497 1 prst-int.txt DEFINITIVE FILING - SCUDDER INTERNATIONAL FUND SCUDDER INVESTMENTS Supplement to the currently effective Prospectus for each of the listed funds: Scudder 21st Century Growth Fund Scudder Aggressive Growth Fund Scudder Blue Chip Fund Scudder Balanced Fund Scudder California Tax-Free Income Fund Scudder Capital Growth Fund Scudder Cash Investment Trust Scudder Cash Reserves Fund Scudder Contrarian Fund Scudder Development Fund Scudder Dividend & Growth Fund Scudder-Dreman Financial Services Fund Scudder-Dreman High Return Equity Fund Scudder Dynamic Growth Fund Scudder Emerging Markets Growth Fund Scudder Emerging Markets Income Fund Scudder Floating Rate Fund Scudder Florida Tax-Free Income Fund Scudder Focus Growth Fund Scudder Focus Value+Growth Fund Scudder Global Bond Fund Scudder Global Discovery Fund Scudder Global Fund Scudder GNMA Fund Scudder Gold Fund Scudder Greater Europe Growth Fund Scudder Growth Fund Scudder Growth and Income Fund Scudder Health Care Fund Scudder High-Yield Fund Scudder High-Yield Opportunity Fund Scudder High-Yield Tax-Free Fund Scudder Income Fund Scudder International Fund Scudder International Research Fund Scudder Large Company Growth Fund Scudder Large Company Value Fund Scudder Latin America Fund Scudder Managed Municipal Bonds Scudder Massachusetts Tax-Free Fund Scudder Medium-Term Tax-Free Fund Scudder Money Market Series Scudder New Europe Fund Scudder New York Tax-Free Income Fund Scudder Pacific Opportunities Fund Scudder Pathway Series: Conservative Portfolio Scudder Pathway Series: Growth Portfolio Scudder Pathway Series: Moderate Portfolio Scudder Research Fund Scudder Retirement Fund -- Series III Scudder Retirement Fund -- Series IV Scudder Retirement Fund -- Series V Scudder Retirement Fund -- Series VI Scudder Retirement Fund -- Series VII Scudder S&P 500 Index Fund Scudder S&P 500 Stock Fund Scudder Select 500 Fund Scudder Select 1000 Growth Fund Scudder Short-Term Bond Fund Scudder Small Cap Value Fund Scudder Small Company Stock Fund Scudder Small Company Value Fund Scudder Strategic Income Fund Scudder Target 2010 Fund Scudder Target 2011 Fund Scudder Tax Free Money Fund Scudder Technology Fund Scudder Technology Innovation Fund Scudder Total Return Fund Scudder U.S. Government Securities Fund Scudder U.S. Treasury Money Fund Scudder Worldwide 2004 Fund The Japan Fund, Inc. Scudder Variable Series I 21st Century Growth Portfolio Balanced Portfolio Bond Portfolio Capital Growth Portfolio Global Discovery Portfolio Growth and Income Portfolio Health Sciences Portfolio International Portfolio Money Market Portfolio Scudder Variable Series II Scudder Aggressive Growth Portfolio Scudder Blue Chip Portfolio Scudder Contrarian Value Portfolio Scudder Focus Value+Growth Portfolio Scudder Global Blue Chip Portfolio Scudder Government Securities Portfolio Scudder Growth Portfolio Scudder High Yield Portfolio Scudder International Research Portfolio Scudder Investment Grade Bond Portfolio Scudder Money Market Portfolio Scudder New Europe Portfolio Scudder Small Cap Growth Portfolio Scudder Small Cap Value Portfolio Scudder Strategic Income Portfolio Scudder Technology Growth Portfolio Scudder Total Return Portfolio SVS Dreman Financial Services Portfolio SVS Dreman High Return Equity Portfolio SVS Dynamic Growth Portfolio SVS Focused Large Cap Growth Portfolio SVS Growth And Income Portfolio SVS Growth Opportunities Portfolio SVS Index 500 Portfolio SVS Mid Cap Growth Portfolio SVS Strategic Equity Portfolio SVS Venture Value Portfolio Cash Account Trust Money Market Portfolio Government Securities Portfolio Tax-Exempt Portfolio Cash Equivalent Fund Money Market Portfolio Government Securities Portfolio Tax-Exempt Portfolio Investors Cash Trust Government Securities Portfolio Treasury Portfolio Investors Municipal Cash Fund Investors Florida Municipal Cash Fund Investors Michigan Municipal Cash Fund Investors New Jersey Municipal Cash Fund Investors Pennsylvania Municipal Cash Fund Tax-Exempt New York Money Market Fund Tax-Exempt California Money Market Fund Zurich Money Funds Zurich Money Market Fund Zurich Government Money Fund Zurich Tax-Free Money Fund Zurich YieldWise Funds Zurich YieldWise Money Fund Zurich YieldWise Government Money Fund Zurich YieldWise Municipal Money Fund On December 4, 2001, Deutsche Bank and Zurich Financial Services announced that they have signed a definitive agreement under which Deutsche Bank will acquire 100% of Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. ("Scudder"), with the exception of Threadneedle Investments in the U.K. Because the transaction would constitute an assignment of the Funds' investment management agreements with Scudder under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and, therefore, a termination of those agreements, Scudder intends to seek approval of new agreements from the Funds' shareholders. The transaction is expected to be completed, subject to regulatory approval and satisfaction of other conditions, in the first half of 2002. December 4, 2001 SCUDDER INVESTMENTS Core Global/International Funds Scudder International Fund Supplement to Prospectus Dated January 1, 2002 CLASS I SHARES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scudder International Fund currently offers seven classes of shares to provide investors with different purchasing options. These are Class AARP, Class S, Barrett International Shares, Class A, Class B and Class C shares, which are described in the fund's prospectuses, and Class I shares, which are described in the Class A, B and C prospectus as supplemented hereby. When placing purchase orders, investors must specify which class of shares they are ordering. Class I shares are available for purchase exclusively by the following categories of institutional investors: (1) tax-exempt retirement plans (Profit Sharing, 401(k), Money Purchase Pension and Defined Benefit Plans) of Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. (the "Advisor") and its affiliates and rollover accounts from those plans; (2) the following investment advisory clients of the Advisor and its investment advisory affiliates that invest at least $1 million in a fund: unaffiliated benefit plans, such as qualified retirement plans (other than individual retirement accounts and self-directed retirement plans); unaffiliated banks and insurance companies purchasing for their own accounts; and endowment funds of unaffiliated non-profit organizations; (3) investment-only accounts for large qualified plans, with at least $50 million in total plan assets or at least 1000 participants; (4) trust and fiduciary accounts of trust companies and bank trust departments providing fee-based advisory services that invest at least $1 million in a fund on behalf of each trust; (5) policy holders under Zurich-American Insurance Group's collateral investment program investing at least $200,000 in a fund; and (6) investment companies managed by the Advisor that invest primarily in other investment companies. Class I shares currently are available for purchase only through Scudder Distributors, Inc. ("SDI"), principal underwriter for the fund, and, in the case of category 4 above, selected dealers authorized by SDI. The following information supplements the indicated sections of the prospectus. The Fund's Track Record The table shows how the return of the fund's Class S shares compare with a broad based market index (which, unlike the fund, has no fees or expenses). The performance of both the fund and the index vary over time. Class I shares do not have a full calendar year of performance, therefore their performance data is not provided. Class S shares are invested in the same portfolio. Class S shares' annual returns differ only to the extent that the classes have different fees and expenses. All figures on this page assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, past performance is no guarantee of future results. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Annual Total Returns (%) as of 12/31/2000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class I shares -19.23 13.35 11.71 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index -13.37 7.54 8.38 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index: Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Europe, Australia, Far East (EAFA) & Canada Index, an unmanaged capitalization-weighted measure of stock markets in Europe, Australia, the Far East and Canada. For more recent performance information, call your financial representative or (800) 621-1048 or visit our Web site at www.scudder.com. How Much Investors Pay This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Class I shares of the fund. Shareholder Fees, paid directly from your investment. Maximum Maximum Maximum Sales Contingent Sales Charge Deferred Charge (Load) Sales (Load) Imposed on Charge Imposed on Purchases (Load) Reinvested (% of (% of Dividends/ offering redemption Distribu- Redemption Exchange price) proceeds) tions Fee Fee -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class I shares None None None None None -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Operating Expenses, deducted from fund assets. Total Annual Distribution/Service Fund Operating Management Fee (12b-1) Fees Other Expenses* Expenses -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.68% None 0.15% 0.83% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Includes a fixed rate administrative fee of 0.15%. 2 Example Based on the costs above, this example helps you compare the expenses of the fund 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, 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 5 Years 10 Years -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $85 $265 $460 $1,025 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Financial Highlights This table is designed to help you understand the fund's Class I shares' financial performance. The figures in the first part of the table are for a single share. The total return figures represent the percentage that an investor in the fund would have earned (or lost), assuming all dividends and distributions were reinvested. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report, along with the fund's financial statements, is included in the fund's annual report (see "Shareholder reports" on the back cover of the fund's prospectus). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2001^a -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selected Per Share Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, beginning of period $50.14 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Income (loss) from investment operations: Net investment income (loss)^b .23 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions (10.24) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total from investment operations (10.01) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, end of period $40.13 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Return (%) (19.96)** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net assets, end of period ($ thousands) 22 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of expenses (%) .84* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%) .86* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Portfolio turnover rate (%) 85 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^a For the period from December 29, 2000 (commencement of sales of Class I shares) to August 31, 2001. ^b Based on average shares outstanding during the period. * Annualized ** Not annualized 3 Special Features Shareholders of the fund's Class I shares may exchange their shares for (i) shares of Zurich Money Funds -- Zurich Money Market Fund if the shareholders of Class I shares have purchased shares because they are participants in tax-exempt retirement plans of the Advisor and its affiliates; and (ii) Class I shares of any other mutual fund listed in the Statement of Additional Information. Conversely, shareholders of Zurich Money Funds -- Zurich Money Market Fund who have purchased shares because they are participants in tax-exempt retirement plans of the Advisor and its affiliates may exchange their shares for any other mutual fund to the extent that they are available through their plan. Exchanges will be made at the relative net asset values of the shares. Exchanges are subject to the limitations set forth in the prospectus. As a result of the relatively lower expenses for Class I shares, the level of income dividends per share (as a percentage of net asset value) and, therefore, the overall investment return, typically will be higher for Class I shares than for the other classes of the fund. January 1, 2002 SCUDDER INVESTMENTS Core Global/International Funds Advisor Classes A, B and C Prospectus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 1, 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scudder Global Fund Scudder International 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. Contents -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How the Funds Work How to Invest in the Funds 4 Scudder Global Fund 23 Choosing a Share Class 9 Scudder International Fund 28 How to Buy Shares 13 Other Policies and Risks 29 How to Exchange or Sell Shares 14 Who Manages and Oversees the Funds 30 Policies You Should Know About 16 Financial Highlights 37 Understanding Distributions and Taxes How the Funds Work These funds invest significantly in foreign securities. On the next few pages, you'll find information about each fund's investment goal, the main strategies each uses to pursue that goal, and the main risks that could affect performance. Whether you are considering investing in a fund or are already a shareholder, you'll probably 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Class A Class B Class C ticker symbol | SGQAX SGQBX SGQCX fund number | 407 607 707 Scudder Global Fund -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Fund's Main Investment Strategy The fund seeks long-term growth of capital while actively seeking to reduce downside risk as compared with other global growth funds. The fund invests at least 65% of its total assets in U.S. and foreign equities (equities issued by U.S. and foreign-based companies). Most of the fund's equities are common stocks. Although the fund can invest in companies of any size and from any country, it generally focuses on established companies in countries with developed economies. The fund does not invest in securities issued by tobacco-producing companies. In choosing stocks, the portfolio managers use a combination of three analytical disciplines: Bottom-up research. The managers look for companies that are industry leaders, have strong finances and management, and appear able to make the most of local, regional and global opportunities. Growth orientation. The managers primarily invest in companies that offer the potential for sustainable above-average earnings growth and whose market value appears reasonable in light of their business prospects. Analysis of global themes. The managers consider global economic outlooks, seeking to identify industries and companies that are likely to benefit from social, political and economic changes. The managers intend to keep the fund's holdings diversified across industries and geographical areas, although, depending on their outlook, they may increase or reduce the fund's exposure to a given industry or area. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER INVESTMENTS Although the fund is permitted to use various types of derivatives (contracts whose value is based on, for example, indices, commodities, currencies, or securities), the managers don't intend to use them as principal investments and may not use them at all. 4 The managers use analytical tools to actively monitor the risk profile of the portfolio as compared to comparable funds and appropriate benchmarks and peer groups. The managers use several strategies in seeking to reduce downside risk, including: (i) diversifying broadly among companies, industries, countries and regions; (ii) focusing on high quality companies with reasonable valuations; and (iii) generally focusing on countries with developed economies. The fund will normally sell a stock when the managers believe its price is unlikely to go much higher, its fundamentals have deteriorated, other investments offer better opportunities or in the course of adjusting the fund's emphasis on a given country. 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 make the fund perform less well than other investments. As with most stock funds, the most important factor with this fund is how stock markets perform, both in the U.S. and abroad. When stock prices fall, you should expect the value of your investment to fall as well. Foreign stocks tend to be more volatile than their U.S. counterparts, for reasons ranging from political and economic uncertainties to a higher risk that essential information may be incomplete or wrong. These risks tend to be greater in emerging markets, so to the extent that the fund invests in emerging markets (such as Latin America and most Pacific Basin countries), it takes on greater risks. 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. A second major factor is currency exchange rates. When the dollar value of a foreign currency falls, so does the value of any investments the fund owns that are denominated in that currency. This is separate from market risk, and may add to market losses or reduce market gains. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. This fund is designed for long-term investors interested in a broadly diversified approach to global investing. 