaration”) for the purposes of carrying on the business of a management investment company;

 

WHEREAS, the Trustees, pursuant to Section 8, Article 12 of the Original Declaration, may amend this Declaration with the vote or consent of the Shareholders as required by such Section;

 

WHEREAS, this Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust has been amended in accordance with the provisions of the Original Declaration in effect as of the date hereof;

 

WHEREAS, the Trustees and any successor Trustees elected in accordance with Article II hereof are acquiring and may hereafter acquire assets and properties which they will hold and manage as trustees of a Massachusetts business trust in accordance with the provisions hereinafter set forth;

 

WHEREAS, the Trustees declare that they will hold all cash, securities and other assets and properties, which they may from time to time acquire in any manner as Trustees hereunder, IN TRUST, and that they will manage and dispose of the same upon the following terms and conditions for the benefit of the holders from time to time of shares of beneficial interest in this Trust as hereinafter set forth.

 

ARTICLE I

 

NAME AND DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.1. Name. The name of the trust created hereby is the “DWS Advisor Funds” and the Trustees shall conduct the business of the Trust under that name or any other name as they may from time to time determine.

 

Section 1.2. Definitions. Wherever they are used herein, unless otherwise required by the context or specifically provided, the following terms have the following respective meanings:

 

(a) “By-Laws” means the By-Laws referred to in Section 2.9 hereof, as from time to time amended.

 

 



 

 

(b) “Class” means the two or more Classes as may be established and designated from time to time by the Trustees pursuant to Section 5.12 hereof.

 

(c) The terms “Commission” and “Interested Person” shall have the same meanings given to such terms in the 1940 Act. The term “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” shall have the same meaning given to it in the 1940 Act.

 

(d) “Declaration” means this Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust as further amended from time to time. Reference in this Declaration of Trust to “Declaration,” “hereof,” “herein,” and “hereunder” shall be deemed to refer to this Declaration rather than exclusively to the article or section in which such words appear.

 

(e) “His” shall include the feminine and neuter, as well as the masculine, genders.

 

(f) The “1940 Act” refers to the Investment Company Act of 1940 (and any successor statute) as the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, all as amended from time to time, may apply to the Trust or any Series or Class thereof including pursuant to any exemptive or similar relief issued by the Commission or the Staff of the Commission under such Act. In construing the 1940 Act, the Trustees and officers of the Trust may, to the extent deemed appropriate, rely on interpretations of the 1940 Act issued by the Commission or the Staff thereof.

 

(g) “Outstanding Shares” means those Shares shown from time to time on the books of the Trust or its transfer agent as then issued and outstanding, but shall not include Shares which have been redeemed or repurchased by the Trust.

 

(h) “Person” means and includes individuals, corporations, partnerships, trusts, associations, joint ventures and other entities, whether or not legal entities, and governments and agencies and political subdivisions thereof.

 

(i) “Series” individually or collectively means the two or more Series as may be established and designated from time to time by the Trustees pursuant to Section 5.12 hereof.

 

(j) “Shareholder” means a record owner of Outstanding Shares.

 

(k) “Shares” means the units of interest into which the beneficial interest in the Trust shall be divided from time to time, including the Shares of any and all Series and Classes which may be established and designated by the Trustees and includes fractions of Shares as well as whole Shares.

 

(l) The “Trust” refers to the Massachusetts business trust established by this Declaration of Trust, as amended from time to time.

 

(m) The “Trust Property” means any and all property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, which is owned or held by or for the account of the Trust or the Trustees.

 

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(n) The “Trustees” means at any time the persons who have signed this Declaration, so long as they shall continue in office in accordance with the terms hereof, and all persons who may at that time be duly qualified and serving as Trustees in accordance with the provisions of Article II hereof and reference herein to a Trustee or the Trustees shall refer to such person or persons in this capacity or their capacities as Trustees hereunder.

 

ARTICLE II

 

TRUSTEES

 

Section 2.1. General Powers. The Trustees shall have exclusive and absolute control over the Trust Property and over the business of the Trust to the same extent as if the Trustees were the sole owners of the Trust Property and business in their own right, but with full powers of delegation except as may otherwise be expressly prohibited by this Declaration. The Trustees shall have power to conduct the business of the Trust and carry on its operations and maintain offices both within and without the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and to do all such other things and execute all such instruments as they deem necessary, proper or desirable in order to promote the interests of the Trust. In construing the provisions of this Declaration, the presumption shall be in favor of a grant of power to the Trustees. Without limiting the foregoing the Trustees shall have power and authority to operate and carry on the business of an investment company and exercise all the powers as are necessary, convenient, appropriate, incidental or customary in connection therewith and may exercise all powers which are ordinarily exercised by the trustees of a Massachusetts business trust. The enumeration of any specific power herein shall not be construed as limiting the aforesaid general powers. Such powers of the Trustees may be exercised without order of or resort to any court.

 

The Trustees may construe any of the provisions of this Declaration insofar as the same may appear to be ambiguous or inconsistent with any other provisions hereof, and any such construction hereof by the Trustees in good faith shall be conclusive as to the meaning to be given to such provisions.

 

Any determination made by or pursuant to the direction of the Trustees in good faith and consistent with the provisions of this Declaration shall be final and conclusive and shall be binding upon the Trust, every holder at any time of Shares and any other interested party.

 

Section 2.2. Certain Specific Powers.

 

(a) Investments.

 

The Trustees shall not in any way be bound or limited by present or future laws, rules, regulations, or customs in regard to trust investments, but shall have full authority and power to make, invest and reinvest in, to buy or otherwise acquire, to hold, for investment or otherwise, to borrow, to sell or otherwise dispose of, to lend or to pledge, to trade in or deal in any and all investments in which they, in their absolute discretion, deem proper to accomplish the purpose of

 

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the Trust. In furtherance of, and in no way limiting, the foregoing, the Trustees shall have power and authority:

 

(i) To exercise powers and rights of subscription or otherwise which in any manner arise out of ownership of securities;

 

(ii) To hold any security or property in a form not indicating any trust, whether in bearer, unregistered or other negotiable form; or either in their or the Trust’s name or in the name of a custodian or a nominee or nominees;

 

(iii) To exercise all rights, powers and privileges of ownership or interest in all securities, repurchase agreements, futures contracts and options and other assets included in the Trust Property, including the right to vote thereon and otherwise act with respect thereto and to do all acts for the preservation, protection, improvement and enhancement in value of all such assets;

 

(iv) To acquire (by purchase, lease or otherwise) and to hold, use, maintain, develop and dispose of (by sale or otherwise) any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, including cash, and any interest therein;

 

(v) To borrow money for any purpose and in this connection issue notes or other evidence of indebtedness; to secure borrowings by mortgaging, pledging or otherwise subjecting as security the Trust Property; to endorse, guarantee, or undertake the performance of any obligation or engagement of any other Person and to lend Trust Property;

 

(vi) To aid by further investment any corporation, company, trust, association or firm, any obligation of or interest in which is included in the Trust Property or in the affairs of which the Trustees have any direct or indirect interest; to do all acts and things designed to protect, preserve, improve or enhance the value of such obligation or interest, and to guarantee or become surety on any or all of the contracts, stocks, bonds, notes, debentures and other obligations of any such corporation, company, trust, association or firm;

 

(vii) To consent to or participate in any plan for the reorganization, consolidation or merger of any corporation or issuer, any security or property of which is held in the Trust; to consent to any contract, lease, mortgage, purchase, or sale of property by such corporation or issuer, and to pay calls or subscriptions with respect to any security held in the Trust; and

 

(viii) To join with other security holders in acting through a committee, depositary, voting trustee or otherwise, and in that connection to deposit any security with, or transfer any security to, any such committee, depositary or trustee, and to delegate to them such power and authority with relation to any security (whether or not so deposited or transferred) as the Trustees shall deem proper, and to agree to pay, and to pay, such portion of the expenses and compensation of such committee, depositary or trustee as the Trustees shall deem proper.

 

(b) Additional Powers.

 

The Trustees shall have the power:

 

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(i) To employ or contract with, or make payments to, such Persons as the Trustees may deem desirable for the transaction of the business of the Trust;

 

(ii) To enter into joint ventures, partnerships and any other combinations or associations;

 

(iii) To elect and remove such officers and appoint and terminate such agents or employees as they consider appropriate;

 

(iv) To purchase, and pay for out of Trust Property, (A) insurance policies insuring the Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees, agents, investment advisers, distributors, administrators, selected dealers or independent contractors of the Trust against all claims arising by reason of holding any such position or by reason of any action taken or omitted by any such Person in such capacity, whether or not the Trust would have the power to indemnify such Person against such liability, (B) insurance for the protection of Trust Property or (C) such other insurance as the Trustees in their sole judgment shall deem advisable;

 

(v) To establish pension, profit-sharing, share purchase, and other retirement, incentive and benefit plans, including the purchasing of life insurance and annuity contracts as a means of providing such retirement and other benefits, for any Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust;

 

(vi) To the extent permitted by law, to indemnify any person with whom the Trust has dealings, including any investment adviser, distributor, administrator, custodian, transfer agent and selected dealers, to such extent as the Trustees shall determine;

 

(vii) To guarantee indebtedness or contractual obligations of others;

 

(viii) To determine and change the fiscal year of the Trust and the method by which its accounts shall be kept;

 

(ix) To adopt a seal for the Trust, but the absence of such seal shall not impair the validity of any instrument executed on behalf of the Trust;

 

(x) To enter into a plan of distribution and any related agreements whereby the Trust may finance directly or indirectly any activity which is primarily intended to result in the sale of Shares; and

 

(xi) To carry on any other business in connection with or incidental to any of the powers enumerated in this Declaration, to do everything necessary, suitable or proper for the accomplishment of any purpose or the attainment of any object or the furtherance of any power herein set forth, either alone or in association with others, and to do every other act or thing incidental or appurtenant to or growing out of or connected with the aforesaid business or purposes, objects or powers.

 

 

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(c) The foregoing enumeration of the powers and authority of the Trustees shall be read as broadly and liberally as possible, it being the intent of the foregoing to in no way limit the Trustees’ powers and authority.

 

Section 2.3. Legal Title. Title to all of the assets of each Series of Shares and of the Trust shall at all times be considered as vested in the Trustees. Such title shall automatically vest at the time a person becomes a Trustee and shall automatically unvest at the time a person ceases to be a Trustee, in each case without the execution or delivery of any conveyancing instrument.

 

Section 2.4. Issuance and Repurchase of Shares. The Trustees shall have the power to issue, sell, repurchase, redeem, retire, cancel, acquire, hold, resell, reissue, dispose of, transfer, and otherwise deal in Shares and in any options, warrants or other rights to purchase Shares or any other interests in the Trust other than Shares.

 

Section 2.5. Delegation; Committees. The Trustees shall have power to delegate from time to time to one or more of their number or to officers, employees or agents of the Trust the doing of such things and the execution of such instruments either in the name of the Trust or the names of the Trustees or otherwise as the Trustees may deem expedient, except to the extent such delegation is prohibited by the 1940 Act.

 

Without limiting the foregoing, and notwithstanding any provisions herein to the contrary, the Trustees may by resolution appoint committees consisting of one or more, but less than the whole number of, Trustees then in office, which committees may be empowered to act for and bind the Trustees and the Trust, as if the acts of such committees were the acts of all the Trustees then in office.

 

Section 2.6. Collection and Payment. The Trustees shall have power to collect all money or other property due to the Trust; to pay all claims, including taxes, against the Trust Property; to prosecute, defend, arbitrate, compromise or abandon any claims relating to the Trust Property but shall have no liability for failing to do so; to foreclose any security interest securing any obligations, by virtue of which any money or other property is owed to the Trust; and to enter into releases, agreements and other instruments.

 

Section 2.7. Expenses. The Trustees shall have the power to incur and pay any expenses which in the opinion of the Trustees are necessary or incidental to carry out any of the purposes of this Declaration, to pay reasonable compensation from the funds of the Trust to themselves as Trustees and to reimburse themselves from the funds of the Trust for their expenses and disbursements. The Trustees shall fix the compensation of all officers, employees and Trustees.

 

Section 2.8. Manner of Acting. Except as otherwise provided herein or in the By-Laws, any action to be taken by the Trustees may be taken by a majority of the Trustees present at a meeting of Trustees (a quorum being present), including any meeting held by means of a conference telephone circuit or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, or by written consents of a majority of Trustees then in office. Except as set forth specifically in this Declaration, any action that may be taken by the Trustees may be taken by them without the vote or consent of Shareholders.

 

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Section 2.9. By-Laws. The Trustees may adopt By-Laws not inconsistent with this Declaration to provide for the conduct of the business of the Trust and may amend or repeal such By-Laws to the extent such power is not reserved to the Shareholders.

 

Section 2.10. Principal Transactions. Except in transactions not permitted by the 1940 Act, the Trustees may, on behalf of the Trust, buy any securities from or sell any securities to, or lend any assets of the Trust to, any Trustee or officer of the Trust or any firm of which any such Trustee or officer is a member acting as principal, or have any such dealings with any investment adviser, distributor, administrator, custodian or transfer agent or with any Interested Person of such Person; and the Trust may employ any such Person, or firm or company in which such Person is an Interested Person, as broker, legal counsel, registrar, transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent or custodian upon customary terms.

 

Section 2.11. Number of Trustees. The number of Trustees shall be such number as shall be determined from time to time by the Trustees then in office. No decrease in the number of Trustees shall have the effect of removing any Trustee from office prior to the expiration of his term, but the number of Trustees may be decreased in conjunction with the removal of a Trustee pursuant to this Article II.

 

Section 2.12. Election and Term. Except as provided in Section 2.13 below, each Trustee shall hold office until the next meeting of Shareholders called for the purpose of considering the election or re-election of such Trustee or of a successor to such Trustee, and until his successor is elected and qualified. Any vacancy resulting from a newly created Trusteeship or the death, resignation, retirement, removal, or incapacity of a Trustee may be filled by the affirmative vote or consent of a majority of the Trustees then in office, except as prohibited by the 1940 Act.

 

Section 2.13. Resignation and Removal. Any Trustee may resign (without the need for any prior or subsequent accounting, except as such accounting may be required by a majority of the remaining Trustees) by an instrument in writing signed by him and delivered or mailed to the Chairman, if any, the President or the Secretary, and such resignation shall be effective upon such delivery, or at a later date according to the terms of the instrument. Any Trustee who has attained a mandatory retirement age or term limit established pursuant to, or is otherwise required to retire in accordance with, any written policy adopted from time to time by the Trustees shall, automatically and without action of such Trustee or the remaining Trustees, be deemed to have retired in accordance with the terms of such policy, effective as of the date determined in accordance with such policy; and any Trustee who has become incapacitated by illness or injury as determined by a majority of the other Trustees, may be retired by written instrument signed by a majority of the other Trustees. Any of the Trustees may be removed (provided the aggregate number of Trustees after such removal shall not be less than one) by the action of two-thirds of the remaining Trustees or by vote of Shareholders holding two thirds of the Outstanding Shares. The Trustees shall promptly call a meeting of the Shareholders for the purpose of voting upon the question of removal of any Trustee or Trustees when requested in writing so to do by the holders of not less than ten percent of the Outstanding Shares, and in that connection, the Trustees will assist shareholder communications to the extent provided for in Section 16(c) under the 1940 Act. Except to the extent expressly provided in a written agreement

 

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to which the Trust is a party or in a written policy adopted by the Trustees, no resigning or removed Trustee shall have any right to any compensation for any period following his resignation or removal, or any right to damages on account of such removal.

 

Section 2.14. Vacancies. The death, resignation, retirement, removal, or incapacity, of the Trustees, or any of them, shall not operate to annul the Trust or to revoke any existing agency created pursuant to the terms of this Declaration. Whenever a vacancy in the number of Trustees shall occur, until such vacancy is filled as provided herein, or the number of Trustees as determined is reduced, the Trustees in office, regardless of their number, shall have all the powers granted to the Trustees, and during the period during which any such vacancy shall occur, only the Trustees then in office shall be counted for the purposes of the existence of a quorum or any action to be taken by such Trustees.

 

ARTICLE III

 

CONTRACTS

 

Section 3.1. Distribution Contract; Transfer Agent; Shareholder Servicing Agent; Custodian. The Trustees may in their discretion from time to time enter into an exclusive or non-exclusive underwriting, distribution or placement contract or contracts providing for the sale of the Shares, whereby the Trustees may either agree to sell the Shares to the other party to the contract or appoint such other party as the Trust’s sales agent for the Shares, and in either case on such terms and conditions, and providing for such compensation, as the Trustees may in their discretion determine; and such contract may also provide for the repurchase of the Shares by such other party as principal or as agent of the Trust. The Trustees may in their discretion from time to time enter into one or more transfer agency and/or shareholder servicing contract(s), in each case with such terms and conditions, and providing for such compensation, as the Trustees may in their discretion deem advisable. All securities and cash of the Trust or any Series thereof shall be held pursuant to a written contract or contracts with one or more custodians and subcustodians, each meeting the requirements for a custodian contained in the 1940 Act, or shall otherwise be held in accordance with the 1940 Act.

 

Section 3.2. Advisory or Management Contract; Administration. The Trustees may in their discretion from time to time enter into an investment advisory or management contract or separate contracts with respect to one or more Series whereby the other party to such contract shall undertake to furnish to the Trust such management, investment advisory, statistical and research facilities and services, proxy voting services and such other facilities and services, including administrative services, if any, and all upon such terms and conditions and for such compensation, as the Trustees may in their discretion determine, including the grant of authority to such other party to determine what securities shall be purchased or sold by the Trust or any Series and what portion of its assets shall be uninvested, which authority shall include the power to make changes in the investments of the Trust or any Series.

 

The Trustees may also employ, or authorize the investment adviser or a sub-adviser to employ, one or more sub-advisers from time to time to perform such of the acts and services of the investment adviser or sub-adviser and upon such terms and conditions and for such

 

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compensation as may be agreed upon between the investment adviser, the sub-adviser and/or such other sub-advisers and approved by the Trustees. Any reference in this Declaration to the investment adviser shall be deemed to include such sub-advisers unless the context otherwise requires.

 

The Trustees may, in their discretion from time to time enter into administration and/or, fund accounting contract(s), in each case with such terms and conditions, and providing for such compensation, as the Trustees may in their discretion deem advisable.

 

Section 3.3. Affiliations of Trustees or Officers, Etc. The fact that:

 

(i) any of the Shareholders, Trustees or officers of the Trust is a shareholder, director, officer, partner, member, trustee, employee, manager, adviser or distributor of or for any partnership, limited liability company, corporation, trust, association or other organization or of or for any parent or affiliate of any organization, with which a contract of the character described in Sections 3.1 or 3.2 above or for related services may have been or may hereafter be made, or that any such organization, or any parent or affiliate thereof, is a Shareholder of or has an interest in the Trust, or that

 

(ii) any partnership, limited liability company, corporation, trust, association or other organization with which a contract of the character described in Sections 3.1 or 3.2 above or for related services may have been or may hereafter be made also has any one or more of such contracts with one or more other partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations, trusts, associations or other organizations, or has other business or interests,

 

shall not affect the validity of any such contract or disqualify any Shareholder, Trustee or officer of the Trust from voting upon or executing the same or create any liability or accountability to the Trust or its Shareholders.

 

Section 3.4. Further Authority of Trustees. The authority of the Trustees hereunder to enter into contracts or other agreements or arrangements shall include the authority of the Trustees to modify, amend, waive any provision of, supplement, assign all or a portion of, or terminate such contracts, agreements or arrangements. The enumeration of any specific contracts in this Article III shall in no way be deemed to limit the power and authority of the Trustees as set forth in Section 2.2 hereof to employ, contract with or make payments to such Persons as the Trustees may deem desirable for the transaction of the business of the Trust.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY OF SHAREHOLDERS, TRUSTEES AND OTHERS

 

Section 4.1. No Personal Liability of Shareholders, Trustees, Etc. Generally. No Shareholder or former Shareholder shall be subject to any personal liability whatsoever to any Person in connection with Trust Property or the acts, obligations or affairs of the Trust. No Trustee, former Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall be subject to any personal liability whatsoever to any Person, other than to the Trust or its Shareholders (as set forth in

 

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Section 4.2 below), in connection with Trust Property or the acts, obligations or affairs of the Trust; and all such Persons shall look solely to the Trust Property for satisfaction of claims of any nature arising in connection with the affairs of the Trust. The Trust shall indemnify and hold each Shareholder or former Shareholder harmless from and against all claims and liabilities to which such Shareholder may become subject solely by reason of his being or having been a Shareholder, and shall reimburse such Shareholder for all legal and other expenses reasonably incurred by him in connection with any such claim or liability. The indemnification and reimbursement required by the preceding sentence shall be made only out of the assets of the one or more Series of which the Shareholder who is entitled to indemnification or reimbursement was a Shareholder at the time the act or event occurred which gave rise to the claim against or liability of said Shareholder. The rights accruing to a Shareholder under this Section 4.1 shall not impair any other right to which such Shareholder may be lawfully entitled, nor shall anything herein contained restrict the right of the Trust to indemnify or reimburse a Shareholder in any appropriate situation even though not specifically provided herein.

 

Section 4.2. Non-Liability of Trustees, Etc. to Trust or Shareholders. No Trustee, former Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust shall be liable to the Trust or to any Shareholder for any action or failure to act except for his or her own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties involved in the conduct of his office. Without limiting the foregoing, a Trustee shall not be responsible for or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, employee, investment adviser, subadviser, principal underwriter, custodian or other agent of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible or liable for the act or omission of any other Trustee, except in the case of such Trustee’s own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.

 

Section 4.3. Mandatory Indemnification. (a) Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in paragraph (b) below:

 

(i) every person who is, or has been, a Trustee or officer of the Trust (for purposes of this Section, “Trustee or officer” shall include persons who serve at the Trust’s request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise), shall be indemnified by the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law against all liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been a Trustee or officer, and against amounts paid or incurred by him in the settlement thereof;

 

(ii) the words “claim,” “action,” “suit” or “proceeding” shall apply to all claims, actions, suits or proceedings (civil, criminal, administrative or other, including appeals), actual or threatened; and the words “liability” and “expenses” shall include without limitation, attorneys’ fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.

 

(b) No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Trustee or officer:

 

 

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(i) against any liability to the Trust or the Shareholders by reason of a final adjudication by a court or other body before which a proceeding was brought that he engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office;

 

(ii) with respect to any matter as to which he shall have been finally adjudicated not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interest of the Trust; or

 

(iii) in the event of a settlement or other disposition not involving a final adjudication (as provided in paragraph (b)(i) or (b)(ii)) (whether by compromise payment, pursuant to a consent decree or otherwise) resulting in a payment by a Trustee or officer, unless there has been a determination that such Trustee or officer acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interests of the Trust and is not liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office:

 

(A) by the court or other body approving the settlement or other disposition; or

 

(B) a reasonable determination, based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), by:

 

(x) a vote of a majority of the Disinterested Trustees acting on the matter (provided that a majority of the Disinterested Trustees then in office act on the matter); or

 

(y) written opinion of legal counsel chosen by a majority of the Trustees and determined by them in their reasonable judgment to be independent.