5 Other factors that could affect performance include: o the managers could be wrong in their analysis of companies, sectors, economic trends, the relative attractiveness of different sizes of stocks or other matters o derivatives could produce disproportionate losses o the fund's risk management strategies could make long-term performance somewhat lower than it would have been without these strategies o at times, market conditions might make it hard to value some investments or to get an attractive price for them 6 The Fund's Performance History While a fund's past performance isn't necessarily a sign of how it will do in the future, it can be valuable for an investor to know. The bar chart shows how fund performance has varied from year to year, which may give some idea of risk. The table shows how fund performance compares with a broad-based market index (which, unlike the fund, does not have any fees or expenses). The performance of both the fund and the index varies over time. All figures on this page assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The inception date of Class A, B and C shares was June 18, 2001. In the bar chart, the performance figures for Class A are based on the historical performance of the fund's original share class (Class S), adjusted to reflect the higher gross total annual operating expenses of Class A. The bar chart does not reflect sales loads; if it did, returns would be lower. In the table, the performance figures for each share class are based on the historical performance of Class S, adjusted to reflect both the higher gross total annual operating expenses of Class A, B or C and the current applicable sales charges of Class A and B. Class S shares are offered in a different prospectus. Scudder Global Fund -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Total Returns (%) as of 12/31 each year Class A -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT CONTAINS A BAR CHART HERE BAR CHART DATA: 1991 16.75 1992 4.26 1993 30.74 1994 -4.46 1995 20.19 1996 13.33 1997 16.92 1998 12.28 1999 23.13 2000 -3.28 2001 Total Return as of September 30: -20.88% For the periods included in the bar chart: Best Quarter: 15.12%, Q4 1999 Worst Quarter: -12.31%, Q3 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Annual Total Returns (%) as of 12/31/2000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class A -8.84 10.80 11.80 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class B -6.58 11.10 11.57 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class C -4.02 11.26 11.60 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index -13.18 12.12 11.93 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index: Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) World Index, an unmanaged capitalization-weighted measure of global stock markets including the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and the Far East. For more recent performance information, call your financial representative or (800) 621-1048 or visit our Web site at www.scudder.com. 7 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 B Class C -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shareholder Fees, paid directly from your investment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on 5.75% None None Purchases (% of offering price) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (% of redemption proceeds) None* 4.00% 1.00% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Operating Expenses, deducted from fund assets -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Management Fee 0.96% 0.96% 0.96% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Distribution/Service (12b-1) Fee 0.25 1.00 1.00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Expenses** 0.40 0.45 0.43 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Annual Operating Expenses 1.61 2.41 2.39 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * The redemption of shares purchased at net asset value under the Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege (see "Policies You Should Know About -- Policies about transactions") may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% if redeemed within one year of purchase and 0.50% if redeemed during the second year following purchase. ** Includes fixed rate administrative fee of 0.40%, 0.45% and 0.425% for Class A, Class B and Class C shares, respectively. Based on the costs above, this example helps you compare this fund's 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 5 Years 10 Years -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Expenses, assuming you sold your shares at the end of each period -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class A shares $729 $1,054 $1,401 $2,376 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class B shares 644 1,051 1,485 2,366 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class C shares 342 745 1,275 2,726 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Expenses, assuming you kept your shares -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class A shares $729 $1,054 $1,401 $2,376 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class B shares 244 751 1,285 2,366 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class C shares 242 745 1,275 2,726 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Class A Class B Class C ticker symbol | SUIAX SUIBX SUICX fund number | 468 668 768 Scudder International Fund -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Fund's Main Investment Strategy The fund seeks long-term growth of capital by investing at least 65% of its total assets in foreign equities (equities issued by foreign-based companies and listed on foreign exchanges). Although the fund can invest in companies of any size and from any country, it invests mainly in common stocks of established companies in countries with developed economies (other than the United States). In choosing common stocks, the portfolio managers use a combination of three analytical disciplines: Bottom-up research. The managers look for individual companies that have financial strength, good business prospects, competitive positioning and earnings growth that is above-average for their market segment, among other factors. Top-down analysis. The managers consider the economic outlooks for various countries and geographical regions, favoring countries that they believe have sound economic conditions and open markets. Analysis of global themes. The managers look for significant changes in the business environment, seeking to identify industries that may benefit from these changes. The managers intend to divide the fund's holdings across industries and geographical areas, although, depending on their outlook, they may increase or reduce the fund's exposure to a given industry or area. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER INVESTMENTS The fund may invest up to 20% of net assets in foreign debt securities, including convertible bonds. Although the fund is permitted to use various types of derivatives (contracts whose value is based on, for example, indices, commodities, currencies, or securities), the managers don't intend to use them as principal investments and may not use them at all. 9 The fund will normally sell a stock when the managers believe its price is unlikely to go much higher, its fundamentals have deteriorated, other investments offer better opportunities or in the course of adjusting the fund's emphasis on a given country. 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 make the fund perform less well than other investments. As with most stock funds, the most important factor with this fund is how stock markets perform -- in this case, foreign markets. When foreign stock prices fall, you should expect the value of your investment to fall as well. Foreign stocks also tend to be more volatile than their U.S. counterparts, for reasons ranging from political and economic uncertainties to a higher risk that essential information may be incomplete or wrong. While developed foreign markets may be less risky than emerging markets, increasing globalization can make any market vulnerable to events elsewhere in the world. A second major factor is currency exchange rates. When the dollar value of a foreign currency falls, so does the value of any investments the fund owns that are denominated in that currency. This is separate from market risk, and may add to market losses or reduce market gains. 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 Other factors that could affect performance include: o the managers could be wrong in their analysis of industries, companies, economic trends, geographical trends or other matters o derivatives could produce disproportionate losses o at times, market conditions might make it hard to value some investments or to get an attractive price for them THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. This fund is designed for investors interested in a broadly diversified international investment with emphasis squarely on long-term growth of capital. 10 The Fund's Performance History While a fund's past performance isn't necessarily a sign of how it will do in the future, it can be valuable for an investor to know. The bar chart shows how fund performance has varied from year to year, which may give some idea of risk. The table shows how fund performance compares with a broad-based market index (which, unlike the fund, does not have any fees or expenses). The performance of both the fund and the index varies over time. All figures on this page assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The inception date for Class A (formerly Class R) was August 2, 1999. In the bar chart, the performance figures for Class A shares for the period prior to its inception are based on the historical performance of the fund's original share class (Class S), adjusted to reflect the higher gross total annual operating expenses of Class A. The bar chart does not reflect sales loads; if it did, returns would be lower. In the table, the performance figures for each share class for the periods prior to their inception (August 2, 1999 for Class A and December 29, 2000 for Classes B and C) are based on the historical performance of Class S, adjusted to reflect both the higher gross total annual operating expenses of Class A, B or C and the current applicable sales charges of Class A and B. In addition, in the table, the performance figures for Class A from August 2, 1999 through December 31, 1999 have been adjusted to reflect the current applicable sales charge of Class A. Class S shares are offered in a different prospectus. Scudder International Fund -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Total Returns (%) as of 12/31 each year Class A -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT CONTAINS A BAR CHART HERE BAR CHART DATA: 1991 11.47 1992 -2.90 1993 36.13 1994 -3.26 1995 11.91 1996 14.24 1997 7.68 1998 18.30 1999 57.33 2000 -19.40 2001 Total Return as of September 30: -29.82% For the periods included in the bar chart: Best Quarter: 30.20%, Q4 1999 Worst Quarter: -14.47%, Q3 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Annual Total Returns (%) as of 12/31/2000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class A -24.04 11.69 10.74 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class B -22.20 12.01 10.51 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class C -20.07 12.17 10.54 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index -13.37 7.54 8.38 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index: Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Europe, Australia, Far East (EAFE) & Canada Index, an unmanaged capitalization-weighted measure of stock markets in Europe, Australia, the Far East and Canada. For more recent performance information, call your financial representative or (800) 621-1048 or visit our Web site at www.scudder.com. 11 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 B Class C -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shareholder Fees, paid directly from your investment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on 5.75% None None Purchases (% of offering price) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (% of redemption proceeds) None* 4.00% 1.00% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Operating Expenses, deducted from fund assets -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Management Fee 0.68% 0.68% 0.68% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Distribution/Service (12b-1) Fee 0.25 1.00 1.00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Expenses** 0.40 0.45 0.43 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Annual Operating Expenses 1.33 2.13 2.11 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * The redemption of shares purchased at net asset value under the Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege (see "Policies You Should Know About -- Policies about transactions") may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% if redeemed within one year of purchase and 0.50% if redeemed during the second year following purchase. ** Includes a fixed rate administrative fee of 0.400%, 0.450% and 0.425% for Class A, Class B and Class C shares, respectively. Based on the costs above, this example helps you compare this fund's 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 5 Years 10 Years -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Expenses, assuming you sold your shares at the end of each period -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class A shares $703 $972 $1,262 $2,084 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class B shares 616 967 1,344 2,071 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class C shares 314 661 1,134 2,441 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Expenses, assuming you kept your shares -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class A shares $703 $972 $1,262 $2,084 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class B shares 216 667 1,144 2,071 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class C shares 214 661 1,134 2,441 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Other Policies and Risks While the previous pages describe the main points of each fund's strategy and risks, there are a few other issues to know about: o Although major changes tend to be infrequent, a fund's Board could change that fund's investment goal without seeking shareholder approval. o As a temporary defensive measure, Scudder Global Fund could shift up to 100% of its assets into investments such as money market securities. As a temporary defensive measure, Scudder International Fund could shift up to 100% of its assets into investments such as U.S. or Canadian money market securities. These measures could prevent losses, but would mean that a fund was not pursuing its goal. o Scudder International Fund may trade securities actively. This could raise transaction costs (thus lowering return) and could mean higher taxable distributions. Euro conversion Funds that invest in foreign securities could be affected by accounting differences, changes in tax treatment or other issues related to the conversion of certain European currencies into the euro, which is well underway. The investment advisor is working to address euro-related issues as they occur and has been notified that other key service providers are taking similar steps. Still, there's some risk that this problem could materially affect a fund's operation (including its ability to calculate net asset value and to handle purchases and redemptions), its investments or securities markets in general. For more information This prospectus doesn't tell you about every policy or risk of investing in the funds. 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. 13 Who Manages and Oversees the Funds The investment advisor The funds' investment advisor is Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc., 345 Park Avenue, New York, NY. The advisor has more than 80 years of experience managing mutual funds, and currently has more than $325 billion in assets under management. The advisor's asset management teams include investment professionals, economists, research analysts, traders and other investment specialists, located in offices across the United States and around the world. The advisor receives a management fee from each fund. Below are the actual rates paid by each fund for the 12 months through the most recent fiscal year, as a percentage of each fund's average daily net assets. Fund Name Fee Paid --------------------------------------------------------------------- Scudder Global Fund 0.96% --------------------------------------------------------------------- Scudder International Fund 0.68% --------------------------------------------------------------------- Scudder Global Fund has entered into a new investment management agreement with the advisor. The table below describes the new fee rates for the fund. Average Daily Net Assets Fee Rate --------------------------------------------------------------------- Scudder Global Fund --------------------------------------------------------------------- New Investment Management Fee as of September 11, 2000 --------------------------------------------------------------------- first $500 million 1.000% --------------------------------------------------------------------- next $500 million 0.950% --------------------------------------------------------------------- next $500 million 0.900% --------------------------------------------------------------------- next $500 million 0.850% --------------------------------------------------------------------- over $2 billion 0.800% --------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 The portfolio managers The following people handle the day-to-day management of each fund. Scudder Global Fund Scudder International Fund William E. Holzer Irene T. Cheng Lead Portfolio Manager Lead Portfolio Manager o Began investment career in 1977 o Began investment career in 1985 o Joined the advisor in 1980 o Joined the advisor in 1993 o Joined the fund team in 1986 o Joined the fund team in 1998 Nicholas Bratt Nicholas Bratt o Began investment career in 1974 o Began investment career in 1974 o Joined the advisor in 1976 o Joined the advisor in 1976 o Joined the fund team in 1993 o Joined the fund team in 1976 Peter Crays Marc J. Slendebroek o Began investment career in 1993 o Began investment career in 1989 o Joined the advisor in 1999 o Joined the advisor in 1994 o Joined the fund team in 2000 o Joined the fund team in 1999 Carol L. Franklin o Began investment career in 1975 o Joined the advisor in 1981 o Joined the fund team in 1986 15 Financial Highlights These tables are designed to help you understand each fund's financial performance. The figures in the first part of each table are for a single share. The total return figures represent the percentage that an investor in a particular fund would have earned (or lost), assuming all dividends and distributions were reinvested. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report, along with each fund's financial statements, is included in that fund's annual report (see "Shareholder reports" on the back cover). Scudder Global Fund -- Class A -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2001^a -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selected Per Share Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, beginning of period $24.58 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Income (loss) from investment operations: Net investment income (loss)^b .04 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions (1.48) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total from investment operations (1.44) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, end of period $23.14 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Return (%)^c (5.86)** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net assets, end of period ($ millions) 18 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of expenses (%) 1.62* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%) .78* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Portfolio turnover rate (%) 40 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^a For the period from June 18, 2001 (commencement of sales of Class A shares) to August 31, 2001. ^b Based on average shares outstanding during the period. ^c Total return does not reflect the effect of any sales charges. * Annualized ** Not annualized 16 Scudder Global Fund -- Class B -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2001^a -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selected Per Share Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, beginning of period $24.58 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Income (loss) from investment operations: Net investment income (loss)^b --^d -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions (1.48) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total from investment operations (1.48) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, end of period $23.10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Return (%)^c (6.02)** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net assets, end of period ($ millions) 13 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of expenses (%) 2.41* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%) (.01)* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Portfolio turnover rate (%) 40 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^a For the period from June 18, 2001 (commencement of sales of Class B shares) to August 31, 2001. ^b Based on average shares outstanding during the period. ^c Total return does not reflect the effect of any sales charges. ^d Less than $.005 per share. * Annualized ** Not annualized 17 Scudder Global Fund -- Class C -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2001^a -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selected Per Share Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, beginning of period $24.58 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Income (loss) from investment operations: Net investment income (loss)^b --^d -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions (1.48) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total from investment operations (1.48) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, end of period $23.10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Return (%)^c (6.02)** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net assets, end of period ($ millions) 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of expenses (%) 2.39* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%) .01* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Portfolio turnover rate (%) 40 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^a For the period from June 18, 2001 (commencement of sales of Class C shares) to August 31, 2001. ^b Based on average shares outstanding during the period. ^c Total return does not reflect the effect of any sales charges. ^d Less than $.005 per share. * Annualized ** Not annualized 18 Scudder International Fund-- Class A^(a) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2001^b 2000^b 1999^c -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selected Per Share Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, beginning of period $57.54 $54.78 $53.33 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Income (loss) from investment operations: Net investment income (loss)^d .06 .06 (.02) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on (14.89) 9.20 1.47 investment transactions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total from investment operations (14.83) 9.26 1.45 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Less distributions from: Net realized gains on investment transactions (2.68) (6.50) -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, end of period $40.03 $57.54 $54.78 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Return (%)^e (26.63) 16.58 2.72** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net assets, end of period ($ millions) 312 .41 2.8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of expenses (%) 1.33 1.47^f 1.63* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%) .17 .09 (.09)** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Portfolio turnover rate (%) 85 83 82* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^a On December 29, 2000, Class R Shares were redesignated as Class A. ^b For the year ended August 31. ^c For the period from August 2, 1999 (commencement of sales of Class R Shares) to August 31, 1999. ^d Based on average shares outstanding during the period. ^e Total return does not reflect the effect of any sales charges. ^f The ratio of operating expenses excluding costs incurred in connection with the reorganization in fiscal 2000 was 1.47%. * Annualized ** Not annualized 19 Scudder International Fund -- Class B -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2001^a -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selected Per Share Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, beginning of period $50.14 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Income (loss) from investment operations: Net investment income (loss)^b (.11) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions (10.20) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total from investment operations (10.31) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, end of period $39.83 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Return (%)^c (20.56)** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net assets, end of period ($ millions) 92 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of expenses (%) 2.13* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%) (.35)* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Portfolio turnover rate (%) 85 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^a For the period from December 29, 2000 (commencement of sales of Class B shares) to August 31, 2001. ^b Based on average shares outstanding during the period. ^c Total return does not reflect the effect of sales charge. * Annualized ** Not annualized 20 Scudder International Fund -- Class C -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2001^a -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selected Per Share Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, beginning of period $50.14 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Income (loss) from investment operations: Net investment income (loss)^b (.12) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions (10.20) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total from investment operations (10.32) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, end of period $39.82 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Return (%)^c (20.58)** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net assets, end of period ($ millions) 32 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of expenses (%) 2.11* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%) (.33)* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Portfolio turnover rate (%) 85 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^a For the period from December 29, 2000 (commencement of sales of Class C shares) to August 31, 2001. ^b Based on average shares outstanding during the period. ^c Total return does not reflect the effect of sales charge. * Annualized ** Not annualized 21 How to Invest in the Funds The following pages tell you how to invest in these funds and what to expect as a shareholder. If you're investing directly with Scudder, all of this information applies to you. 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 representative or a representative of your workplace retirement plan or other investment provider. Choosing a Share Class In this prospectus are three share classes for each fund. Each class has its own fees and expenses, offering you a choice of cost structures. The funds offer other classes of shares separately. Class A, Class B and Class C shares are intended for investors seeking the advice and assistance of a financial representative, who may receive compensation for those services through sales commissions, service fees and/or distribution fees. 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 representative 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 B or o 0.25% annual service fee Class C ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class B o No charges when you buy shares o The deferred sales charge rate falls to zero after six years o Deferred sales charge declining from 4.00%, charged when you sell shares o Shares automatically convert to you bought within the last six years Class A after six years, which means lower annual expenses going forward o 1.00% annual distribution/service fee ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class C o No charges when you buy shares o The deferred sales charge rate is lower, but your shares never convert o Deferred sales charge of 1.00%, to Class A, so annual expenses charged when you sell shares you remain higher bought within the last year o 1.00% annual distribution/service fee ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23 Class A shares Class A shares have a 12b-1 plan, under which a service fee of 0.25% is deducted from class assets each year. Class A shares have a sales charge that varies with the amount you invest: Sales charge Sales charge as a % as a % of your net Your investment of offering price investment --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 next page --------------------------------------------------------------------- The offering price includes the sales charge. You may be able to lower your Class A sales charges if: o you plan to invest at least $50,000 over the next 24 months ("letter of intent") o the amount of shares you already own (including shares in certain other funds) plus the amount you're investing now is at least $50,000 ("cumulative discount") o you are investing a total of $50,000 or more in several funds at once ("combined purchases") 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. 24 The point of these three features is to let you count investments made at other times 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. You can take advantage of these methods by filling in the appropriate sections of your application or by speaking with your financial representative. You may be able to buy Class A sales charges without sales charges when you are: o reinvesting dividends or distributions o investing through certain workplace retirement plans o participating in an investment advisory program under which you pay a fee to an investment advisor or other firm for portfolio management services There are a number of additional provisions that apply in order to be eligible for a sales charge waiver. Each fund may waive the sales charges for investors in other situations as well. Your financial representative 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 on the previous page, you may be eligible to buy Class A shares without sales charges. However, you may be charged a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) of 1.00% on any shares you sell within the first year of owning them, and a similar charge of 0.50% on shares you sell within the second year of owning them. ("Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege"). This CDSC is waived under certain circumstances (see "Policies You Should Know About"). Your financial representative or Shareholder Services can answer your questions and help you determine if you're eligible. 25 Class B shares With Class B shares, you pay no up-front sales charges to a fund. Class B shares do have a 12b-1 plan, under which a distribution fee of 0.75% and a service fee of 0.25% are deducted from class assets each year. This means the annual expenses for Class B shares are somewhat higher (and their performance correspondingly lower) compared to Class A shares. After six years, Class B shares automatically convert to Class A, which has the net effect of lowering the annual expenses from the seventh year on. However, unlike Class A shares, your entire investment goes to work immediately. Class B shares have a CDSC. This charge declines over the years you own shares and disappears completely after six years of ownership. But for any shares you sell within those six years, you may be charged as follows: Year after you bought shares CDSC on shares you sell --------------------------------------------------------------------- First year 4.00% --------------------------------------------------------------------- Second or third year 3.00 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Fourth or fifth year 2.00 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sixth year 1.00 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Seventh year and later None (automatic conversion to Class A) --------------------------------------------------------------------- This CDSC is waived under certain circumstances (see "Policies You Should Know About"). Your financial representative or Shareholder Services can answer your questions and help you determine if you're eligible. While Class B shares don't have any front-end sales charges, 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. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. Class B shares may make sense for long-term investors who prefer to see all of their investment go to work right away, and can accept somewhat higher annual expenses. 26 Class C shares Like Class B shares, Class C shares have no up-front sales charges and have a 12b-1 plan under which a distribution fee of 0.75% and a service fee of 0.25% are deducted from class assets each year. Because of these fees, the annual expenses for Class C shares are similar to those of Class B shares, but higher than those for Class A shares (and the performance of Class C shares is correspondingly lower than that of Class A). However, unlike Class A shares, your entire investment goes to work immediately. Unlike Class B shares, Class C shares do NOT automatically convert to Class A 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 representative 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 charges, 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. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. Class C shares may appeal to investors who plan to sell some or all shares within six years of buying them or who aren't certain of their investment time horizon. 27 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 Investment Plan ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Through a financial representative o Contact your representative using the o Contact your representative using method that's most convenient for you the 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 "Scudder Funds" and a Scudder investment slip o Send it to us at the appropriate to us at the appropriate address address, along with an investment check 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 (minimum $50) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By phone o Call (800) 621-1048 for instructions -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With an automatic investment plan -- o To set up regular investments from a bank checking account, call (800) 621-1048 (minimum $50) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the Internet -- o Go to www.scudder.com and register o Follow the instructions for buying shares with money from your bank account ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regular mail: First Investment: Scudder Investments, PO Box 219356, Kansas City, MO 64121-9356 Additional Investments: Scudder Investments, PO Box 219154, Kansas City, MO 64121-9154 Express, registered or certified mail: Scudder Investments, 811 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64105-2005 Fax number: (800) 821-6234 (for exchanging and selling only) 28 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 32 existing accounts ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Through a financial representative o Contact your representative by the o Contact your representative by the method that's most convenient for you method 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, express mail or fax (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 o a daytime telephone number account o a daytime telephone number ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With an automatic exchange plan o To set up regular exchanges from a -- fund account, call (800) 621-1048 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With an automatic withdrawal plan -- o To set up regular cash payments from a fund account, call (800) 621-1048 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the Internet o Go to www.scudder.com and register -- o Follow the instructions for making on-line exchanges ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
29 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 investment providers. If you are investing through an investment provider, check the materials you received from them. As a general rule, you should follow the information in those materials wherever it contradicts the information given here. Please note that an investment provider may charge its own fees. In either case, keep in mind that the information in this prospectus applies only to each fund's Class A, Class B and Class C shares. The funds do have other share classes, which are described in a separate prospectus and which have different fees, 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 call (800) 621-1048. Policies about transactions Each fund is open for business each day the New York Stock Exchange is open. Each fund calculates its share price every business day, as of the close of regular trading on the 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. Once your order is received by Scudder Investments Service Company, and they have determined that it is in "good order," it will be processed at the next share price calculated. Because orders placed through investment providers must be forwarded to Scudder Investments Service Company before they can be processed, you'll need to allow extra time. A representative of your investment provider should be able to tell you when your order will be processed. 30 ScudderACCESS, the Scudder Automated Information Line, is available 24 hours a day by calling (800) 972-3060. You can use ScudderACCESS to get information on Scudder funds generally and on accounts held directly at Scudder. You can also use it to make exchanges and sell shares. QuickBuy and QuickSell let you set up a link between a Scudder 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 completed within 24 hours. The funds can only send wires of $1,000 or more and accept wires of $50 or more. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. The Scudder Web site can be a valuable resource for shareholders with Internet access. Go to www.scudder.com to get up-to-date information, review balances or even place orders for exchanges. 31 Exchanges are a shareholder privilege, not a right: we may reject any exchange order, particularly when there appears to be a pattern of "market timing" or other frequent purchases and sales. We may also reject or limit purchase orders, for these or other reasons. When you want to sell more than $100,000 worth of shares, you'll usually need to place your order in writing and include a signature guarantee. The only exception is if you want money wired to a bank account that is already on file with us; in that case, you don't need a signature guarantee. Also, you don't 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 most brokers, banks, savings institutions and credit unions. Note that you can't get a signature guarantee from a notary public. 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 lowest charge to you. In processing orders to sell shares, we turn to the shares with the lowest CDSC first. Exchanges from one fund into another 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. 