 

(c) The rights of indemnification herein provided to any Trustee or officer shall be severable from those of any other Trustee or officer, shall not affect any other rights to which any Trustee or officer may now or hereafter be entitled, shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be such Trustee or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors, administrators and assigns of such a person. Nothing contained herein shall affect any rights to indemnification to which any Trustee or officer or any other person may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law.

 

(d) Expenses of preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding subject to a claim for indemnification described in paragraph (a) of this Section 4.3 shall be advanced by the Trust prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the recipient to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that he or she is not entitled to indemnification under this Section 4.3, provided that either:

 

(i) such undertaking is secured by a surety bond or some other appropriate security or the Trust shall be insured against losses arising out of any such advances; or

 

 

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(ii) a majority of the Disinterested Trustees acting on the matter (provided that a majority of the Disinterested Trustees act on the matter) or independent legal counsel in a written opinion shall determine, based upon a review of the readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the recipient ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.

 

As used in this Section 4.3, a “Disinterested Trustee” is one who is not (i) an Interested Person of the Trust (including anyone who has been exempted from being an Interested Person by any rule, regulation or order of the Commission), or (ii) involved in the claim, action, suit or proceeding.

 

In making any determination under this Section 4.3 as to whether a Trustee or officer engaged in conduct for which indemnification is not provided as described herein, or as to whether there is reason to believe that a Trustee or officer ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification, the Disinterested Trustees or independent legal counsel making the determination shall afford the Trustee or officer a rebuttable presumption that the Trustee or officer has not engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the Trustee’s or officer’s office and has acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that the Trustee’s or officer’s action was in the best interest of the Trust or Series and its Shareholders. Any determination pursuant to this Section 4.3 shall not prevent the recovery from any Trustee or officer of any amount paid to such Trustee or officer in accordance with this Section as indemnification if such Trustee or officer is subsequently adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that such Trustee’s or officer’s action was in the best interests of the Trust or to have been liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Trustee’s or officer’s office.

 

Section 4.4. No Bond Required of Trustees. No Trustee shall be obligated to give any bond or other security for the performance of any of his duties hereunder.

 

Section 4.5. No Duty of Investigation; Notice in Trust Instruments, Etc. No purchaser, lender, transfer agent or other Person dealing with the Trustees or any officer, or employee of the Trust shall be bound to make any inquiry concerning the validity of any transaction purporting to be made by the Trustees or by said officer or employee or to see to the application of any payments made or property transferred to the Trust or upon its order. Every obligation, contract, instrument, certificate, Share, other security of the Trust or undertaking, and every other act or thing whatsoever executed in connection with the Trust shall be conclusively presumed to have been executed or done by the executors thereof only in their capacity as Trustees under this Declaration or in their capacity as officers or employees of the Trust. All persons extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against the Trust or a particular Series shall look only to the assets of the Trust or the assets of that particular Series for payment under such credit, contract or claim, and neither the Shareholders nor the Trustees, nor any of the Trust’s officers, employees or agents, whether past, present or future, shall be personally liable therefor. Every written obligation, contract, instrument, certificate, Share, other security of the Trust or undertaking made or issued by the Trustees or officers shall recite that the same is executed or

 

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made by them not individually, but as Trustees or officers under the Declaration, and that the obligations of the Trust under any such instrument are not binding upon any of the Trustees, officers or Shareholders individually, but bind only the Trust estate, and may contain any further recital which they or he may deem appropriate, but the omission of any such recital shall not operate to bind the Trustees, officers or Shareholders individually.

 

Section 4.6. Reliance on Experts, Etc. Each Trustee and officer or employee of the Trust shall, in the performance of his duties, be fully and completely justified and protected from liability with regard to any act or any failure to act resulting from reliance in good faith upon the books of account or other records of the Trust, upon an opinion of counsel, or upon reports made to the Trust by any of its officers or employees or by any investment adviser, distributor, transfer agent, custodian, administrator, selected dealers, accountants, appraisers or other experts or consultants selected with reasonable care by the Trustees, officers or employees of the Trust, regardless of whether such counsel or expert may also be a Trustee. The appointment, designation or identification of a Trustee as the chairperson of the Trustees, as a member or chairperson of a committee of the Trustees, an expert on any topic or in any area (including an audit committee financial expert), or the lead independent Trustee, or any other special appointment, designation or identification of a Trustee, shall not impose on that person any standard of care or liability that is greater than that imposed on that person as a Trustee in the absence of the appointment, designation or identification, and no Trustee who has special skills or expertise, or is appointed, designated or identified as aforesaid, shall be held to a higher standard of care by virtue thereof. In addition, no appointment, designation or identification of a Trustee as aforesaid shall effect in any way that Trustee’s rights or entitlement to indemnification.

 

Section 4.7. Derivative Actions. No Shareholder shall have the right to bring or maintain any court action, proceeding or claim on behalf of the Trust without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring or maintain such action, proceeding or claim. Such demand shall be mailed to the Secretary or Clerk of the Trust at the Trust’s principal office and shall set forth in reasonable detail the nature of the proposed court action, proceeding or claim and the essential facts relied upon by the Shareholder to support the allegations made in the demand. In their sole discretion, the Trustees may submit the matter to a vote of Shareholders of the Trust, as appropriate.

 

ARTICLE V

 

SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST

 

Section 5.1. Beneficial Interest. The interest of the beneficiaries hereunder shall be divided into transferable Shares of beneficial interest, all of one class, except as provided in Section 5.10 and Section 5.11 hereof, with or without par value. The number of Shares of beneficial interest authorized hereunder is unlimited. All Shares issued hereunder including, without limitation, Shares issued in connection with a dividend in Shares or a split of Shares, shall be fully paid and non-assessable.

 

 

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Section 5.2. Rights of Shareholders. The ownership of the Trust Property and the property of each Series of the Trust of every description and the right to conduct any business hereinbefore described are vested exclusively in the Trustees, and the Shareholders shall have no interest therein other than the beneficial interest conferred by their Shares, and they shall have no right to call for any partition or division of any property, profits, rights or interests of the Trust. Neither the Trust nor the Trustees, nor any officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall have any power to bind personally any Shareholder, nor to call upon any Shareholder for the payment of any sum of money or assessment whatsoever other than such as the Shareholder may at any time personally agree to pay, provided however that any sales loads or charges, creation or redemption fees, account fees or any other fees or charges permitted to be charged to Shareholders under applicable law shall not be deemed to be an assessment for the purposes of this Declaration. The Shares shall be personal property giving only the rights specifically set forth in this Declaration. The Shares shall not entitle the holder to preference, preemptive, appraisal, conversion or exchange rights, except as the Trustees may determine with respect to any Class of Shares in accordance with Section 5.11 hereof. Every Shareholder, by virtue of having become a shareholder, shall be held to have expressly assented and agreed to the terms of this Declaration and to have become a party hereto.

 

Section 5.3. Trust Only. It is the intention of the Trustees to create only the relationship of Trustee and beneficiary between the Trustees and each Shareholder from time to time. It is not the intention of the Trustees to create a general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, joint stock association, corporation, bailment or any form of legal relationship other than a trust. Nothing in this Declaration of Trust shall be construed to make the Shareholders, either by themselves or with the Trustees, partners or members of a joint stock association.

 

Section 5.4. Issuance of Shares. The Trustees in their discretion may, from time to time, issue Shares, in addition to the Outstanding Shares, to such party or parties and for such amount and type of consideration, including cash or property, at such time or times and on such terms as the Trustees may deem appropriate, and may in such manner acquire other assets (including the acquisition of assets subject to, and in connection with the assumption of, liabilities) and businesses. In connection with any issuance of Shares, the Trustees may issue fractional Shares. The Trustees shall have full power and authority, in their sole discretion, to divide or combine the Shares into a greater or lesser number without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interests in the Trust, or to take such other action with respect to the Shares as the Trustees may deem desirable.

 

Section 5.5. Ownership of Shares; Small Accounts. (a) The ownership and transfer of Shares shall be recorded on the books of the Trust or its transfer or similar agent. No certificates certifying the ownership of Shares shall be issued except as the Trustees may otherwise determine from time to time. The Trustees may make such rules as they consider appropriate for the issuance of Share certificates, transfer of Shares and similar matters. The record books of the Trust, as kept by the Trust or any transfer or similar agent of the Trust, shall be conclusive as to who are the holders of Shares and as to the number of Shares held from time to time by each Shareholder.

 

 

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(b) In the event any certificates representing Shares are at any time outstanding, the Trustees may at any time or from time to time discontinue the issuance of such certificates, and in connection therewith, upon written notice to any Shareholder holding certificates representing Outstanding Shares, cancel such certificates, provided that such cancellation shall not affect the ownership by such Shareholder of such Shares, and following such cancellation, ownership and transfer of such Shares shall be recorded on the books of the Trust or its transfer or similar agent.

 

(c) The Trustees may establish, from time to time, one or more minimum investment amounts for Shareholder accounts, which may differ within and among any Series or Classes, and may impose account fees on (which may be satisfied by involuntarily redeeming the requisite number of Shares in any such account in the amount of such fee), and/or require the involuntary redemption of, those accounts the net asset value of which for any reason falls below such established minimum investment amounts, or may take any other such action with respect to minimum investment amounts as may be deemed appropriate by the Trustees, in each case upon such terms as shall be established by the Trustees.

 

Section 5.6. Disclosure of Holdings. The holders of Shares or others securities of the Trust shall upon demand disclose to the Trust in writing such information with respect to direct and indirect ownership of Shares or other securities of the Trust as the Trustees or officers deem necessary to comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, to comply with the requirements of any other law or regulation, or as the Trustees may otherwise decide, and ownership of Shares may be disclosed by the Trust if so required by law or regulation or as the Trustees may otherwise decide.

 

Section 5.7. Notices; Reports. The Trustees may from time to time set forth in the By-Laws procedures for providing notices and other reports to Shareholders.

 

Section 5.8. Voting Powers. The Shareholders shall have power to vote only: (a) for the election or removal of Trustees to the extent and as provided in Article II; (b) with respect to the termination of the Trust or a Series thereof to the extent and as provided in Section 8.2; (c) with respect to an amendment of this Declaration to the extent and as provided in Section 8.3; (d) with respect to such additional matters relating to the Trust as may be required by law; and (e) with respect to such additional matters as the Trustees may determine to be necessary or desirable.

 

Each whole Share shall entitle the holder thereof to one vote as to any matter on which it is entitled to vote, and each fractional Share shall be entitled to a proportionate fractional vote. There shall be no cumulative voting in the election of Trustees. Until Shares are issued, the Trustees may exercise all rights of Shareholders and may take any action required by law, this Declaration or the By-Laws to be taken by Shareholders.

 

On any matter submitted to a vote of Shareholders, all Shares of the Trust then entitled to vote shall, except as otherwise provided in the By-Laws, be voted in the aggregate as a single class without regard to Series or Classes of Shares, except (1) when required by applicable law or when the Trustees shall have determined that the matter affects one or more Series or Classes of Shares materially differently, Shares shall be voted by individual Series or Class; and

 

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(2) when the Trustees have determined that the matter affects only the interests of one or more Series or Classes, only Shareholders of such Series or Classes shall be entitled to vote thereon.