32 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) o withdrawals made through an automatic withdrawal plan. Such withdrawals may be made at a maximum of 10% 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 Scudder Distributors 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 representative or Shareholder Services can answer your questions and help you determine if you are eligible. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. If you ever have difficulty placing an order by phone or fax, you can always send us your order in writing. 33 If you sell shares in a Scudder fund and then decide to invest with 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 Scudder fund at its current NAV and for purposes of sales charges it will be treated as if it had never left 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. There is also an option that lets investors who sold Class B shares buy Class A shares with no sales charge, although they won't be reimbursed for any CDSC they paid. 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 representative. 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. 34 How the funds calculate share price For each share class, the price at which you buy shares is as follows: Class A shares -- net asset value per share, or NAV, adjusted to allow for any applicable sales charges (see "Choosing a Share Class") Class B and Class C shares-- net asset value per share, or NAV To calculate NAV, each share class uses the following equation: TOTAL ASSETS - TOTAL LIABILITIES ------------------------------------ = NAV TOTAL NUMBER OF SHARES OUTSTANDING For each fund and share class in this prospectus, the price at which you sell shares is also the NAV, although for Class B and Class C investors a CDSC may be taken out of the proceeds (see "Choosing a Share Class"). We typically use market prices to value securities. However, when a market price isn't available, or when we have reason to believe it doesn't represent market realities, we may use fair value methods approved by a fund's Board. In such a case, a fund's value for a security is likely to be different from the last quoted market prices. To the extent that a 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 a fund doesn't price its shares. 35 Other rights we reserve You should be aware that we may do any of the following: o withhold 30% (in 2002 and 2003) 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 a correct Social Security or other tax ID number; if the account has already been opened, we may give you 30 days' notice to provide the correct number o charge you $9 each calendar quarter if your account balance is below $1,000 for the entire quarter; this policy doesn't apply to most retirement accounts or if you have an automatic investment plan 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; the funds 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 at any time) 36 Understanding Distributions and Taxes By law, a mutual fund is required to pass through to its shareholders virtually all of its net earnings. A 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. (A fund's earnings are separate from any gains or losses stemming from your own purchase of shares.) A fund may not always pay a distribution for a given period. Each fund intends to pay dividends and distributions to its shareholders in November and December, or otherwise as needed. You can choose how to receive your dividends and distributions. You can have them all automatically reinvested in fund shares (at NAV), 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 sales charges. For retirement plans, reinvestment is the only option. 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; whether long-term or short-term depends on how long you owned the shares. For tax purposes, an exchange is 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. 37 The tax status of the fund earnings you receive, and your own fund transactions, generally depends on their type: Generally taxed at ordinary income rates --------------------------------------------------------------------- o short-term capital gains from selling fund shares --------------------------------------------------------------------- o taxable income dividends you receive from the fund --------------------------------------------------------------------- o short-term capital gains distributions you receive from the fund --------------------------------------------------------------------- Generally taxed at capital gains rates --------------------------------------------------------------------- o long-term capital gains from selling fund shares --------------------------------------------------------------------- o long-term capital gains distributions you receive from the fund --------------------------------------------------------------------- You may be able to claim a tax credit or deduction for your share of any foreign taxes your fund pays. 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. If you invest right before a 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. Corporations may be able to take a dividends-received deduction for a portion of income dividends they receive from Scudder Global Fund. 38 Notes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To Get More Information Shareholder reports -- These include commentary from each fund's management team about recent market conditions and the effects of each fund's strategies on its performance. They also have detailed performance figures, a list of everything the fund owns, and the fund's financial statements. Shareholders get these reports automatically. Statement of Additional Information (SAI) -- This tells you more about a 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 a fund, call (800) 621-1048, or contact Scudder Investments at the address listed below. These documents and other information about a 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 each fund, including a 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 (202) 942-8090. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scudder Investments SEC ---------------------------------------------------------------- 222 South Riverside Plaza Public Reference Section Chicago, IL 60606-5808 Washington, D.C. 20549-0102 www.scudder.com www.sec.gov (800) 621-1048 (202) 942-8090 SEC File Numbers ---------------------------------------------------------------- Scudder Global Fund 811-4670 Scudder International Fund 811-642 Distributor Scudder Distributors, Inc. 222 South Riverside Plaza Chicago, IL 60606-5808 www.scudder.com e-mail info@scudder.com Tel (800) 621-1048 SCUDDER INVESTMENTS SCUDDER INVESTMENTS Core Global/International Funds Class AARP and Class S Shares Prospectus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 1, 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scudder Global Fund Scudder International 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. Contents -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How the Funds Work How to Invest in the Funds 4 Scudder Global Fund 21 How to Buy, Sell and Exchange Class AARP Shares 9 Scudder International Fund 23 How to Buy, Sell and 13 Other Policies and Risks Exchange Class S Shares 14 Who Manages and Oversees 25 Policies You Should Know the Funds About 16 Financial Highlights 30 Understanding Distributions and Taxes How the Funds Work These funds invest significantly in foreign securities. On the next few pages, you'll find information about each fund's investment goal, the main strategies each uses to pursue that goal, and the main risks that could affect performance. Whether you are considering investing in a fund or are already a shareholder, you'll probably 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. This prospectus offers two classes for each of the funds described. Class AARP shares have been created especially for AARP members. Class S shares are generally not available to new investors. Unless otherwise noted, all information in this prospectus applies to both classes. You can find Scudder prospectuses on the Internet for Class AARP shares at aarp.scudder.com and for Class S shares at myScudder.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Class AARP Class S | ticker symbol | ACOBX SCOBX fund number | 107 007 Scudder Global Fund -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Fund's Main Investment Strategy The fund seeks long-term growth of capital while actively seeking to reduce downside risk as compared with other global growth funds. The fund invests at least 65% of its total assets in U.S. and foreign equities (equities issued by U.S. and foreign-based companies). Most of the fund's equities are common stocks. Although the fund can invest in companies of any size and from any country, it generally focuses on established companies in countries with developed economies. The fund does not invest in securities issued by tobacco-producing companies. In choosing stocks, the portfolio managers use a combination of three analytical disciplines: Bottom-up research. The managers look for companies that are industry leaders, have strong finances and management, and appear able to make the most of local, regional and global opportunities. Growth orientation. The managers primarily invest in companies that offer the potential for sustainable above-average earnings growth and whose market value appears reasonable in light of their business prospects. Analysis of global themes. The managers consider global economic outlooks, seeking to identify industries and companies that are likely to benefit from social, political and economic changes. The managers intend to keep the fund's holdings diversified across industries and geographical areas, although, depending on their outlook, they may increase or reduce the fund's exposure to a given industry or area. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER INVESTMENTS Although the fund is permitted to use various types of derivatives (contracts whose value is based on, for example, indices, commodities, currencies, or securities), the managers don't intend to use them as principal investments and may not use them at all. 4 The managers use analytical tools to actively monitor the risk profile of the portfolio as compared to comparable funds and appropriate benchmarks and peer groups. The managers use several strategies in seeking to reduce downside risk, including: (i) diversifying broadly among companies, industries, countries and regions; (ii) focusing on high quality companies with reasonable valuations; and (iii) generally focusing on countries with developed economies. The fund will normally sell a stock when the managers believe its price is unlikely to go much higher, its fundamentals have deteriorated, other investments offer better opportunities or in the course of adjusting the fund's emphasis on a given country. 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 make the fund perform less well than other investments. As with most stock funds, the most important factor with this fund is how stock markets perform, both in the U.S. and abroad. When stock prices fall, you should expect the value of your investment to fall as well. Foreign stocks tend to be more volatile than their U.S. counterparts, for reasons ranging from political and economic uncertainties to a higher risk that essential information may be incomplete or wrong. These risks tend to be greater in emerging markets, so to the extent that the fund invests in emerging markets (such as Latin America and most Pacific Basin countries), it takes on greater risks. 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. A second major factor is currency exchange rates. When the dollar value of a foreign currency falls, so does the value of any investments the fund owns that are denominated in that currency. This is separate from market risk, and may add to market losses or reduce market gains. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. This fund is designed for long-term investors interested in a broadly diversified approach to global investing. 5 Other factors that could affect performance include: o the managers could be wrong in their analysis of companies, sectors, economic trends, the relative attractiveness of different sizes of stocks or other matters o derivatives could produce disproportionate losses o the fund's risk management strategies could make long-term performance somewhat lower than it would have been without these strategies o at times, market conditions might make it hard to value some investments or to get an attractive price for them 6 The Fund's Performance History While a fund's past performance isn't necessarily a sign of how it will do in the future, it can be valuable for an investor to know. The bar chart shows how returns for the fund's Class S shares have varied from year to year, which may give some idea of risk. The table shows average annual total returns for the fund and a broad-based market index (which, unlike the fund, does not have any fees or expenses). The performance of both the fund and the index varies over time. All figures on this page assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. Scudder Global Fund -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Total Returns (%) as of 12/31 each year Class S -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT CONTAINS A BAR CHART HERE BAR CHART DATA: 1991 17.07 1992 4.54 1993 31.10 1994 -4.20 1995 20.53 1996 13.65 1997 17.24 1998 12.59 1999 23.47 2000 -3.01 2001 Total Return as of September 30: -20.70% For the periods included in the bar chart: Best Quarter: 15.20%, Q4 1999 Worst Quarter: -12.25%, Q3 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Annual Total Returns (%) as of 12/31/2000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fund -- Class S* -3.01 12.43 12.78 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index -13.18 12.12 11.93 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index: Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) World Index, an unmanaged capitalization-weighted measure of global stock markets including the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and the Far East. * Performance for Class AARP is not provided because this class does not have a full calendar year of performance. 7 How Much Investors Pay This fund has no sales charges or other shareholder fees. The fund does have annual operating expenses, and as a shareholder of either Class AARP or Class S shares, you pay them indirectly. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fee Table -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shareholder Fees, paid directly from your investment None -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Operating Expenses, deducted from fund assets -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Management Fee 0.96% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Distribution (12b-1) Fee None -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Expenses* 0.38 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Annual Operating Expenses 1.34 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Includes a fixed rate administrative fee of 0.375%. Information in the table has been restated to reflect a new fixed rate administrative fee and a new investment management fee rate. Based on the costs above, this example helps you compare this fund's expenses to those of other mutual funds. The example assumes the expenses above remain the same. It also assumes 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 5 Years 10 Years -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class AARP/S shares $136 $425 $734 $1,613 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Class AARP Class S | ticker symbol | AINTX SCINX fund number | 168 068 Scudder International Fund -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Fund's Main Investment Strategy The fund seeks long-term growth of capital by investing at least 65% of its total assets in foreign equities (equities issued by foreign-based companies and listed on foreign exchanges). Although the fund can invest in companies of any size and from any country, it invests mainly in common stocks of established companies in countries with developed economies (other than the United States). In choosing common stocks, the portfolio managers use a combination of three analytical disciplines: Bottom-up research. The managers look for individual companies that have financial strength, good business prospects, competitive positioning and earnings growth that is above-average for their market segment, among other factors. Top-down analysis. The managers consider the economic outlooks for various countries and geographical regions, favoring countries that they believe have sound economic conditions and open markets. Analysis of global themes. The managers look for significant changes in the business environment, seeking to identify industries that may benefit from these changes. The managers intend to divide the fund's holdings across industries and geographical areas, although, depending on their outlook, they may increase or reduce the fund's exposure to a given industry or area. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER INVESTMENTS The fund may invest up to 20% of net assets in foreign debt securities, including convertible bonds. Although the fund is permitted to use various types of derivatives (contracts whose value is based on, for example, indices, commodities, currencies, or securities), the managers don't intend to use them as principal investments and may not use them at all. 9 The fund will normally sell a stock when the managers believe its price is unlikely to go much higher, its fundamentals have deteriorated, other investments offer better opportunities or in the course of adjusting the fund's emphasis on a given country. 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 make the fund perform less well than other investments. As with most stock funds, the most important factor with this fund is how stock markets perform -- in this case, foreign markets. When foreign stock prices fall, you should expect the value of your investment to fall as well. Foreign stocks also tend to be more volatile than their U.S. counterparts, for reasons ranging from political and economic uncertainties to a higher risk that essential information may be incomplete or wrong. While developed foreign markets may be less risky than emerging markets, increasing globalization can make any market vulnerable to events elsewhere in the world. A second major factor is currency exchange rates. When the dollar value of a foreign currency falls, so does the value of any investments the fund owns that are denominated in that currency. This is separate from market risk, and may add to market losses or reduce market gains. 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 Other factors that could affect performance include: o the managers could be wrong in their analysis of industries, companies, economic trends, geographical trends or other matters o derivatives could produce disproportionate losses o at times, market conditions might make it hard to value some investments or to get an attractive price for them THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. This fund is designed for investors interested in a broadly diversified international investment with emphasis squarely on long-term growth of capital. 