 

Section 5.9. Meetings of Shareholders; Action by Written Consent. Meetings of the Shareholders of the Trust or any one or more Series or Classes thereof may be called and held from time to time for the purpose of taking action upon any matter requiring the vote or authority of the Shareholders as herein provided or upon any other matter deemed by the Trustees to be necessary or desirable. Meetings of the Shareholders shall be held at such place within the United States as shall be fixed by the Trustees. The Trustees may set in the By-Laws provisions relating to the calling of meetings, quorum requirements, conduct of meetings, notice of meetings, adjournment of meetings and related matters.

 

(a) The Shareholders shall take action by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority, except in the case of the election of Trustees which shall only require a plurality, of the Shares present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote and voting or voted at a meeting of Shareholders at which a quorum is present, except as may be otherwise required by the 1940 Act or any provision of this Declaration or the By-Laws.

 

(b) Any action required or permitted to be taken at a meeting of the Shareholders may be taken, at the sole discretion of the Trustees, without a meeting by written action signed by that number Shareholders holding not less than the minimum number of votes that would have been necessary to take the action at a meeting, assuming that all of the Shareholders entitled to vote on that action were present and voting at that meeting. The written action is effective when it has been signed by the requisite number of Shareholders and delivered to the Secretary or Clerk of the Trust, unless a different effective time is provided in the written action.

 

Section 5.10. Series. The Trustees, in their discretion, may authorize the division of Shares into two or more Series, and the different Series shall be established and designated. All references to Shares in this Declaration shall be deemed to include references to Shares of any or all Series as the context may require.

 

(a) All provisions herein relating to the Trust shall apply equally to each Series of the Trust except as the context requires otherwise.

 

(b) The number of authorized Shares and the number of Shares of each Series that may be issued shall be unlimited. The Trustees may classify or reclassify any issued or unissued Shares of any Series into one or more Series that may be established and designated from time to time or abolish any one or more Series in accordance with Section 8.2, and take such other action with respect to the Series as the Trustees may deem desirable.

 

(c) All consideration received by the Trust for the issue or sale of Shares of a particular Series, together with all assets in which such consideration is invested or reinvested, all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, including any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds in whatever form the same may be, shall be allocated and credited to that Series for all purposes, subject only to the rights of creditors of such Series and except as may otherwise be

 

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required by applicable laws, and shall be so recorded upon the books of account of the Trust. Each Series shall be preferred over all other Series in respect of the assets allocated to that Series within the meaning of the 1940 Act and shall represent a separate investment portfolio of the Trust. In the event that there are any assets, income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, funds, or payments which are not readily identifiable as belonging to any particular Series, the Trustees shall allocate them among any one or more of the Series established and designated from time to time in such manner and on such basis as they, in their sole discretion, deem fair and equitable.

 

(d) The assets belonging to each particular Series shall be charged with the liabilities of the Trust in respect of that Series and all expenses, costs, charges and reserves attributable to that Series, and any general liabilities, expenses, costs, charges or reserves of the Trust which are not readily identifiable as belonging to any particular Series shall be allocated and charged by the Trustees to and among any one or more of the Series established and designated from time to time in such manner and on such basis as the Trustees in their sole discretion deem fair and equitable. The assets of a particular Series of the Trust shall, under no circumstances, be charged with liabilities attributable to any other Series of the Trust. All persons extending credit to, or contracting with or having any claim against, a particular Series of the Trust shall look only to the assets of that particular Series for payment of such credit, contract or claim. No Shareholder or former Shareholder of any Series shall have any claim on or right to any assets allocated or belonging to any other Series.

 

(e) Each Share of a Series of the Trust shall represent a beneficial interest in the net assets of such Series. Each holder of Shares of a Series shall be entitled to receive his pro rata share of distributions of income and capital gains made with respect to such Series as provided in Section 7.2. Upon redemption of his Shares or indemnification for liabilities incurred by reason of his being or having been a Shareholder of a Series, such Shareholder shall be paid solely out of the funds and property of such Series of the Trust. Upon liquidation or termination of a Series of the Trust, Shareholders of such Series shall be entitled to receive a pro rata share of the net assets of such Series as provided in Section 8.2. A Shareholder of a particular Series of the Trust shall not be entitled to participate in a derivative or class action on behalf of any other Series or the Shareholders of any other Series of the Trust.

 

Section 5.11. Classes. The Trustees, in their discretion, may authorize the division of the Shares of the Trust, or, if any Series be established, the Shares of any Series, into two or more Classes, and the different Classes shall be established and designated, and the variations in the relative rights and preferences as between the different Classes shall be fixed and determined, by the Trustees; provided, that all Shares of a Class shall be identical with each other and with the Shares of each other Class of the same Series except for such variations between Classes as may be authorized by the Trustees and not prohibited by the 1940 Act. The number of authorized Shares of each Class and the number of Shares of each Class that may be issued shall be unlimited. The Trustees may in their discretion divide or combine the Shares of any Class into a greater or lesser number; classify or reclassify any issued or unissued Shares of any Class into one or more Classes; combine two or more Classes of a Series into a single Class of such Series; abolish any one or more Classes; and take such other action with respect to the Shares as the Trustees may deem desirable. To the extent necessary or appropriate to give effect to the

 

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preferences and special or relative rights and privileges of any Classes, the Trustees may, in their sole discretion, allocate assets, liabilities, income and expenses of a Series to a particular Class of that Series or apportion the same among two or more Classes of that Series. All references to Shares in this Declaration shall be deemed to include references to Shares of any or all Classes as the context may require.

 

Section 5.12. Establishment and Designation of Series and Classes. The establishment and designation of any Series or Class of Shares shall be made either by the vote of a majority of the Trustees or upon the execution by a majority of the Trustees of an instrument, in each case setting forth such establishment and designation, the effective date of such establishment and designation and in the case of a Class the relative rights and preferences of such Class, which may make reference to one or more documents or instruments outside this Declaration and outside the resolutions, as the same may be in effect from time to time. Any such instrument executed by a majority of the Trustees, or, with respect to an establishment and designation made by vote of the Trustees, an instrument setting forth such resolutions and certified by either the Secretary/Clerk or an Assistant Secretary/Clerk of the Trust (in each case, a “Designation”), shall further be filed in accordance with the provisions of Section 9.1 hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Series or Class of the Trust established and designated prior to the date hereof in accordance with the terms of the Original Declaration (a “Prior Designation”), and set forth on the Restated Designation attached as Appendix A hereto, shall be deemed for all intents and purposes to have been established and designated in accordance with this Section 5.12. The Restated Designation attached hereto as Appendix A shall supersede any terms set forth in a Prior Designation. Additions or modifications to a Designation, other than termination of an existing Series or Class, shall be deemed to be an amendment to this Declaration subject to Section 8.3 hereof.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

REDEMPTION AND REPURCHASE OF SHARES

 

Section 6.1. Redemption of Shares. All Shares of the Trust shall be redeemable, at the redemption price determined in the manner set out in this Declaration. The Trust shall redeem the Shares of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof at the price determined as hereinafter set forth, at such office or agency as may be designated from time to time for that purpose by the Trustees and in accordance with such conditions as the Trustees may from time to time determine, not inconsistent with the 1940 Act, regarding the redemption of Shares.

 

Section 6.2. Price. Any Shares redeemed shall be redeemed at their net asset value, less such fees and/or charges, if any, as may be established by the Trustees from time to time.

 

Section 6.3. Payment. Payment for such Shares shall be made in cash or in property, or any combination thereof, out of the assets of the Trust or relevant Series of the Trust. The composition of any such payment (e.g., cash, securities or other assets) shall be determined by the Trust in its sole discretion, and may be different among Shareholders (including differences among Shareholders in the same Series or Class). In no event shall the Trust be liable for any

 

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delay of any other person in transferring securities or other property selected for delivery as all or part of any such payment.

 

Section 6.4. Redemption of Shareholder’s Interest. Subject to the provisions of the 1940 Act, the Trustees, in their sole discretion, may cause the Trust to redeem all of the Shares of the Trust or one or more Series or Classes held by any Shareholder for any reason under terms set by the Trustees, including, but not limited to:

 

(i) the value of such Shares held by such Shareholder being less than the minimum amount established from time to time by the Trustees,

 

(ii) the determination by the Trustees that direct or indirect ownership of Shares by any Person has become concentrated in such Shareholder to any extent that would disqualify that Series as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended,

 

(iii) the failure of a Shareholder to supply a tax identification or other identification or if the Trust is unable to verify a Shareholder’s identity,

 

(iv) the failure of a Shareholder to pay when due the purchase price for the Shares issued to such Shareholder,

 

(v) when required for the payment of account fees or other charges, expenses and/or fees as set by the Trustees, including without limitation any small account fees permitted by Section 5.5(c) hereof,

 

(vi) failure of a Shareholder to meet or maintain the qualifications for ownership of a particular Series or Class of Shares,

 

(vii) the determination by the Trustees or pursuant to policies adopted by the Trustees that ownership of Shares by a particular Shareholder is not in the best interests of the remaining Shareholders of the Trust or applicable Series or Class,

 

(viii) failure of a holder of Shares or other securities of the Trust to comply with a demand pursuant to Section 5.6 hereof, or

 

(ix) when the Trust is requested or compelled to do so by governmental authority or applicable law.

 

Section 6.5. Reductions in Number of Outstanding Shares Pursuant to Net Asset Value Formula. The Trust may also redeem a portion of the Shares held by each Shareholder to reduce the number of Outstanding Shares pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.3.

 

Section 6.6. Suspension of Right of Redemption. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust may postpone payment of the redemption price and may suspend the right of Shareholders to require the Trust to redeem Shares to the extent permissible under the 1940 Act.

 

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ARTICLE VII

 

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE, NET INCOME AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

Section 7.1. Determination of Net Asset Value. The Trustees may in their sole discretion from time to time prescribe the time or times for determining the per Share net asset value of the Shares of the Trust or any Series thereof, and may prescribe or approve the procedures and methods for determining the value of the assets of the Trust or Series thereof, and the procedures and methods for determining the net asset value of a Share of the Trust, or a Series or a Class thereof. The Trust may suspend the determination of net asset value during any period when it may suspend the right of the Shareholders to require the Trust to redeem Shares.

 

Section 7.2. Distributions to Shareholders. The Trustees may in their sole discretion from time to time declare and pay, or may prescribe and set forth in a duly adopted vote or votes of the Trustees, the bases and time for the declaration and payment by duly authorized officers of the Trust of, such dividends and distributions to Shareholders of any Series or Class thereof, in cash or in property, including any Shares or other securities of the Trust as they may deem necessary or desirable, after providing for actual and accrued expenses and liabilities (including such reserves as the Trustees may establish) determined in accordance with good accounting practices. If such dividends or other distributions or any portion thereof are to be paid in cash, such cash may be reinvested in full and fractional Shares of the Trust as the Trustees shall direct or as the Trustees may permit a Shareholder to direct. Any such distribution to the Shareholders of a particular Series shall be made to said Shareholders pro rata in proportion to the number of Shares of such Series held by each of them, except to the extent otherwise required or permitted by the preferences and special or relative rights and privileges of any Classes of Shares of that Series, and any distribution to the Shareholders of a particular Class of Shares shall be made to such Shareholders pro rata in proportion to the number of Shares of such Class held by each of them; provided, however, that the composition of any such distribution (e.g., cash, securities or other assets) shall be determined by the Trust in its sole discretion, and may be different among Shareholders (including differences among Shareholders in the same Series or Class). Any such distribution paid in Shares will be paid at the net asset value thereof as determined in accordance with Section 7.1 hereof.

 

Section 7.3. Constant Net Asset Value. With respect to any Series that holds itself out as a money market or stable value fund, the Trustees shall have the power to reduce the number of Outstanding Shares of the Series by reducing the number of Shares in the account of each Shareholder on a pro rata basis, or to take such other measures as are not prohibited by the 1940 Act, so as to maintain the net asset value per share of such Series at a constant dollar amount.