10 The Fund's Performance History While a fund's past performance isn't necessarily a sign of how it will do in the future, it can be valuable for an investor to know. The bar chart shows how the returns for the fund's Class S shares have varied from year to year, which may give some idea of risk. The table shows average annual total returns of the fund's Class S shares and a broad-based market index (which, unlike the fund, does not have any fees or expenses). The performance of both the fund and the index varies over time. All figures on this page assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. Scudder International Fund -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Total Returns (%) as of 12/31 each year Class S -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT CONTAINS A BAR CHART HERE BAR CHART DATA: 1991 11.78 1992 -2.64 1993 36.50 1994 -2.99 1995 12.22 1996 14.55 1997 7.98 1998 18.62 1999 57.89 2000 -19.23 2001 Total Return as of September 30: -29.68% For the periods included in the bar chart: Best Quarter: 30.46%, Q4 1999 Worst Quarter: -14.41%, Q3 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Annual Total Returns (%) as of 12/31/2000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fund -- Class S* -19.23 13.35 11.71 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index -13.37 7.54 8.38 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index: Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Europe, Australia, Far East (EAFE) & Canada Index, an unmanaged capitalization-weighted measure of stock markets in Europe, Australia, the Far East and Canada. * Performance for Class AARP is not provided because this class does not have a full calendar year of performance. 11 How Much Investors Pay The fund has no sales charge or other shareholder fees, other than a redemption/exchange fee on Class S shares. The fund does have annual operating expenses and as a shareholder of either Class AARP or Class S shares you pay them indirectly. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fee Table -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shareholder Fees, paid directly from your investment None -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Redemption/Exchange Fee, on Class S shares owned less than 2.00% six months (as a % of amount redeemed, if applicable) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Operating Expenses, deducted from fund assets -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Management Fee 0.68% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Distribution (12b-1) Fee None -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Expenses* 0.38 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Annual Operating Expenses 1.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Includes a fixed rate administrative fee of 0.375%. Based on the costs above, this example helps you compare this fund's 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, 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 5 Years 10 Years -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class AARP/S shares $108 $337 $585 $1,294 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Other Policies and Risks While the previous pages describe the main points of each fund's strategy and risks, there are a few other issues to know about: o Although major changes tend to be infrequent, a fund's Board could change that fund's investment goal without seeking shareholder approval. o As a temporary defensive measure, Scudder Global Fund could shift up to 100% of its assets into investments such as money market securities. As a temporary defensive measure, Scudder International Fund could shift up to 100% of its assets into investments such as U.S. or Canadian money market securities. These measures could prevent losses, but would mean that each fund was not pursuing its goal. o Scudder International Fund may trade securities actively. This could raise transaction costs (thus lowering return) and could mean higher taxable distributions. Euro conversion Funds that invest in foreign securities could be affected by accounting differences, changes in tax treatment or other issues related to the conversion of certain European currencies into the euro, which is well underway. The investment advisor is working to address euro-related issues as they occur and has been notified that other key service providers are taking similar steps. Still, there's some risk that this problem could materially affect a fund's operation (including its ability to calculate net asset value and to handle purchases and redemptions), its investments or securities markets in general. For more information This prospectus doesn't tell you about every policy or risk of investing in the funds. If you want more information on a 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. 13 Who Manages and Oversees the Funds The investment advisor The funds' investment advisor is Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc., 345 Park Avenue, New York, NY. The advisor has more than 80 years of experience managing mutual funds, and currently has more than $325 billion in assets under management. The advisor's asset management teams include investment professionals, economists, research analysts, traders and other investment specialists, located in offices across the United States and around the world. The advisor receives a management fee from each fund. Below are the actual rates paid by each fund for the 12 months through the most recent fiscal year, as a percentage of each fund's average daily net assets. Fund Name Fee Paid --------------------------------------------------------------------- Scudder Global Fund 0.96% --------------------------------------------------------------------- Scudder International Fund 0.68% --------------------------------------------------------------------- Scudder Global Fund has entered into a new investment management agreement with the advisor. The table below describes the new fee rates for the fund. Average Daily Net Assets Fee Rate --------------------------------------------------------------------- Scudder Global Fund --------------------------------------------------------------------- New Investment Management Fee as of September 11, 2000 --------------------------------------------------------------------- first $500 million 1.000% --------------------------------------------------------------------- next $500 million 0.950% --------------------------------------------------------------------- next $500 million 0.900% --------------------------------------------------------------------- next $500 million 0.850% --------------------------------------------------------------------- over $2 billion 0.800% --------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 AARP through its affiliates monitors and approves the AARP Investment Program from Scudder Investments, but does not recommend specific mutual funds. The advisor has agreed to pay a fee to AARP and/or its affiliates in return for the use of the AARP trademark and services relating to investments by AARP members in AARP Class shares of each fund. This fee is calculated on a daily basis as a percentage of the combined net assets of the AARP Classes of all funds managed by the advisor. The fee rates, which decrease as the aggregate net assets of the AARP Classes become larger, are as follows: 0.07% for the first $6 billion in net assets, 0.06% for the next $10 billion and 0.05% thereafter. These amounts are used for the general purposes of AARP and its members. The portfolio managers The following people handle the day-to-day management of each fund. Scudder Global Fund Scudder International Fund William E. Holzer Irene T. Cheng Lead Portfolio Manager Lead Portfolio Manager o Began investment career o Began investment career in 1977 in 1985 o Joined the advisor in 1980 o Joined the advisor in 1993 o Joined the fund team in 1986 o Joined the fund team in 1998 Nicholas Bratt Nicholas Bratt o Began investment career o Began investment career in 1974 in 1974 o Joined the advisor in 1976 o Joined the advisor in 1976 o Joined the fund team in 1993 o Joined the fund team in 1976 Peter Crays Marc J. Slendebroek o Began investment career o Began investment career in 1993 in 1989 o Joined the advisor in 1999 o Joined the advisor in 1994 o Joined the fund team in 2000 o Joined the fund team in 1999 Carol L. Franklin o Began investment career in 1975 o Joined the advisor in 1981 o Joined the fund team in 1986 15 Financial Highlights These tables are designed to help you understand each fund's financial performance. The figures in the first part of each table are for a single share. The total return figures represent the percentage that an investor in a particular fund would have earned (or lost), assuming all dividends and distributions were reinvested. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report, along with each fund's financial statements, is included in that fund's annual report (see "Shareholder reports" on the back cover). Scudder Global Fund -- Class AARP -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2001^a -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selected Per Share Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, beginning of period $27.40 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Income (loss) from investment operations: Net investment income (loss)^b .22 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions (4.31) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total from investment operations (4.09) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Less distributions from: Net investment income (.05) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized gains on investment transactions (.10) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total distributions (.15) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, end of period $23.16 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Return (%) (14.99)** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net assets, end of period ($ millions) 126 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of expenses (%) 1.30^c* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%) .90* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Portfolio turnover rate (%) 40 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^a For the period from September 11, 2000 (commencement of sales of Class AARP shares) to August 31, 2001. ^b Based on average shares outstanding during the period. ^c The ratio of operating expenses includes a one-time reduction in reorganization costs from fiscal 2000. This ratio without this reduction was 1.34%. * Annualized ** Not annualized 16 Scudder Global Fund -- Class S^(a) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2001^c 2000^c 1999^d 1999^e 1998^e 1997^e -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selected Per Share Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, beginning of $31.36 $31.25 $31.30 $32.41 $33.67 $28.73 period -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Income (loss) from investment operations: Net investment income (loss)^b .21 .53g .02 .23 .38 .17 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized and unrealized (4.77) 3.69 (.07) 1.82 3.82 6.58 gain (loss) on investment transactions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total from investment (4.56) 4.22 (.05) 2.05 4.20 6.75 operations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Less distributions from: (.25) (.20) -- (.55) (.88) (.28) Net investment income -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized gains on (3.40) (3.91) -- (2.61) (4.58) (1.53) investment transactions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total distributions (3.65) (4.11) -- (3.16) (5.46) (1.81) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, end of period $23.15 $31.36 $31.25 $31.30 $32.41 $33.67 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Return (%) (16.34) 13.83 (.16)** 7.18 14.93 24.91 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net assets, end of period 1,090 1,552 1,553 1,610 1,766 1,604 ($ millions) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of expenses (%) 1.34^h 1.33^f 1.36* 1.35 1.34 1.37 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%) .86 1.71^g .44* .79 1.19 .59 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Portfolio turnover rate (%) 40 60 29* 70 51 41 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^a On September 11, 2000, existing shares of the Fund were redesignated as Class S. ^b Based on average shares outstanding during the period. ^c For the years ended August 31. ^d For the two months ended August 31, 1999. On June 7, 1999, the Fund changed its fiscal year end from June 30 to August 31. ^e For the years ended June 30. ^f The ratio of operating expenses excluding costs incurred in connection with the reorganization was 1.32%. ^g Net investment income per share includes non-recurring dividend income amounting to $.29 per share; the ratio of net investment income excluding the non-recurring dividend is .77%. ^h The ratio of operating expenses includes a one-time reduction in reorganization costs from fiscal 2000. This ratio without this reduction was 1.34%. * Annualized ** Not annualized 17 Scudder International Fund -- Class AARP -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2001^a 2000^b -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selected Per Share Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, beginning of period $57.74 $57.26 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Income (loss) from investment operations: Net investment income (loss)^c .20 .01 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investment (14.96) .47 transactions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total from investment operations (14.76) .48 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Less distributions from: Net investment income (.06) -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized gains on investment transactions (2.68) -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total distributions (2.74) -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, end of period $40.24 $57.74 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Return (%) (26.43) .84** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net assets, end of period ($ millions) 36 71 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of expenses (%) 1.04^d 1.05* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%) .46 .30* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Portfolio turnover rate (%) 85 83 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^a For the year ended August 31. ^b For the period from August 14, 2000 (commencement of sales of Class AARP shares) to August 31, 2000. ^c Based on average shares outstanding during the period. ^d The ratio of operating expenses includes a one-time reduction in reorganization costs from fiscal 2000. The ratio without this reduction was 1.07%. * Annualized ** Not annualized 18 Scudder International Fund -- Class S -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selected Per Share Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, $57.73 $54.82 $50.07 $52.06 $48.07 $45.71 beginning of period -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Income (loss) from investment operations: Net investment income (loss)^d .18 .16 .20^e .47^f .43 .30 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized and (14.94) 9.38 7.20 3.10 9.16 4.53 unrealized gain (loss) on investment transactions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total from investment (14.76) 9.54 7.40 3.57 9.59 4.83 operations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Less distributions from: Net investment income (.05) (.13) -- -- (.25) (1.28) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized gains on (2.68) (6.50) (2.65) (5.56) (5.35) (1.19) investment transactions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total distributions (2.73) (6.63) (2.65) (5.56) (5.60) (2.47) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, end of period $40.24 $57.73 $54.82 $50.07 $52.06 $48.07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Return (%) (26.44) 17.09 15.19** 7.18 21.57 10.74 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net assets, end of period 3,248 4,841 3,610 3,090 2,885 2,583 ($ millions) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of expenses (%) 1.07 1.12 1.21* 1.17 1.18 1.15 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%) .43 .25 .93* .92 .83 .64 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Portfolio turnover rate (%) 85 83 82* 80 56 36 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^a For the year ended August 31. ^b For the five months ended August 31, 1999. On June 7, 1999, the Fund changed its fiscal year end from March 31 to August 31. ^c For the year ended March 31. ^d Based on average shares outstanding during the period. ^e Net investment income per share includes non-recurring dividend income amounting to $.02 per share. ^f Net investment income per share includes non-recurring dividend income amounting to $.09 per share. * Annualized ** Not annualized 19 How to Invest in the Funds The following pages tell you how to invest in these funds and what to expect as a shareholder. If you're investing directly with 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. As noted earlier, there are two classes of shares of each fund available through this prospectus. The instructions for buying and selling each class are slightly different. Instructions for buying and selling Class AARP shares, which have been created especially for AARP members, are found on the next two pages. These are followed by instructions for buying and selling Class S shares, which are generally not available to new investors. Be sure to use the appropriate table when placing any orders to buy, exchange or sell shares in your account. How to Buy, Sell and Exchange Class AARP Shares Buying Shares Use these instructions to invest directly. Make out your check to "The AARP Investment Program."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- First investment Additional investments ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $1,000 or more for regular accounts $50 minimum for regular accounts and IRA accounts $500 or more for IRAs $50 minimum with an Automatic Investment Plan, Payroll Deduction or Direct Deposit ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By mail or express mail (see below) o For enrollment forms, call Send a personalized investment slip or 1-800-253-2277 short note that includes: o Fill out and sign an enrollment form o fund and class name o Send it to us at the appropriate o account number address, along with an investment check o check payable to "The AARP Investment Program" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By wire o Call 1-800-253-2277 for instructions o Call 1-800-253-2277 for instructions (minimum $50) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By phone -- o Call 1-800-253-2277 for instructions ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With an automatic investment plan o Fill in the information required on o To set up regular investments from a your enrollment form and include a bank checking account, call voided check 1-800-253-2277 (minimum $50) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Payroll Deduction or Direct Deposit o Select either of these options on your o Once you specify a dollar amount enrollment form and submit it. You (minimum $50), investments are will receive further instructions by automatic. mail. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using QuickBuy -- o Call 1-800-253-2277 to speak to a representative o or, to use QuickBuy on the Easy-Access Line, call 1-800-631-4636 and follow the instructions on how to purchase shares ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the Internet o Go to "services and forms-- How to o Call 1-800-253-2277 to ensure you open an account" at aarp.scudder.com have electronic services o Print out a prospectus and an o Register at aarp.scudder.com enrollment form o Follow the instructions for buying o Complete and return the enrollment shares with money from your bank form with your check account ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regular mail: The AARP Investment Program First Investment: PO Box 219735, Kansas City, MO 64121-9735 Additional Investments: PO Box 219743, Kansas City, MO 64121-9743 Express, registered or certified mail: The AARP Investment Program, 811 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64105-2005 Fax number: 1-800-821-6234 (for exchanging and selling only) 21 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $1,000 or more to open a new account Some transactions, including most for ($500 or more for IRAs) over $100,000, can only be ordered in writing; if you're in doubt, see page $50 or more for exchanges between 27 existing accounts ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By phone o Call 1-800-253-2277 for instructions o Call 1-800-253-2277 for instructions ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using Easy-Access Line o Call 1-800- 631-4636 and follow the o Call 1-800-631-4636 and follow the instructions instructions ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By mail, express mail or fax (see previous page) Your instructions should include: Your instructions should include: o your account number o your account number o names of the funds, class and number o names of the funds, class and number of shares or dollar amount you want of shares or dollar amount you want to to redeem exchange ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With an automatic withdrawal plan -- o To set up regular cash payments from an account, call 1-800-253-2277 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using QuickSell -- o Call 1-800-253-2277 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the Internet o Register at aarp.scudder.com -- o Go to "services and forms" o Follow the instructions for making on-line exchanges ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To reach us: o Web site aarp.scudder.com o Program representatives 1-800-253-2277, M-F, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. EST o Confidential fax line 1-800-821-6234, always open o TDD line 1-800-634-9454, M-F, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST Class AARP o AARP Lump Sum Service For planning and setting up a lump Services sum distribution. o AARP Legacy Service For organizing financial documents and planning the orderly transfer of assets to heirs o AARP Goal Setting and Asset Allocation Service For allocating assets and measuring investment progress o For more information, please call 1-800-253-2277. 22 How to Buy, Sell and Exchange Class S Shares Buying Shares Use these instructions to invest directly. Make out your check to "The Scudder Funds."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- First investment Additional investments ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $2,500 or more for regular accounts $50 or more for regular accounts and IRA accounts $1,000 or more for IRAs $50 or more with an Automatic Investment Plan ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By mail or express mail (see below) o Fill out and sign an application Send a 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 "The Scudder Funds" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By wire o Call 1-800-SCUDDER for instructions o Call 1-800-SCUDDER for instructions (minimum $50) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By phone -- o Call 1-800-SCUDDER for instructions ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With an automatic investment plan o Fill in the information on your o To set up regular investments from a application and include a voided check bank checking account, call 1-800-SCUDDER (minimum $50) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using QuickBuy -- o Call 1-800-SCUDDER to speak to a representative o or, to use QuickBuy on SAIL, 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-SCUDDER to ensure you myScudder.com have electronic services o Print out a prospectus and a new o Register at myScudder.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: Scudder Investments, PO Box 219669, Kansas City, MO 64121-9669 Additional Investments: Scudder Investments, PO Box 219664, Kansas City, MO 64121-9664 Express, registered or certified mail: Scudder Investments, 811 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64105-2005 Fax number: 1-800-821-6234 (for exchanging and selling only) 23 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; if you're in doubt, see page $50 or more for exchanges between 27 existing accounts ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By phone or wire o Call 1-800-SCUDDER for instructions o Call 1-800-SCUDDER for instructions ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using SAIL(TM) o Call 1-800-343-2890 and follow the o Call 1-800-343-2890 and follow the instructions instructions ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By mail, express mail or fax (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 o a daytime telephone number account o a daytime telephone number ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With an automatic withdrawal plan -- o To set up regular cash payments from a Scudder account, call 1-800-SCUDDER ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using QuickSell -- o Call 1-800-SCUDDER ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the Internet o Register at myScudder.com o Register at myScudder.com o Follow the instructions for making o Follow the instructions for making on-line exchanges on-line redemptions ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24 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 investment providers. If you are investing through an investment provider, check the materials you got from them. As a general rule, you should follow the information in those materials wherever it contradicts the information given here. Please note that an investment provider may charge its own fees. In either case, keep in mind that the information in this prospectus applies only to the fund's Class AARP and Class S shares. The funds do have other share classes, which are described in separate prospectuses and which have different fees, 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 call 1-800-253-2277 (Class AARP) or 1-800-SCUDDER (Class S). Policies about transactions Each fund is open for business each day the New York Stock Exchange is open. Each fund calculates its share price every business day, as of the close of regular trading on the 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. Once your order is received by Scudder Service Corporation, and they have determined that it is in "good order," it will be processed at the next share price calculated. Because orders placed through investment providers must be forwarded to Scudder Service Corporation before they can be processed, you'll need to allow extra time. A representative of your investment provider should be able to tell you when your order will be processed. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. Questions? You can speak to a Scudder representative between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern time on any fund business day by calling 1-800-253-2277 (Class AARP) or 1-800-SCUDDER (Class S). 25 Automated phone information is available 24 hours a day. You can use your automated phone services to get information on Scudder funds generally and on accounts held directly at Scudder. If you signed up for telephone services, you can also use this service to make exchanges and sell shares. For Class AARP shares --------------------------------------------------------------------- Call Easy-Access Line, the AARP Program Automated Information Line, at 1-800-631-4636 --------------------------------------------------------------------- For Class S shares --------------------------------------------------------------------- Call SAIL(TM), the Scudder Automated Information Line, at 1-800-343-2890 --------------------------------------------------------------------- QuickBuy and QuickSell let you set up a link between a Scudder 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 or three days to be completed and there is a $50 minimum. To set up QuickBuy or QuickSell on a new account, see the account application; to add it to an existing account, call 1-800-253-2277 (Class AARP) or 1-800-SCUDDER (Class S). 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. 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. The 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 aarp.scudder.com (Class AARP) or myScudder.com (Class S). 26 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 completed within 24 hours. The funds can only send wires of $1,000 or more and accept wires of $50 or more. Exchanges are a shareholder privilege, not a right: we may reject any exchange order, particularly when there appears to be a pattern of "market timing" or other frequent purchases and sales. We may also reject or limit purchase orders, for these or other reasons. When you want to sell more than $100,000 worth of shares, you'll usually need to place your order in writing and include a signature guarantee. The only exception is if you want money wired to a bank account that is already on file with us; in that case, you don't need a signature guarantee. Also, you don't 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 most brokers, banks, savings institutions and credit unions. Note that you can't get a signature guarantee from a notary public. 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: 15 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. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. If you ever have difficulty placing an order by phone or fax, you can always send us your order in writing. 27 How the funds calculate share price For each share class, the price at which you buy shares is the net asset value per share, or NAV. To calculate NAV, each share class of each fund uses the following equation: TOTAL ASSETS - TOTAL LIABILITIES ------------------------------------ = NAV TOTAL NUMBER OF SHARES OUTSTANDING We typically use market prices to value securities. However, when a market price isn't available, or when we have reason to believe it doesn't represent market realities, we may use fair value methods approved by a fund's Board. In such a case, the fund's value for a security is likely to be different from the last quoted market prices. The price at which you sell shares of each fund is also that fund's NAV, minus a 2.00% redemption/exchange fee on Class S shares of Scudder International Fund owned less than six months. You won't be charged this fee if you're investing in an employer-sponsored retirement plan that is set up directly with Scudder. Certain other types of accounts may also be eligible for this waiver. If your employer-sponsored retirement plan is through a third-party investment provider, or if you are investing through an IRA or other individual retirement account, the fee will apply. To the extent that a fund invests in securities that are traded primarily in foreign markets, the value of their 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 funds don't price their shares. 28 Other rights we reserve You should be aware that we may do any of the following: o withhold 30% (in 2002 and 2003) 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 close your account and send you the proceeds if your balance falls below $1,000 for Class AARP shareholders, $2,500 for Class S shareholders and $250 for Class S retirement accounts; for Class S shareholders, charge you $10 a year if your account balance falls below $2,500; in either case, 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 Scudder fund shares or in any case where a fall in share price created the low balance) o reject a new account application if you don't provide a correct Social Security or other tax ID number; if the account has already been opened, we may give you 30 days' notice to provide the correct number 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; the funds 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 at any time) 29 Understanding Distributions and Taxes By law, a mutual fund is required to pass through to its shareholders virtually all of its net earnings. A 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. (A fund's earnings are separate from any gains or losses stemming from your own purchase of shares.) A fund may not always pay a distribution for a given period. Each fund intends to pay dividends and distributions to their shareholders in November or December, and if necessary may do so at other times as well. You can choose how to receive your dividends and distributions. You can have them all automatically reinvested in fund shares, 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. For retirement plans, reinvestment is the only option. 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; whether long-term or short-term depends on how long you owned the shares. For tax purposes, an exchange is 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. 30 The tax status of the fund earnings you receive, and your own fund transactions, generally depends on their type: Generally taxed at ordinary income rates --------------------------------------------------------------------- o short-term capital gains from selling fund shares --------------------------------------------------------------------- o taxable income dividends you receive from a fund --------------------------------------------------------------------- o short-term capital gains distributions you receive from a fund --------------------------------------------------------------------- Generally taxed at capital gains rates --------------------------------------------------------------------- o long-term capital gains from selling fund shares --------------------------------------------------------------------- o long-term capital gains distributions you receive from a fund --------------------------------------------------------------------- You may be able to claim a tax credit or deduction for your share of any foreign taxes your fund pays. 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. If you invest right before a 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. Corporations may be able to take a dividends-received deduction for a portion of income dividends they receive from Scudder Global Fund. 31 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To Get More Information Shareholder reports -- These include commentary from each fund's management team about recent market conditions and the effects of each fund's strategies on its performance. They also have detailed performance figures, a list of everything a fund owns, and the fund's financial statements. Shareholders get these reports automatically. Statement of Additional Information (SAI) -- This tells you more about a 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 1-800-253-2277 (Class AARP) or 1-800-SCUDDER (Class S), or contact Scudder Investments at the address listed below. These documents and other information about a 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 each 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 1-202-942-8090. AARP Investment Program from Scudder Investments SEC Scudder Investments (Class AARP) (Class S) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PO Box 219735 PO Box 219669 Public Reference Section Kansas City, MO Kansas City, MO Washington, D.C. 64121-9735 64121-9669 20549-0102 aarp.scudder.com myScudder.com www.sec.gov 1-800-253-2277 1-800-SCUDDER 1-202-942-8090 SEC File Numbers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scudder Global Fund 811-4670 Scudder International Fund 811-642 Distributor Scudder Investor Services, Inc. Two International Place Boston, MA 02110-4103 SCUDDER INVESTMENTS Prospectus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 1, 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Barrett International Shares Fund #401 This prospectus applies to the Barrett International Shares of Scudder International 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. Contents -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How the Fund Works How to Invest in the Fund 4 The Fund's Main Investment 12 How to Buy and Sell Shares Strategy 13 Policies You Should Know 5 The Main Risks of Investing in About the Fund 17 Understanding Distributions 8 Other Policies and Risks and Taxes 9 Who Manages and Oversees the Fund 10 Financial Highlights How the Fund Works On the next few pages, you'll find information about this fund's investment goal, the main strategies it uses to pursue that goal and the main risks that could affect its performance. Whether you are considering investing in the fund or are already a shareholder, you'll probably want to look this information over carefully. You may want to keep it on hand for reference as well. Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. serves as investment advisor to Scudder International Fund. Barrett Associates, Inc. sponsors the Barrett International Shares, a class of Scudder International Fund, which are described herein. Remember that mutual funds are investments, not bank deposits. They're not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency, and you could lose money by investing in them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ticker symbol | SIBIX fund number | 401 Barrett International Shares -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Fund's Main Investment Strategy The fund seeks long-term growth of capital by investing at least 65% of its total assets in foreign equities (equities issued by foreign-based companies and listed on foreign exchanges). Although the fund can invest in companies of any size and from any country, it invests mainly in common stocks of established companies in countries with developed economies (other than the United States). In choosing common stocks, the portfolio managers use a combination of three analytical disciplines: Bottom-up research. The managers look for individual companies that have financial strength, good business prospects, competitive positioning and earnings growth that is above-average for their market segment, among other factors. Top-down analysis. The managers consider the economic outlooks for various countries and geographical regions, favoring countries that they believe have sound economic conditions and open markets. Analysis of global themes. The managers look for significant changes in the business environment, seeking to identify industries that may benefit from these changes. The managers intend to divide the fund's holdings across industries and geographical areas, although, depending on their outlook, they may increase or reduce the fund's exposure to a given industry or area. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER INVESTMENTS The fund may invest up to 20% of net assets in foreign debt securities, including convertible bonds. Although the fund is permitted to use various types of derivatives (contracts whose value is based on, for example, indices, commodities, currencies, or securities), the managers don't intend to use them as principal investments and may not use them at all. 4 The fund will normally sell a stock when the managers believe its price is unlikely to go much higher, its fundamentals have deteriorated, other investments offer better opportunities or in the course of adjusting the fund's emphasis on a given country. 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 make the fund perform less well than other investments. As with most stock funds, the most important factor with this fund is how stock markets perform -- in this case, foreign markets. When foreign stock prices fall, you should expect the value of your investment to fall as well. Foreign stocks also tend to be more volatile than their U.S. counterparts, for reasons ranging from political and economic uncertainties to a higher risk that essential information may be incomplete or wrong. While developed foreign markets may be less risky than emerging markets, increasing globalization can make any market vulnerable to events elsewhere in the world. A second major factor is currency exchange rates. When the dollar value of a foreign currency falls, so does the value of any investments the fund owns that are denominated in that currency. This is separate from market risk, and may add to market losses or reduce market gains. 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. Other factors that could affect performance include: o the managers could be wrong in their analysis of industries, companies, economic trends, geographical areas or other matters o derivatives could produce disproportionate losses o at times, market conditions might make it hard to value some investments or to get an attractive price for them THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. This fund is designed for investors interested in a broadly diversified international investment with the emphasis squarely on long-term growth of capital. 5 The Fund's Performance History While a fund's past performance isn't necessarily a sign of how it will do in the future, it can be valuable for an investor to know. The bar chart shows how the total returns for the fund's Barrett International Shares have varied from year to year, which may give some idea of risk. The table shows average annual total returns of Barrett International Shares and a broad-based market index (which, unlike the fund, does not have any fees or expenses). The performance of both the Barrett International Shares and the index varies over time. All figures on this page assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. If you would like up-to-date information on the performance of Barrett International Shares since inception, call 1-800-728-3337. Barrett International Shares -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Total Returns (%) as of 12/31 each year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT CONTAINS A BAR CHART HERE BAR CHART DATA: 1999 58.24 2000 -19.14 2001 Total Return as of September 30: -29.66% For the periods included in the bar chart: Best Quarter: 30.60%, Q4 1999 Worst Quarter: -9.64%, Q3 2000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Annual Total Returns (%) as of 12/31/2000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Year Since Inception -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Barrett International Shares -19.14 10.85* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index -13.37 -4.05** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index: Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Europe, Australia, Far East (EAFE) & Canada Index, an unmanaged capitalization-weighted measure of stock markets in Europe, Australia, the Far East and Canada. * Inception date for Barrett International Shares is 4/3/1998. ** Index comparison begins 3/31/1998. 6 How Much Investors Pay Barrett International Shares have no sales charges or other shareholder fees. The fund does have annual operating expenses, and as a shareholder of Barrett International Shares you pay them indirectly. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fee Table -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shareholder Fees, paid directly from your investment None -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Operating Expenses, deducted from fund assets -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Management Fee 0.68% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Distribution (12b-1) Fee None -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Expenses* 0.38 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Annual Operating Expenses 1.06 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Includes a fixed rate administrative fee of 0.375%. Based on the costs above, this example helps you compare the expenses of the fund's Barrett International Shares 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, 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 5 Years 10 Years -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Barrett International $108 $337 $585 $1,294 Shares -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Other Policies and 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 goal without seeking shareholder approval. o As a temporary defensive measure, the fund could shift up to 100% of its assets into investments such as U.S. or Canadian money market securities. This could help prevent losses, but would mean that the fund was not pursuing its goal. o The fund may trade securities actively. This could raise transaction costs (thus lowering return) and could mean higher taxable distributions. Euro conversion Funds that invest in foreign securities could be affected by accounting differences, changes in tax treatment or other issues related to the conversion of certain European currencies into the euro, which is well underway. The investment advisor is working to address euro-related issues as they occur and has been notified that other key service providers are taking similar steps. Still, there's some risk that this problem could materially affect a fund's operation (including its ability to calculate net asset value and to handle purchases and redemptions), its investments or securities markets in general. 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 SAI (the back cover has information on how to do this). Keep in mind that there is no assurance that any mutual fund will achieve its goal. 8 Who Manages and Oversees the Fund The investment advisor The fund's investment advisor is Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc., 345 Park Avenue, New York, NY. The advisor has more than 80 years of experience managing mutual funds, and currently has more than $325 billion in assets under management. Barrett International Shares are offered exclusively by Barrett Associates, Inc., 565 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. The advisor's asset management teams include investment professionals, economists, research analysts, traders, and other investment specialists, located in offices across the United States and around the world. The advisor receives a management fee from the fund. For the 12 months through the most recent fiscal year end, the actual amount the fund paid in management fees was 0.68% of its average daily net assets. The portfolio managers The following people handle the day-to-day management of the fund. Irene T. Cheng Marc J. Slendebroek Lead Portfolio Manager o Began investment career in o Began investment career in 1989 1985 o Joined the advisor in 1994 o Joined the advisor in 1993 o Joined the fund team in 1999 o Joined the fund team in 1998 Carol L. Franklin Nicholas Bratt o Began investment career o Began investment career in 1975 in 1974 o Joined the advisor in 1981 o Joined the advisor in 1976 o Joined the fund team in 1986 o Joined the fund team in 1976 9 Financial Highlights This table is designed to help you understand the financial performance of the Barrett International Shares since inception. The figures in the first part of the table are for a single share. The total return figures represent the percentage that an investor in the fund would have earned (or lost), assuming all dividends and distributions were reinvested. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report, along with the fund's financial statements, is included in the annual report (see "Shareholder reports" on the back cover). Barrett International Shares -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2001^a 2000^a 1999^b 1999^c -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selected Per Share Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, beginning of period $57.95 $54.94 $50.14 $52.40 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Income (loss) from investment operations: Net investment income (loss)^d .19 .25 .25^e .52^f -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (15.00) 9.45 7.20 2.78 on investment transactions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total from investment operations (14.81) 9.70 7.45 3.30 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Less distributions from: (.09) (.19) -- -- Net investment income -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized gains on investment (2.68) (6.50) (2.65) (5.56) transactions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total distributions (2.77) (6.69) (2.65) (5.56) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net asset value, end of period $40.37 $57.95 $54.94 $50.14 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Return (%) (26.42) 17.31 15.27** 6.60** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net assets, end of period ($ millions) 9 26 25 23 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of expenses (%) 1.07 .96 1.03* 1.08* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%) .43 .39 1.11* 1.02* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Portfolio turnover rate (%) 85 83 82* 80 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^a For the year ended August 31. ^b For the five months ended August 31, 1999. On June 7, 1999, the Fund changed its fiscal year end from March 31 to August 31. ^c For the period from April 3, 1998 (commencement of sales of Barrett International Shares) to March 31, 1999. ^d Based on average shares outstanding during the period. ^e Net investment income per share includes non-recurring dividend income amounting to $.02 per share. ^f Net investment income per share includes non-recurring dividend income amounting to $.09 per share. * Annualized ** Not annualized 10 How to Invest in the Fund The following pages tell you how to invest with us and what to expect as a shareholder. How to Buy and Sell Shares Barrett Associates sponsors the Barrett International Shares, and will arrange for purchases and sales on your behalf. Please contact your Barrett representative by telephone at (202) 983-5080 or in person at 565 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Additional information appears below: Initial investments in Barrett International Shares require a minimum of $25,000. Additional investments can be made in increments of $1,000 or more. These minimums may be waived for Directors and Officers of Scudder International Fund, Inc. and existing shareholders as of April 3, 1998, the date of the creation of the Barrett International Shares. Purchases and sales may also be made by wire and by mail. Contact your Barrett representative for further information. 12 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 investment providers. If you are investing through an investment provider, check the materials you got from them. As a general rule, you should follow the information in those materials wherever it contradicts the information given here. Please note that an investment provider may charge its own fees. In either case, keep in mind that the information in this prospectus applies only to the fund's Barrett International Shares. The fund does have other share classes, which are described in separate prospectuses and which have different fees, 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 call (800) 854-8525. Policies about transactions The fund is open for business each day the New York Stock Exchange is open. The fund calculates the share price every business day, as of the close of regular trading on the 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. Once you instruct Barrett Associates to place an order for you with Scudder Service Corporation, and it is determined to be in "good order," it will be processed at the next share price calculated. Because orders placed through Barrett Associates must be forwarded to Scudder Service Corporation before they can be processed, you'll need to allow extra time. A representative of Barrett Associates should be able to tell you when your order will be processed. THE FOLLOWING SIDEBAR TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. Questions? You can speak to a Scudder representative between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Eastern time on any fund business day by calling 1-800-854-8525. 13 When Barrett Associates, on your behalf, asks us to send or receive a wire, please note that while we don't charge a fee to send or receive wires, we will deduct a $5 fee from all wires sent from us to your bank. Your bank may charge its own fees for handling wires. The fund can only accept wires of $100 or more. The Expedited Redemption Service is designed for investors who want the proceeds from shares they sell to be automatically wired to a bank account. If the proceeds are less than $1,000, we will mail a check to Barrett Associates, on your behalf, rather than wiring the funds to your bank account. To use the Expedited Redemption Service, you'll need to set it up in advance. Also, please note that if you opened your account by wire, you can't use the Expedited Redemption Service until we have received your written application. When you want to sell more than $100,000 worth of shares, you'll usually need to place your order in writing and include a signature guarantee. The only exception is if you want money wired to a bank account that is already on file with us; in that case, you don't need a signature guarantee. A signature guarantee is simply a certification of your signature -- a valuable safeguard against fraud. You can get a signature guarantee from most brokers, banks, savings institutions, and credit unions. Note that you can't get a signature guarantee from a notary public. 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: 15 days) or when unusual circumstances prompt the SEC to allow further delays. 14 How the fund calculates share price The price at which you buy shares is the net asset value per share, or NAV. To calculate NAV, a share class of the fund uses the following equation, taking figures for Barrett International Shares only: TOTAL ASSETS - TOTAL LIABILITIES ------------------------------------- = NAV TOTAL NUMBER OF SHARES OUTSTANDING We typically use market prices to value securities. However, when a market price isn't available, or when we have reason to believe it doesn't represent market realities, we may use fair value methods approved by the fund's Board. In such a case, the fund's value for a security is likely to be different from quoted market prices. To the extent that 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. 15 Other rights we reserve You should be aware that we may do any of the following: o withhold 30% (in 2002 and 2003) of your distributions as federal income tax if you 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 close your account and send you the proceeds if your balance falls below $25,000 and, after 30 days' notice, you haven't either increased your balance or closed your account; this policy doesn't apply in cases where a fall in share price created the low balance, and it may be waived in certain cases or for certain investors o reject a new account application if you don't provide a correct Social Security or other tax ID number; if the account has already been opened, we may give you 30 days' notice to provide the correct number 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; 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 at any time) 16 Understanding Distributions and Taxes By law, a mutual fund is required to pass through to its shareholders virtually all of its net earnings. A 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. (A fund's earnings are separate from any gains or losses stemming from your own purchase of shares.) A fund may not always pay a distribution for a given period. The fund intends to pay dividends and distributions to its shareholders annually in November or December, or as otherwise needed. You can choose how to receive your dividends and distributions. You can have them all automatically reinvested in fund shares, all deposited directly to your bank account, 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. 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; whether long-term or short-term depends on how long you owned the shares. For tax purposes, an exchange is the same as a sale. THE FOLLOWING TEXT APPEARS NEXT TO THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPHS. Because each shareholder's tax situation is unique, ask your tax professional or Barrett Associates representative about the tax consequences of your investments, including any state and local tax consequences. 17 The tax status of the fund earnings you receive, and your own fund transactions, generally depends on their type: Generally taxed at ordinary income rates --------------------------------------------------------------------- o short-term capital gains from selling fund shares --------------------------------------------------------------------- o taxable income dividends you receive from the fund --------------------------------------------------------------------- o short-term capital gains distributions you receive from the fund --------------------------------------------------------------------- Generally taxed at capital gains rates --------------------------------------------------------------------- o long-term capital gains from selling fund shares --------------------------------------------------------------------- o long-term capital gains distributions you receive from the fund --------------------------------------------------------------------- You may be able to claim a tax credit or deduction for your share of any foreign taxes the fund pays. The fund will send detailed tax information every January to Barrett Associates, who will forward it to you. 