 

Section 7.4. Reserves. The Trustees may in their sole discretion set apart, from time to time, out of any funds of the Trust or Series or Class thereof a reserve or reserves for any proper purpose, and may abolish any such reserve.

 

Section 7.5. Determination by Trustees. The Trustees may make any determinations they deem necessary with respect to this Article VII, including, but not limited to, the following

 

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matters: the amount of the assets, obligations, liabilities and expenses of the Trust; the amount of the net income of the Trust from dividends, capital gains, interest or other sources for any period and the amount of assets at any time legally available for the payment of dividends or distributions; which items are capital; the amount, purpose, time of creation, increase or decrease, alteration or cancellation of any reserves or charges and the propriety thereof (whether or not any obligation or liability for which such reserves or charges were created shall have been paid or discharged); the market value, or any other price to be applied in determining the market value, or the fair value, of any security or other asset owned or held by the Trust; the number of Shares of the Trust issued or issuable; the net asset value per Share; and any of the foregoing matters as it may pertain to any Series or Class.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

DURATION; TERMINATION OF TRUST; AMENDMENT; MERGERS, ETC.

 

Section 8.1. Duration. The Trust shall continue without limitation of time but subject to the provisions of this Article VIII.

 

Section 8.2. Termination of Trust. (a) The Trust or any Series of the Trust may be terminated at any time by the Trustees by notice to the Shareholders of the Trust or such Series as the case may be, or by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Shares outstanding and entitled to vote of the Trust or such Series. Upon the termination of the Trust or any Series,

 

(i) the Trust or any Series shall carry on no business except for the purpose of winding up its affairs;

 

(ii) the Trustees shall proceed to wind up the affairs of the Trust or Series and all of the rights and powers of the Trustees under this Declaration shall continue until the affairs of the Trust or Series shall have been wound up, including the power to fulfill or discharge the contracts of the Trust or Series, collect its assets, sell, convey, assign, exchange, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the remaining Trust Property or property of the Series to one or more persons at public or private sale for consideration which may consist in whole or in part of cash, securities or other property of any kind, discharge or pay its liabilities, and do all other acts appropriate to liquidate its business;

 

(iii) after paying or adequately providing for the payment of all liabilities which may include the establishment of a liquidating trust or similar vehicle, and upon receipt of such releases, indemnities and refunding agreements as they deem necessary for their protection, the Trustees may distribute the remaining Trust Property or property of the Series, in cash or in kind or partly each, to the Shareholders of the Trust or the Series involved, ratably according to the number of Shares of the Trust or such Series held by the several Shareholders of the Trust or such Series on the date of termination, except to the extent otherwise required or permitted by the preferences and special or relative rights and privileges of any Classes of Shares of a Series involved, provided that any distribution to the Shareholders of a particular Class of Shares shall be made to such Shareholders pro rata

 



 

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in proportion to the number of Shares of such Class held by each of them. The composition of any such distribution (e.g., cash, securities or other assets) shall be determined by the Trust in its sole discretion, and may be different among Shareholders (including differences among Shareholders in the same Series or Class).

 

(b) After termination of the Trust or any Series and distribution to the Shareholders as herein provided, a majority of the Trustees shall execute and lodge among the records of the Trust (or Series) an instrument in writing setting forth the fact of such termination, and the Trustees shall thereupon be discharged from all further liabilities and duties hereunder, and the rights and interests of all Shareholders of the Trust or Series shall thereupon cease.

 

The foregoing provisions shall also apply mutatis mutandis to the termination of any Class.

 

Section 8.3. Amendment Procedure. (a) Except as specifically provided herein, the Trustees may amend or otherwise supplement the Declaration by making an amendment, a Declaration supplemental hereto or an amended and restated Declaration by an instrument in writing executed by a majority of the Trustees. Shareholders shall have the right to vote only on (i) any amendment that would affect their right to vote granted in Section 5.8 hereof; (ii) any amendment as may be required by law to be approved by Shareholders; and (iii) any amendment submitted to them by the Trustees. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trustees may, without any Shareholder vote, amend this Declaration (x) to supply any omission, to cure, correct or supplement any ambiguous, defective or inconsistent provision hereof, or (y) if they deem it necessary or advisable, to conform the Declaration to the requirements of applicable law, including the 1940 Act or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, but the Trustees shall not be liable for failing to do so, or, (z) with respect to an amendment affecting a Series or Class, for any reason at any time, if there are no Shares of such Series or Class outstanding at that time. Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Declaration, any amendment on which Shareholders have the right to vote shall require an affirmative vote of the holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the Shares outstanding and entitled to vote of the Trust unless in any case such action is recommended by the Trustees, in which case the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust shall be required, except that an amendment which in the determination of the Trustees shall affect the holders of one or more Series or Classes of Shares but not the holders of all outstanding Series or Classes shall be authorized by vote of such Series or Classes affected and no vote of Shareholders of a Series or Class not affected shall be required.

 

(b) Nothing contained in the Declaration shall permit the amendment of the Declaration (i) to impair the exemption from personal liability of the Shareholders, former Shareholders, Trustees, former Trustees, officers, employees or agents, (ii) to permit assessments upon Shareholders of the Trust, or (iii) to limit the rights to indemnification provided in Article IV with respect to actions or omissions of persons entitled to indemnification under such Article prior to such amendment.

 

Section 8.4. Merger, Consolidation and Sale of Assets. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, the Trustees may authorize the Trust or any Series or Class thereof to merge, reorganize or consolidate with any corporation, association, trust or series thereof (including

 

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another Series or Class of the Trust) or other entity (in each case, the “Surviving Entity”) or the Trustees may sell, lease or exchange all or substantially all of the Trust Property (or all or substantially all of the Trust Property allocated or belonging to a particular Series or Class) including its good will to any Surviving Entity, upon such terms and conditions and for such consideration as authorized by the Trustees. Such transactions may be effected through share-for-share exchanges, transfers or sales of assets, in-kind redemptions and purchases, exchange offers, or any other method approved by the Trustees. The Trustees shall provide notice to affected Shareholders of each transaction pursuant to this Section 8.4. The authority of the Trustees under this Section 8.4 with respect to the merger, reorganization or consolidation of any Class of the Trust is in addition to the authority of the Trustees under Section 5.11 hereof to combine two or more Classes of a Series into a single Class.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 9.1. Filing. This Declaration, any amendment thereto, and any Designation executed in accordance with Section 5.12 hereof shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and in such other places as may be required under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and may also be filed or recorded in such other places as the Trustees deem appropriate, provided, however, that the failure to so file will not invalidate this instrument or any properly authorized amendment hereto or Designation. Unless the amendment or Designation is embodied in an instrument signed by a majority of the Trustees, each amendment or Designation filed shall be accompanied by a certificate signed and acknowledged by a Trustee or authorized officer stating that such action was duly taken in a manner provided herein. A restated Declaration, integrating into a single instrument all of the provisions of the Declaration which are then in effect and operative, may be executed from time to time by a majority of the Trustees and shall, upon filing with the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, be conclusive evidence of all amendments contained therein and may hereafter be referred to in lieu of the original Declaration and the various amendments thereto. The restated Declaration may include any amendment which the Trustees are empowered to adopt, whether or not such amendment has been adopted prior to the execution of the restated Declaration. The foregoing provisions for restating the Declaration and including an amendment in the restated Declaration shall also apply, mutatis mutandis, to the restatement of Designations.

 

Section 9.2. Governing Law. The principal place of business of the Trust in Massachusetts is Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. The Trustees may, without the approval of Shareholders, change the principal place of business of the Trust. The Trust set forth in this instrument shall be deemed made in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and it is created under and is to be governed by and construed and administered according to the laws of said Commonwealth as a voluntary association with transferable shares (commonly known as a business trust) of the type referred to in Chapter 182 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (or any successor law), and the rights of all parties and the validity and construction of every provision hereof shall be subject to and construed according to the internal laws of said Commonwealth without regard to the choice of law rules thereof.

 

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Section 9.3. Counterparts and Headings. This Declaration may be simultaneously executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and such counterparts, together, shall constitute one and the same instrument, which shall be sufficiently evidenced by any such original counterpart. Headings are placed herein for convenience of reference only and shall not be taken as a part thereof or control or affect the meaning, construction or effect of this instrument.

 

Section 9.4. Reliance by Third Parties. Anyone dealing with the Trust may rely on a certificate executed by an individual who, according to the records of the Trust, appears to be a Trustee or officer of the Trust, certifying to: (a) the number or identity of Trustees or Shareholders, (b) the due authorization of the execution of any instrument or writing, (c) the form of any vote passed at a meeting of Trustees or Shareholders, (d) the fact that the number of Trustees or Shareholders present at any meeting or executing any written instrument satisfies the requirements of this Declaration, (e) the form of any By-Laws adopted, or the identity of any officers elected, by the Trustees, or (f) the existence of any fact or facts which in any manner relate to the affairs of the Trust.

 

Section 9.5. Provisions in Conflict with Law. All provisions of this Declaration shall be construed, to the extent reasonably possible, in a manner consistent with applicable law. If, notwithstanding the foregoing, any provision of this Declaration shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall attach only to such provision in such jurisdiction and shall not in any manner affect such provisions in any other jurisdiction or any other provision of this Declaration in any jurisdiction.

 

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this instrument as of the date first written above.

 

 

                                                   

_________________________

Henry P. Becton, Jr., as Trustee

Rebecca W. Rimel, as Trustee

 

 

                                                   

_________________________

Dawn-Marie Driscoll, as Trustee

Philip Saunders, Jr., as Trustee

 

 

                                                   

_________________________

Keith R. Fox, as Trustee

William N. Searcy, as Trustee

 

 

                                                   

_________________________

 

Kenneth C. Froewiss, as Trustee

Jean Gleason Stromberg, as Trustee

 

                                                   

_________________________

Martin J. Gruber, as Trustee

Carl W. Vogt, as Trustee

 

 

                                                   

__________________________

Richard J. Herring, as Trustee

Axel Schwarzer, as

Trustee

 

 

                                                   

Graham E. Jones, Trustee                       

 

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Exhibit (a)

 

 

APPENDIX A

 

DWS ADVISOR FUNDS

 

RESTATED DESIGNATION OF SERIES AND CLASSES OF

SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST

 

WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Trust, acting pursuant to the Trust’s declaration of trust as then in effect, have previously established and designated one or more series of shares of beneficial interest in the Trust (each, a “Series”) pursuant to one or more designations of series (the “Prior Series Designations”) and have previously established and designated one or more classes of Shares (each, a “Class”) for some or all of the Series pursuant to one or more designations of classes (the “Prior Class Designations,” such Prior Series Designations and Prior Class Designations referred to herein collectively as the “Prior Designations”);

 

WHEREAS, in connection with the adoption of an Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust dated as of June 27, 2006 (the “Declaration”), as set forth in Section 5.12 of the Declaration, the previously established and designated Series and Classes are to be included on a restated designation.

 

NOW THEREFORE, the Trustees of the Trust, effective June 27, 2006 hereby restate the Trust’s Prior Designations, the terms of this restated designation to supersede any terms set forth in the Prior Designations.

 

1. The following series of Shares and Classes thereof are established and designated, the Shares of such Series and Classes to be subject to the terms of, and entitled to all the rights and preferences accorded to Shares of a Series, and, if applicable, a Class under, the Declaration and this restated designation:

 

Cash Management Fund Investment

 

Investment Class

Tax Free Money Fund Investment

 

Investment Class

NY Tax Free Money Fund Investment

 

Investment Class

Treasury Money Fund Investment

 

Investment Class

DWS International Equity Fund

 

Class A

 

 

Class B

 

 

Class C

 

 

Investment Class

 

 

Institutional Class

DWS Mid Cap Growth Fund

 

Class A

 

 

Class B

 

 

Class C

 

 

Class R

 

 

Class S

 

 

Investment Class

 

 

Institutional Class

 

 

Class AARP

 

 

 



 

 

 

DWS Small Cap Growth Fund

 

Class A

 

 

Class B

 

 

Class C

 

 

Class R

 

 

Class S

 

 

Investment Class

 

 

Institutional Class

 

 

Class AARP

DWS Short Duration Plus Fund

 

Class A

 

 

Class C

 

 

Investment Class

Money Market Fund Investment

 

Investment Class

DWS Lifecycle Long Range Fund

 

Investment Class

 

 

Institutional Class

DWS International Select Equity Fund

 

Class A

 

 

Class B

 

 

Class C

 

 

Class R

 

 

Class S

 

 

Premier Class

 

 

Investment Class

 

 

Institutional Class

DWS Core Fixed Income Fund

 

Class A

 

 

Class B

 

 

Class C

 

 

Class R

 

 

Class S

 

 

Investment Class

 

 

Institutional Class

DWS Short Duration Fund

 

Class A

 

 

Class B

 

 

Class C

 

 

Class S

 

 

Institutional Class

DWS Short-Term Municipal Bond Fund

 

Class A

 

 

Class B

 

 

Class C

 

 

Class S

 

 

Investment Class

 

 

Institutional Class

DWS High Income Plus Fund

 

Class A

 

 

Class B

 

 

Class C

 

 

- 2 -

 



 

 

 

 

 

Class S

 

 

Investment Class

 

 

Institutional Class

 

 

Class AARP

 

 

Premier Class

DWS Micro Cap Fund

 

Class A

 

 

Class B

 

 

Class C

 

 

Class S

 

 

Investment Class

 

 

Institutional Class

DWS RREEF Real Estate Securities Fund

 

Class A

 

 

Class B

 

 

Class C

 

 

Class R

 

 

Class S

 

 

Institutional Class

DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund

 

Class A

 

 

Class B

 

 

Class C

 

 

Institutional Class

 

2. For Shares of a Class of a Series, the relative rights and preferences of such Class shall be as determined by the Trustees of the Trust from time to time in accordance with the Declaration and set forth in the Trust’s Multi-Distribution System Plan adopted pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as such Plan may be amended from time to time, or as otherwise required by applicable law. The Shares of a Class of a Series shall have such other terms, features and qualifications as may be determined by the Trustees of the Trust from time to time in accordance with the Declaration and set forth in the current prospectus and statement of additional information of the Series relating to such Class, contained in the Trust’s registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as such prospectus or statement of additional information may be further supplemented from time to time.

 

3. The designation of the Series and Classes hereby shall not impair the power of the Trustees from time to time to designate additional Series and Classes of Shares of the Trust.

 

 

- 3 -

 



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being a majority of the Trustees of the Trust, have executed this instrument as of this 27th day of June, 2006.

 

 

/s/Henry P. Becton, Jr.

/s/Rebecca W. Rimel

 

Henry P. Becton, Jr., as Trustee

Rebecca W. Rimel, as Trustee

 

/s/Dawn-Marie Driscoll

/s/Philip Saunders, Jr.

 

Dawn-Marie Driscoll, as Trustee

Philip Saunders, Jr., as Trustee

 

/s/Keith R. Fox

/s/William N. Searcy

 

Keith R. Fox, as Trustee

William N. Searcy, as Trustee

 

/s/Kenneth C. Froewiss

/s/Jean Gleason Stromberg

 

Kenneth C. Froewiss, as Trustee

Jean Gleason Stromberg, as Trustee

/s/Martin J. Gruber

/s/Carl W. Vogt

 

Martin J. Gruber, as Trustee

Carl W. Vogt, as Trustee

 

/s/Richard J. Herring

/s/Axel Schwarzer

 

Richard J. Herring, as Trustee

Axel Schwarzer, as Trustee

 

/s/Graham E. Jones

Graham E. Jones, Trustee

 

 

 

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EX-99.I.5 3 exi5-af.txt Exhibit (i)(5) [Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP heading] June 30, 2006 DWS Advisor Funds Two International Place Boston, Massachusetts 02110 Ladies and Gentlemen: You have requested us, as counsel to DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund (the "Fund"), a series of DWS Advisor Funds (the "Trust"), a business trust organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to furnish you with this opinion in connection with the Trust's filing of Post-Effective Amendment No. 141 (the "Amendment") to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A (Securities Act File No. 033-07404 and Investment Company Act File No. 811-04760) (the "Registration Statement"). We have examined copies of the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (the "Declaration of Trust") and By-Laws of the Trust, as amended, the Fund's prospectuses and statement of additional information (the "Statement of Additional Information") included in the Registration Statement, and certain resolutions adopted by the Trust's Board of Trustees (the "Board") establishing the Fund as a series of the Trust and establishing the Fund's A, C, S and Institutional Class shares (together, the "Shares") as of June 28, 2006 and authorizing the issuance of an unlimited number of such Shares (collectively, the "Resolutions Designating Series and Classes"), certificates of officers of the Trust and other records, documents and papers that we have deemed necessary for the purpose of this opinion. We have also examined such other statutes and authorities as we have deemed necessary to form a basis for the opinion hereinafter expressed. In our examination of material, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to original documents of all copies submitted to us. As to various questions of fact material to our opinion, we have relied upon statements and certificates of officers and representatives of the Trust, the Fund and others. DWS Advisor Funds June 30, 2006 Page 2 Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when and if duly sold, issued and paid for in accordance with the laws of applicable jurisdictions and the terms of the Declaration of Trust, the Resolutions Designating Series and Classes, the By-Laws and the Amendment, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable (except that shareholders of the Trust may under certain circumstances be held personally liable for its obligations) assuming (i) that at the time of sale such Shares are sold at a sales price in each case in excess of the par value of the Shares; (ii) that the issuance of the Shares does not cause the number of outstanding Shares to exceed that number of authorized shares provided for in the Declaration of Trust of the Trust, as amended to the date of issuance; and (iii) that the resolutions of the Board authorizing the issuance of the Shares that are in effect on the date hereof have not been modified or withdrawn and are in full force and effect on the date of issuance. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, to the reference to us in the Statement of Additional Information and to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to any application made by or on behalf of the Trust, the Fund or any distributor or dealer in connection with the registration or qualification of the Trust, the Fund or the Shares under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction. We are members of the Bar of the State of New York only and do not opine as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the laws of the State of New York and the federal laws of the United States, and the opinions set forth above are, accordingly, limited to the laws of those jurisdictions. As to matters governed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we have relied upon the opinion of Bingham McCutchen LLP (which is attached hereto). Very truly yours, /s/ Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP EX-99.I.6 4 exi6-af.txt Exhibit (i)(6) June 30, 2006 DWS Advisor Funds 345 Park Avenue New York, New York 10145 Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP 787 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10019 Ladies and Gentlemen: We have acted as special Massachusetts counsel to DWS Advisor Funds, a Massachusetts business trust (the "Trust") on behalf of its series DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund (the "Fund"). You have requested that we deliver this opinion to you in connection with the Trust's Post-Effective Amendment to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about June 30, 2006 (as so amended, the "Registration Statement") with respect to the Fund's Class A shares, Class C shares, Class S shares and Institutional Class shares of beneficial interest (collectively, the "Shares"). In connection with the furnishing of this opinion, we have examined the following documents: (a) a certificate of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as to the existence of the Trust; (b) a copy, as executed by the Trustees, of the Trust's Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust dated June 27, 2006 (the "Declaration"); (c) a copy of the Trust's Restated Establishment and Designation of Series and Classes of Shares of Beneficial Interest dated as of June 27, 2006, as attached as Appendix A to the Declaration (the "Designation"); (d) a certificate executed by an appropriate officer of the Trust, certifying as to, and attaching copies of, the Trust's Declaration, Designation, By-Laws, and certain resolutions adopted by the Trustees of the Trust at a meeting held on June 27-28, 2006, authorizing the issuance of an unlimited number of the Shares (the "Resolutions"); and DWS Advisor Funds Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP June 30, 2006 Page 2 of 3 (e) a printer's proof, received on June 29, 2006 of the Registration Statement. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the conformity to the originals of all of the documents reviewed by us as copies, the authenticity and completeness of all original documents reviewed by us in original or copy form and the legal competence of each individual executing any document. We note that the resolutions adopted at the meeting of Trustees of the Trust held on June 27-28, 2006, as attached to the certificate referenced in paragraph (c) above and reviewed by us in connection with rendering this opinion, are in draft form, and we have assumed for the purposes of this opinion that the Resolutions will be incorporated into minutes of such meeting and will be finalized and approved by the Trust's Trustees prior to the issuance of the Shares in substantially the form attached to such certificate. We have further assumed that the Registration Statement, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, will be in substantially the form of the draft referred to in paragraph (e) above, that the Declaration and Designation will be duly filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and such other places as may be required by applicable law or deemed appropriate by the Trustees, and that at the time of the issuance and sale of the Shares, the Declaration, By-Laws, Designation and Resolutions will not been amended, modified or withdrawn with respect to matters relating to the Shares and will be in full force and effect. This opinion is based entirely on our review of the documents listed above and such investigation of law as we have deemed necessary or appropriate. We have made no other review or investigation of any kind whatsoever, and we have assumed, without independent inquiry, the accuracy of the information set forth in such documents. This opinion is limited solely to the internal substantive laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as applied by courts located in Massachusetts (other than Massachusetts securities laws, as to which we express no opinion), to the extent that the same may apply to or govern the transactions referred to herein. No opinion is given herein as to the choice of law or internal substantive rules of law, which any tribunal may apply to such transaction. In addition, to the extent that the Trust's Declaration, Designation 2 or By-Laws refer to, incorporate or require compliance with the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or any other law or regulation applicable to the Trust, except for the internal substantive laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as aforesaid, we have assumed compliance by the Trust with such Act and such other laws and regulations. We understand that all of the foregoing assumptions and limitations are acceptable to you. Based upon and subject to the foregoing, please be advised that it is our opinion that: The Shares, when issued, sold and paid for in accordance with the Trust's Declaration, Designation and By-Laws, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, except that shareholders of the Trust may under certain circumstances be held personally liable for its obligations. This opinion is given as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update this opinion to reflect any changes in law or any other facts or circumstances which may hereafter come to our attention. We hereby consent to your reliance on this opinion in connection with your opinion to the Trust with respect to the Shares and to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. Very truly yours, /s/BINGHAM McCUTCHEN LLP BINGHAM McCUTCHEN LLP EX-99.J 5 exj-af.txt Exhibit(j) CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM -------------------------------------------------------- We hereby consent to the reference to us in this Registration Statement of DWS RREEF Global Real Estate Securities Fund on Form N-1A under the heading "Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm". /s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Boston, Massachusetts June 29, 2006 EX-99.P.4 6 exp4-af.txt Exhibit (p)(4) Deutsche Bank Deutsche Asset Management Global Code of Ethics For Deutsche Asset Management (Asia) Limited Deutsche Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Deutsche Bank [LOGO] Code of Ethics Deutsche Bank [LOGO] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original Issue Date: 18 Mar 2004 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Approver: DeAM Compliance - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Owner: DeAM Compliance - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact Person: gopi.bhagu-mirchandani@db.com - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Classification: Policy / Guideline - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Functional Applicability: DeAM Compliance - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Geographic Applicability: Singapore and Hong Kong - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Revision Date: 25 May 2005 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Next Review Date: 31 May 2006 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version: 1.0 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information contained herein is the property of Deutsche Bank Group and may not be copied, used or disclosed in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, reprographic, recording or otherwise) outside of Deutsche Bank Group without prior written permission. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 Code of Ethics Deutsche Bank [LOGO] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents Page Number I. Overview............................................................................................4 II. General Rule .......................................................................................4 III. Definitions.........................................................................................5 IV. Restrictions........................................................................................6 A. General ..........................................................................................6 B. Specific Blackout Period Restrictions.............................................................7 C. New Issues (IPOs).................................................................................8 D. Short -Term Trading...............................................................................8 E. Restricted List...................................................................................9 F. Private Placements ...............................................................................9 V. Compliance Procedures...............................................................................9 A. Pre-Clearance ....................................................................................9 B. Reporting Requirements............................................................................9 C. Confirmation of Compliance with Policies..........................................................10 VI. Other Procedures/Restrictions...........................................................................11 A. Service on Boards of Directors....................................................................11 B. Outside Business Affiliations.....................................................................11 C. Gifts.............................................................................................11 D. Rules for Dealing with Governmental Officials and Political Candidates ...........................12 E. Confidentiality ..................................................................................12 VII. Sanctions ............................................................................................12 VIII. Interpretations and Exceptions .......................................................................13
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information contained herein is the property of Deutsche Bank Group and may not be copied, used or disclosed in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, reprographic, recording or otherwise) outside of Deutsche Bank Group without prior written permission. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Code of Ethics Deutsche Bank [LOGO] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Overview - ----------------- This Code of Ethics ("Code") sets forth the specialized rules for business conduct and guidelines for the personal investing activities of employees connected with the investment management of US registered investment companies, as categorized in the Definition Section and such other employees that the Compliance Department may determine from time to time, in accordance with Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "Investment Company Act"). This Code supplements the Deutsche Asset Management Personal Account Dealing Rules for each of the affected entities. Each region either managing US registered Investment Companies or whose Employees have access to a DeAM global research database must implement and abide by this Code. Regional differences may be noted within this code to conform to local regulation(1). Each affected Employee must observe local Personal Account Dealing Rules, as well as abide by the additional principles and rules set forth in this Code, and any other applicable legal vehicle or division specific policies and obligations. In addition to the Code and all applicable legal vehicle or division specific policies and obligations, please also see the Deutsche Bank Global Compliance Core Principles ("GCCP")(2) . The GCCP set forth core principles regarding a wide range of regulatory and conduct related issues, and provide guidance to promote the highest standards of ethical conduct. It is essential for all Deutsche Bank employees to understand and adhere to Deutsche Bank<180>s commitment to act with fairness, decency and integrity in all of its business dealings. II. General Rule - --------------------- Employees may be subject to laws or regulations that impose restrictions with respect to personal securities transactions, including, but not limited to, Section 17(j) and Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "Act"). The purpose of this Code of Ethics is to ensure that, in connection with his or her personal trading, no Employee (as defined below) shall conduct any of the following acts upon a US registered investment company: o To employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud; o To make any untrue statement of a material fact, or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statement not misleading; o To engage in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit; or o To engage in any manipulative practice. - ----------------- (1) The footnotes will provide guidance as to the application to Deutsche Asset Management (Asia) Limited ("DeAM Asia") and Deutsche Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited ("DeAM HK"). (2) The GCCP is available at the following link: http://docbase.backoff.nyc.dbna.com/Policy:/Global/Group/DB Docs/C. Effective/Global_Compliance_DB Group: Global Compliance Core Principles - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information contained herein is the property of Deutsche Bank Group and may not be copied, used or disclosed in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, reprographic, recording or otherwise) outside of Deutsche Bank Group without prior written permission. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Code of Ethics Deutsche Bank [LOGO] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- III. Definitions - -------------------- A. "Adviser" 3 shall mean any asset management legal entity that has (1) individuals who manage or deal on behalf of an Investment Company registered under the Investment Company Act or (2) employees who create and post research to a global research platform. B. "Investment Company" shall mean a company registered under the Investment Company Act or any series thereof for which the Adviser is the investment adviser. C. "Advisory Person" shall mean: any employee of the Adviser, or of any company in a control relationship with the Investment Company or the Adviser who in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes any recommendation, participates in the determination of which recommendation will be made, or obtains information regarding recommendations for the purchase or sale of a security by an investment company, or any natural person in a control relationship with the Investment Company or the Adviser who obtains information concerning the recommendations made to an investment company with regard to the purchase or sale of a security. D. "Access Person" (4)shall mean any officer, director, general partner or Advisory Person of an Investment Company or of an Adviser. E. "Employees" is a general term, which shall include all of the Adviser's employees, including Access Persons. F. "Employee Related Account"(5) of any person subject to this Code shall mean: A. The employee's own Accounts; B. The accounts of the employee's spouse/domestic partner and the accounts of minor children and other relatives living in the employee's home; C. Accounts in which the employee, his/her spouse/domestic partner, minor children or other relatives living in the employee's home have a beneficial interest (i.e share in the profits even if there is no influence on voting or disposition of securities); - -------------------- (3) "Adviser" means either DeAM Asia or DeAM HK. (4) "Access Persons" for the purpose of DeAM Asia and DeAM HK includes all directors of the Board, all department heads, all fund managers and all persons with GERP access. 5 Owners of Employee Related Accounts are to be included within the scope of "connected persons" under the Personal Account Trading Policy and the disclosure of connected persons under Form 5 of DeAM Asia and DeAM HK. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information contained herein is the property of Deutsche Bank Group and may not be copied, used or disclosed in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, reprographic, recording or otherwise) outside of Deutsche Bank Group without prior written permission. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Code of Ethics Deutsche Bank [LOGO] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D. Accounts (including corporate accounts and trust accounts) over which the employee or his/her spouse/domestic partner exercises investment discretion or direct or indirect influence or control. G. "Securities" shall include equity or debt securities, derivatives of securities (such as options, warrants, and ADRs), futures, commodities, securities indices, exchange traded funds, government and municipal bonds and similar instruments, but do not include Bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments including repurchase agreements. H. "Mutual Funds" shall include all mutual funds (open-end and closed-end mutual funds), but will exclude shares of open-end money-market funds (unless otherwise directed by Compliance). IV. Restrictions - --------------------- For purposes of this Code, a prohibition or requirement applicable to any Employee applies also to transactions in securities for any of that Employee's personal accounts, including transactions executed by that Employee or under any Employee Related Account (see definition under III.F). A. General (i) The Basic Policy: Employees have a personal obligation to conduct their investing activities and related securities transactions lawfully and in a manner that avoids actual or potential conflicts between their own interests and the interests of Deutsche Asset Management ("DeAM") and its clients. Employees must carefully consider the nature of their DeAM responsibilities - and the type of information that he or she might be deemed to possess in light of any particular securities transaction - before engaging in that transaction. (ii) Material Nonpublic Information: Employees in possession of material nonpublic information about or affecting securities, or their issuer, are prohibited from buying or selling such securities, or advising any other person to buy or sell such securities. (iii) Corporate and Departmental Restricted Lists: Employees are not permitted to buy or sell any securities that are included on the Corporate Restricted List and/or other applicable restricted lists for the adviser. (iv) "Frontrunning:" Employees are prohibited from buying or selling securities or other instruments in their Employee Related Accounts so as to benefit from the employee's knowledge of the Firm's or an investment companies trading positions, plans or strategies, or forthcoming research recommendations. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information contained herein is the property of Deutsche Bank Group and may not be copied, used or disclosed in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, reprographic, recording or otherwise) outside of Deutsche Bank Group without prior written permission. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 Code of Ethics Deutsche Bank [LOGO] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B. Specific Blackout Period Restrictions (i) Access Persons who have access to the trading information of an Investment Company shall not knowingly effect the purchase or sale of a Security for an Employee Related Account on a day during which any investment company has a "buy" or "sell" order for the same Security, until that order is executed or withdrawn; (ii) Access Persons shall not effect the purchase or sale of a Security for an Employee Related Account within seven calendar days before or seven calendar days after the same Security is traded (or contemplated to be traded) by a investment company with which the individual is associated. (iii) Access Persons with real time access to a global research sharing system platform (e.g., "GERP", "GFIRP" or "G-Cube"(6)) shall not effect the purchase or sale of a Security for an Employee Related Account within seven calendar days before or seven calendar days after the same Security (a) is added to/deleted from or has its weighting materially changed in the "Model" Portfolio; or (b) has its internal rating upgraded or downgraded. (iv) Employees must always act to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest between their DeAM duties and responsibilities, and their personal investment activities. To avoid potential conflicts, absent specific written approval from Compliance, Employees should not personally invest in securities issued by companies with which they have significant dealings on behalf of DeAM, or in investment vehicles sponsored by the companies. Additional rules that apply to securities transactions by Employees, including the requirement for Employees to pre-clear personal securities transactions and rules regarding how Employee Related Accounts must be maintained, are described in more detail later in this Code. (v) Exceptions to Blackout Periods (above items i, ii, and iii only) The following Securities are exempt from the specified blackout periods: o Purchases or sales of securities which are not eligible for purchase or sale by an investment company. - ------------------------ (6) GERP (Global Equity Research Portal) is a web-based application (Active Equity businesses) allowing for the publishing and dissemination of research and model portfolios in real-time by the Global Sector Teams, Portfolio Selection Teams, Local Research Teams, designated PIC/PB users and Small Cap Teams to Portfolio Managers, who will use GERP for investment recommendations and portfolio construction for clients. GFIRP (Global Fixed Income Research Portal) is a web based application that allows for the posting and dissemination of fixed income research. G-Cube is a web-based application that combines the securities from GERP and GFIRP. Employees with full access to G-Cube can view equity and fixed income securities. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information contained herein is the property of Deutsche Bank Group and may not be copied, used or disclosed in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, reprographic, recording or otherwise) outside of Deutsche Bank Group without prior written permission. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Code of Ethics Deutsche Bank [LOGO] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- o Where the security is a large cap stock, it would be within the remit of the relevant regional team head (or alternate) to grant an exemption from this rule if the regional team head is satisfied that there are no open orders or prejudice to DeAM's clients o Securities Indices o ETFs (exchange-traded funds - e.g., SPDRs or "Spiders" (S&P 500 Index), DIAs or "Diamonds" (Dow Jones Industrial Average), etc.); o Government and municipal bonds; o Shares purchased under an issuer sponsored Dividend Reinvestment Plan ("DRIPs"), other than optional purchases o Purchases or sales which are non-volitional on the part of either the Access Person or an investment company. o To the extent acquired from the issuer, purchases effected upon the exercise of rights issued pro rata to holders of a class of securities. C. New Issues (IPOs) Access Persons are prohibited from purchasing or subscribing for Securities pursuant to an initial public offering (unless the purchase/subscription would not prejudice an investment company's order) prohibition and this applies even if Deutsche Bank (or any affiliate of Deutsche Bank) has no underwriting role and/or is not involved with the distribution. D. Short-Term Trading Employees must always conduct their personal trading activities lawfully, properly and responsibly, and are encouraged to adopt long-term investment strategies that are consistent with their financial resources and objectives. Deutsche Bank generally discourages short-term trading strategies, and employees are cautioned that such strategies may inherently carry a higher risk of regulatory and other scrutiny. In any event, excessive or inappropriate trading that interferes with job performance, or compromises the duty that Deutsche Bank owes to its clients and shareholders, will not be tolerated. Employees are prohibited from transacting in the purchase and sale, or sale and purchase, of the same (or equivalent) Securities and Mutual Funds within 30 calendar days. The Mutual fund restriction only applies in regions where such holding period are required by local regulation. (7)The following are exempted from this restriction: o Shares purchased under an issuer sponsored Dividend Reinvestment Plan ("DRIPs"), other than optional purchases; - ---------------------- (7) In relation to mutual funds, the 30 days holding limit only applies to open-ended mutual funds, unit trusts and investment linked products which are managed by DeAM Asia or DeAM HK. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information contained herein is the property of Deutsche Bank Group and may not be copied, used or disclosed in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, reprographic, recording or otherwise) outside of Deutsche Bank Group without prior written permission. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 Code of Ethics Deutsche Bank [LOGO] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- o Securities pre-cleared and purchased with a specific stop-limit provision attached. o Securities purchased under an employer sponsored stock purchase plan; o Mutual Funds subject to periodic purchase plans (i.e., can be sold once within 30 days after a periodic purchase); o Mutual Funds in the DeAM retirement plans (i.e., will be subject to the funds' prospectus requirements regarding holding periods); and o Fixed Income Mutual Funds investing in government bonds with "short-term" in their name. E. Restricted List All Deutsche Bank employees are prohibited from buying or selling any securities that are included on the Corporate Restricted List and/or other applicable departmental restricted lists. F. Private Placements Prior to effecting a transaction in private securities all Employees must first, in accordance with Deutsche Bank policy, obtain the approval of his/her supervisor and then pre-clear the transaction with the Compliance Department. Any person who has previously purchased privately-placed Securities must disclose such purchases to the Compliance Department before he or she participates in a Fund's or an advisory client's subsequent consideration of an investment in the Securities of the same or a related issuer. V. Compliance Procedures - ------------------------------ All members of staff are subject to their local Deutsche Asset Management Personal Account Dealing Rules(8). The following procedures are either additional requirements necessary because of US regulations or reminders of points pertinent to the adviser. A. Pre-Clearance All personal securities and closed-end Mutual Fund transactions must be undertaken only with the approval of an officer duly authorized to give such approval by the Adviser. Closed-end Mutual Fund Transactions must be reported to US Legal for review for potential regulatory filings. B. Reporting Requirements - ----------------------- (8) Please refer to the Personal Account Trading Policy for DeAM Asia & DeAM HK. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information contained herein is the property of Deutsche Bank Group and may not be copied, used or disclosed in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, reprographic, recording or otherwise) outside of Deutsche Bank Group without prior written permission. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 Code of Ethics Deutsche Bank [LOGO] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i) Disclosure of Personal Securities Holdings Pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act, no later than ten days after an individual becomes an Access Person, he or she must also complete and return a "Personal Securities Holdings Report" that identifies all personal and Employee Related Account holdings in both Securities and Mutual Funds that identifies all personal and Employee Related Account holdings in both Securities and Mutual Funds to Compliance.*** (ii) Quarterly Personal Securities Trading Reports ("PSTs") Pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act, within ten (10) days of the end of each calendar quarter, all Access Persons must submit to Compliance a PST report(9), and shall contain the following information for Securities and Mutual Funds transactions:*** o The date of the transaction, the title and the number of shares, and the principal amount of each security involved; o The nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition); o The price at which the transaction was effected and, o The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected. Mutual Funds subject to periodic purchase plans are not required to be reportedquarterly, but are required to be reported annually. All PSTs that have reportable personal Securities transactions for the quarter will be reviewed by the appropriate supervisory and/or Compliance person. (iii) Annual Holdings Report Once each year, at a date to be specified by DeAM Compliance, each Access Person must provide to Compliance an Annual Holdings Report that identifies both Brokerage and Mutual Fund accounts current as of a date not more than 30 days prior to the date of the report. *** *** Mutual Funds need only be reported in regions whose local regulations so require.(10) C. Confirmation of Compliance with Policies - -------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information contained herein is the property of Deutsche Bank Group and may not be copied, used or disclosed in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, reprographic, recording or otherwise) outside of Deutsche Bank Group without prior written permission. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Code of Ethics Deutsche Bank [LOGO] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annually, each Access Person is required to acknowledge either electronically or in writing that he or she has received this Code, as amended or updated, and confirm his or her adherence to it. Understanding and complying with this Code, and truthfully completing the Acknowledgment are the obligation of each Employee. In addition, a senior Compliance Officer in each region must confirm to the US that this Global Code has been complied with by all Access Persons and that the required records are on file. VI. Other Procedures/Restrictions - -------------------------------------- A. Service on Boards of Directors Service on Boards of publicly traded companies should be limited to a small number of instances. However, such service may be undertaken after approval from the regional head of Asset Management and Compliance, based upon a determination that these activities are consistent with the interests of the Adviser and its clients. Employees serving as directors will not be permitted to participate in the process of making investment decisions on behalf of clients which involve the subject company. B. Outside Business Affiliations Employees may not maintain outside business affiliations (e.g., officer or director, governor, trustee, part-time employment, etc.) without the prior written approval of the appropriate senior officer of their respective business units after consultation with Compliance and disclosure to the Office of the Secretary as required. C. Gifts(11) (i) Accepting Gifts Employees are prohibited from soliciting any personal payment or gift to influence, support or reward any service, transaction or business involving Deutsche Bank, or that appears to be made or offered in anticipation of any future service, transaction or business opportunity. A payment or gift includes any fee, compensation, remuneration or thing of value.(12) Subject to the prerequisites of honesty, absolute fulfillment of fiduciary duty to Deutsche Bank, relevant laws and regulations, and reasonable conduct on the part of the employee, however, the acceptance of some types of unsolicited, reasonable business gifts may be permissible. The rules are as follows: - ---------------------- (11) Please refer to the Gifts, Benefits and Entertainment policy for DeAM Asia & DeAM HK. (12) Under the Bank Bribery Act and other applicable laws and regulations, severe penalties may be imposed on anyone who offers or accepts such improper payments or gifts. If you receive or are offered an improper payment or gift, or if you have any questions as to the application or interpretation of Deutsche Bank's rules regarding the acceptance of gifts, you must bring the matter to the attention of the Compliance Department. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information contained herein is the property of Deutsche Bank Group and may not be copied, used or disclosed in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, reprographic, recording or otherwise) outside of Deutsche Bank Group without prior written permission. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Code of Ethics Deutsche Bank [LOGO] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- o Cash gifts of any amount are prohibited. This includes cash equivalents such as gift certificates, bonds, securities or other items that may be readily converted to cash. o Acceptance of non-cash gifts, mementos, tickets for sporting or entertainment events, and other items that are not excessive in value, is generally permitted with Compliance approval, when it is clear that they are unsolicited, unrelated to a transaction and the donor is not attempting to influence the employee. o All gifts with a value of more than an agreed de minimis sum must surrender these gifts into the safekeeping of Compliance for distribution annually by means of a charity draw in which all members of staff may participate. o The cost of working session meals or reasonable related expenses involving the discussion or review of business matters related to Deutsche Bank may be paid by the client, vendor or others, provided that such costs would have otherwise been reimbursable to the employee by Deutsche Bank in accordance with its travel and entertainment and expense reimbursement policies. D. Rules for Dealing with Governmental Officials and Political Candidates (i) Corporate Payments or Political Contributions No corporate payments or gifts of value may be made to any outside party, including any government official or political candidate or official, for the purpose of securing or retaining business for Deutsche Bank, or influencing any decision on its behalf. Under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Bank Bribery Law, Elections Law and other applicable regulations, severe penalties may be imposed on Deutsche Bank and on individuals who violate these laws and regulations. Similar laws and regulations may also apply in various countries and legal jurisdictions where Deutsche Bank does business. E. Confidentiality Employees must not divulge contemplated or completed securities transactions or trading strategies of DeAM clients to any person, except as required by the performance of such person's duties, and only on a need-to-know basis. VII. Sanctions - ------------------ - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information contained herein is the property of Deutsche Bank Group and may not be copied, used or disclosed in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, reprographic, recording or otherwise) outside of Deutsche Bank Group without prior written permission. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Code of Ethics Deutsche Bank [LOGO] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Any Employee who violates this Code may be subject to disciplinary actions, including possible dismissal. In addition, any Securities transactions executed in violation of this Code, such as short-term trading or trading during blackout periods, may subject the employee to sanctions, ranging from warnings and trading privilege suspensions, to financial penalties, including but not limited to, unwinding the trade and/or disgorging of the profits. All material violations of this Code and sanctions imposed with respect thereto shall be reported to the board of directors of the investment company which respect to which the violation occurred. Finally, violations and suspected violations of criminal laws will be reported to the appropriate authorities as required by applicable laws and regulations. VIII. Interpretations and Exceptions - --------------------------------------- Compliance shall have the right to make final and binding interpretations of this Code, and may grant an exception to certain of the above restrictions, as long as no abuse or potential abuse is involved. Each Employee must obtain approval from Compliance before taking action regarding such an exception. Any questions regarding the applicability, meaning or administration of this Code shall be referred in advance of any contemplated transaction, to Compliance. - ---------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information contained herein is the property of Deutsche Bank Group and may not be copied, used or disclosed in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, reprographic, recording or otherwise) outside of Deutsche Bank Group without prior written permission. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13
EX-99.Q.1 7 exq1-af.txt Exhibit(q)(1) DWS ADVISOR FUNDS Power of Attorney KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the following persons, whose signatures appear below, do hereby constitute and appoint Thomas Connors, John Millette and Caroline Pearson, and each of them, severally, or if more than one acts, a majority of them, their true and lawful attorney and agent to execute in their name, place and stead (in such capacity) any and all amendments to enable DWS ADVISOR FUNDS (the "Fund") to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and any rules, regulations or requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission in respect thereof, in connection with the Fund's Registration Statement on Form N-1A pursuant to the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act, together with any and all pre- and post-effective amendments thereto, including specifically, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the power and authority to sign in the name and on behalf of the undersigned as a trustee of the Fund such Registration Statement and any and all such pre- and post-effective amendments filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act, and any other instruments or documents related thereto, and the undersigned does hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or either of them or their substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
- ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- SIGNATURES TITLE DATE - ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- /s/Henry P. Becton, Jr. Trustee June 27, 2006 - --------------------------- Henry P. Becton, Jr. - ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- /s/Dawn-Marie Driscoll Trustee June 27, 2006 - --------------------------- Dawn-Marie Driscoll - ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- /s/Keith R. Fox Trustee June 27, 2006 - --------------------------- Keith R. Fox - ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- /s/Kenneth C. Froewiss Trustee June 27, 2006 - --------------------------- Kenneth C. Froewiss - ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- /s/Martin J. Gruber Trustee June 27, 2006 - --------------------------- Martin J. Gruber - ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- /s/Richard J. Herring Trustee June 27, 2006 - --------------------------- Richard J. Herring - ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- /s/Graham E. Jones Trustee June 27, 2006 - --------------------------- Graham E. Jones - ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- /s/Rebecca W. Rimel Trustee June 27, 2006 - --------------------------- Rebecca W. Rimel - ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- /s/Philip Saunders, Jr. Trustee June 27, 2006 - --------------------------- Philip Saunders, Jr. - ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- /s/William N. Searcy, Jr. Trustee June 27, 2006 - --------------------------- William N. Searcy, Jr. - ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- /s/Jean Gleason Stromberg Trustee June 27, 2006 - --------------------------- Jean Gleason Stromberg - ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- /s/Carl W. Vogt Trustee June 27, 2006 - --------------------------- Carl W. Vogt - ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- /s/Axel Schwarzer Trustee June 27, 2006 - --------------------------- Axel Schwarzer - ------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
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