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. 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. 18 Notes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To Get More Information Shareholder reports -- These 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 have detailed performance figures, a list of everything the fund owns, and the fund's financial statements. Shareholders get these reports automatically. 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 1-212-983-5080 (Barrett Associates), or contact Scudder Investments at the address listed below. 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 1-202-942-8090. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Barrett Associates, Inc. Scudder Funds SEC ---------------------------------------------------------------- 565 Fifth Avenue PO Box 219669 Public Reference Section New York, NY Kansas City, MO Washington, D.C. 20549-0102 10017 64121-9669 www.sec.gov 1-212-983-5080 1-800-854-8525 1-202-942-8090 SEC File Number ---------------------------------------------------------------- Barrett International Shares 811-642 Distributor Scudder Investor Services, Inc. Two International Place Boston, MA 02110-4103 SCUDDER INVESTMENTS SCUDDER INVESTMENTS Supplement to the currently effective Statement of Additional Information for each of the listed funds: Scudder 21st Century Growth Fund Scudder Aggressive Growth Fund Scudder Blue Chip Fund Scudder Balanced Fund Scudder California Tax-Free Income Fund Scudder Capital Growth Fund Scudder Cash Investment Trust Scudder Cash Reserves Fund Scudder Contrarian Fund Scudder Development Fund Scudder Dividend & Growth Fund Scudder-Dreman Financial Services Fund Scudder-Dreman High Return Equity Fund Scudder Dynamic Growth Fund Scudder Emerging Markets Growth Fund Scudder Emerging Markets Income Fund Scudder Floating Rate Fund Scudder Florida Tax-Free Income Fund Scudder Focus Growth Fund Scudder Focus Value+Growth Fund Scudder Global Bond Fund Scudder Global Discovery Fund Scudder Global Fund Scudder GNMA Fund Scudder Gold Fund Scudder Greater Europe Growth Fund Scudder Growth Fund Scudder Growth and Income Fund Scudder Health Care Fund Scudder High-Yield Fund Scudder High-Yield Opportunity Fund Scudder High-Yield Tax-Free Fund Scudder Income Fund Scudder International Fund Scudder International Research Fund Scudder Large Company Growth Fund Scudder Large Company Value Fund Scudder Latin America Fund Scudder Managed Municipal Bonds Scudder Massachusetts Tax-Free Fund Scudder Medium-Term Tax-Free Fund Scudder Money Market Series Scudder New Europe Fund Scudder New York Tax-Free Income Fund Scudder Pacific Opportunities Fund Scudder Pathway Series: Conservative Portfolio Scudder Pathway Series: Growth Portfolio Scudder Pathway Series: Moderate Portfolio Scudder Research Fund Scudder Retirement Fund -- Series III Scudder Retirement Fund -- Series IV Scudder Retirement Fund -- Series V Scudder Retirement Fund -- Series VI Scudder Retirement Fund -- Series VII Scudder S&P 500 Index Fund Scudder S&P 500 Stock Fund Scudder Select 500 Fund Scudder Select 1000 Growth Fund Scudder Short-Term Bond Fund Scudder Small Cap Value Fund Scudder Small Company Stock Fund Scudder Small Company Value Fund Scudder Strategic Income Fund Scudder Target 2010 Fund Scudder Target 2011 Fund Scudder Tax Free Money Fund Scudder Technology Fund Scudder Technology Innovation Fund Scudder Total Return Fund Scudder U.S. Government Securities Fund Scudder U.S. Treasury Money Fund Scudder Worldwide 2004 Fund The Japan Fund, Inc. Scudder Variable Series I 21st Century Growth Portfolio Balanced Portfolio Bond Portfolio Capital Growth Portfolio Global Discovery Portfolio Growth and Income Portfolio Health Sciences Portfolio International Portfolio Money Market Portfolio Scudder Variable Series II Scudder Aggressive Growth Portfolio Scudder Blue Chip Portfolio Scudder Contrarian Value Portfolio Scudder Focus Value+Growth Portfolio Scudder Global Blue Chip Portfolio Scudder Government Securities Portfolio Scudder Growth Portfolio Scudder High Yield Portfolio Scudder International Research Portfolio Scudder Investment Grade Bond Portfolio Scudder Money Market Portfolio Scudder New Europe Portfolio Scudder Small Cap Growth Portfolio Scudder Small Cap Value Portfolio Scudder Strategic Income Portfolio Scudder Technology Growth Portfolio Scudder Total Return Portfolio SVS Dreman Financial Services Portfolio SVS Dreman High Return Equity Portfolio SVS Dynamic Growth Portfolio SVS Focused Large Cap Growth Portfolio SVS Growth And Income Portfolio SVS Growth Opportunities Portfolio SVS Index 500 Portfolio SVS Mid Cap Growth Portfolio SVS Strategic Equity Portfolio SVS Venture Value Portfolio Cash Account Trust Money Market Portfolio Government Securities Portfolio Tax-Exempt Portfolio Cash Equivalent Fund Money Market Portfolio Government Securities Portfolio Tax-Exempt Portfolio Investors Cash Trust Government Securities Portfolio Treasury Portfolio Investors Municipal Cash Fund Investors Florida Municipal Cash Fund Investors Michigan Municipal Cash Fund Investors New Jersey Municipal Cash Fund Investors Pennsylvania Municipal Cash Fund Tax-Exempt New York Money Market Fund Tax-Exempt California Money Market Fund Zurich Money Funds Zurich Money Market Fund Zurich Government Money Fund Zurich Tax-Free Money Fund Zurich YieldWise Funds Zurich YieldWise Money Fund Zurich YieldWise Government Money Fund Zurich YieldWise Municipal Money Fund On December 4, 2001, Deutsche Bank and Zurich Financial Services announced that they have signed a definitive agreement under which Deutsche Bank will acquire 100% of Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. ("Scudder"), with the exception of Threadneedle Investments in the U.K. Because the transaction would constitute an assignment of the Funds' investment management agreements with Scudder under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and, therefore, a termination of those agreements, Scudder intends to seek approval of new agreements from the Funds' shareholders. The transaction is expected to be completed, subject to regulatory approval and satisfaction of other conditions, in the first half of 2002. December 11, 2001 SCUDDER GLOBAL FUND A series of Global/International Fund, Inc. SCUDDER INTERNATIONAL FUND A series of Scudder International Fund, Inc. Class AARP and Class S Shares -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION January 1, 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This combined Statement of Additional Information is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the prospectuses for Scudder Global Fund and Scudder International Fund dated January 1, 2002, as amended from time to time, a copy of which may be obtained without charge by writing to Scudder Investor Services, Inc., Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-4103. The Annual Report to Shareholders for each Fund dated August 31, 2001 are incorporated by reference and hereby deemed to be part of this Statement of Additional Information. The Annual Reports may be obtained without charge by calling 1-800-SCUDDER. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS........................................................1 INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES.............................................2 MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND........................................................24 Investment Advisor...................................................24 Brokerage Commissions................................................28 Administrative Agreement.............................................29 Distributor..........................................................30 FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS........................................................31 Transfer Agent.......................................................31 Custodian............................................................31 Auditors.............................................................31 Legal Counsel........................................................31 Fund Accounting Agent................................................31 Retirement Service Provider..........................................32 PERFORMANCE...................................................................32 PURCHASES AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES............................................34 Special Plan Accounts................................................42 DIVIDENDS, CAPITAL GAINS AND TAXES............................................45 NET ASSET VALUE...............................................................50 DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS........................................................51 Beneficial Ownership.................................................53 FUND ORGANIZATION AND SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS......................................55 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION........................................................57 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS..........................................................58 APPENDIX......................................................................59 INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS The fundamental policies of Scudder Global Fund and Scudder International Fund (each a "Fund," collectively the "Funds") set forth below may not be changed without the approval of a majority of a Fund's outstanding shares. As used in this Statement of Additional Information, a "majority of a Fund's outstanding shares" 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 a Fund are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund. Each Fund has elected to be classified as a diversified series of an open-end investment company. If a percentage restriction on investment or utilization of assets as set forth under "Investment Restrictions" and "Other Investment Policies" below is adhered to at the time an investment is made, a later change in percentage resulting from changes in the value or the total cost of a Fund's assets will not be considered a violation of the restriction. In addition, as a matter of fundamental policy, each Fund may not: 1. borrow money, except as permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time; 2. issue senior securities, except as permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time; 3. concentrate its investments in a particular industry, as that term is used in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time; 4. 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; 5. 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; 6. purchase physical commodities or contracts relating to physical commodities; or 7. make loans except as permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time. With respect to fundamental policy number five above, the Funds have no current intention to hold and sell real estate acquired as a result of a Fund's ownership of securities. The Directors of each Corporation have voluntarily adopted certain non-fundamental policies and restrictions which are observed in the conduct of a Fund's affairs. These represent intentions of the Directors based upon current circumstances. They differ from fundamental investment policies in that they may be changed or amended by action of the Directors without requiring prior notice to or approval of the shareholders. As a matter of nonfundamental policy, each Fund does not currently intend to: 1. borrow money in an amount greater than 5% of its total assets, except (i) for temporary or emergency purposes and (ii) by engaging in reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, or other investments or transactions described in the Fund's registration statement which may be deemed to be borrowings; 2. enter into either of reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls in an amount greater than 5% of its total assets; 3. purchase securities on margin or make short sales, except (i) short sales against the box, (ii) in connection with arbitrage transactions, (iii) for margin deposits in connection with futures contracts, options or other permitted investments, (iv) that transactions in futures contracts and options shall not be deemed to constitute selling securities short, and (v) that the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of securities transactions; 4. purchase options, unless the aggregate premiums paid on all such options held by the Fund at any time do not exceed 20% of its total assets; or sell put options, if as a result, the aggregate value of the obligations underlying such put options would exceed 50% of its total assets; 5. enter into futures contracts or purchase options thereon unless immediately after the purchase, the value of the aggregate initial margin with respect to such futures contracts entered into on behalf of the Fund and the premiums paid for such options on futures contracts does not exceed 5% of the fair market value of the Fund's total assets; provided that in the case of an option that is in-the-money at the time of purchase, the in-the-money amount may be excluded in computing the 5% limit; 6. purchase warrants if as a result, such securities, taken at the lower of cost or market value, would represent more than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets (for this purpose, warrants acquired in units or attached to securities will be deemed to have no value); and 7. lend portfolio securities in an amount greater than 5% of its total assets. The foregoing nonfundamental policies are in addition to policies otherwise stated in the Prospectus or in this Statement of Additional Information. INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES Scudder Global Fund ("Global Fund") and Scudder International Fund ("International Fund") are each an open-end management investment company which continuously offers and redeems shares at net asset value. Each Fund is a company of the type commonly known as a mutual fund. Global Fund is a diversified series of Global/International Fund, Inc. International Fund is a diversified series of Scudder International Fund, Inc. (each a "Corporation," collectively the "Corporations"). Global Fund offers five classes of shares, Class AARP, Class S, Class A, Class B and Class C shares. International Fund offers seven classes of shares: Class AARP, Class S, Barrett International Shares, Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class I shares. Each class has its own important features and policies. Only Class AARP and Class S of each Fund are offered herein. Shares of Class AARP are especially designed for members of AARP. Except as otherwise indicated, each Fund's objectives and policies are not fundamental and may be changed without a shareholder vote. There can be no assurance that the Funds will achieve their objectives. If there is a change in a Fund's investment objective, shareholders should consider whether that Fund remains an appropriate investment in light of their then current financial position and needs. Descriptions in this Statement of Additional Information of a particular investment practice or technique in which the Funds may engage (such as short selling, hedging, etc.) or a financial instrument in which the Funds may invest (such as options, forward foreign currency contracts, etc.) are meant to describe the spectrum of investments that Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. (the "Advisor"), in its discretion, might, but is not required to, use in managing a 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 a Fund but, to the extent employed, could from time to time have a material impact on that Fund's performance. Scudder Global Fund The Fund seeks long-term growth while actively seeking to reduce downside risk as compared with other global growth funds. The Fund will not invest in securities issued by tobacco-producing companies. Although the Fund can 2 invest in companies of any size, it generally focuses on established companies whose stocks are listed on a recognized exchange. While most of the Fund's equities are common stocks, some may be other types of equities, such as convertible stocks, preferred stocks and depository receipts. The Fund may also buy investment grade debt securities when it believes they may perform at least as well as equities. The management of the Fund believes that there is substantial opportunity for long-term capital growth from a professionally managed portfolio of securities selected from the U.S. and foreign equity markets. Through this global investment framework, management seeks to take advantage of the investment opportunities created by the global economy. The world has become highly integrated in economic, industrial and financial terms. Companies increasingly operate globally as they purchase raw materials, produce and sell their products, and raise capital. As a result, international trends such as movements in currency and trading relationships are becoming more important to many industries than purely domestic influences. To understand a company's business, it is frequently more important to understand how it is linked to the world economy than whether or not it is, for example, a U.S., French or Swiss company. Just as a company takes a global perspective in deciding where to operate, so too may an investor benefit from looking globally in deciding which industries are growing, which producers are efficient and which companies' shares are undervalued. The Fund affords the investor access to potential opportunities wherever they arise, without being constrained by the location of a company's headquarters or the trading market for its shares. The Fund invests in companies that the Advisor believes will benefit from global economic trends, promising technologies or products and specific country opportunities resulting from changing geopolitical, currency, or economic considerations. It is expected that investments will be spread broadly around the world. The Fund will be invested usually in securities of issuers located in at least three countries, one of which may be the U.S. The Fund may be invested 100% in non-U.S. issues, and for temporary defensive purposes may be invested 100% in U.S. issues, although under normal circumstances it is expected that both foreign and U.S. investments will be represented in the Fund's portfolio. It is expected that investments will include companies of varying sizes as measured by assets, sales, or capitalization. The Fund generally invests in equity securities of established companies listed on U.S. or foreign securities exchanges, but also may invest in securities traded over-the-counter. It also may invest in debt securities convertible into common stock, and convertible and non-convertible preferred stock, and fixed-income securities of governments, governmental agencies, supranational agencies and companies when the Advisor believes the potential for appreciation will equal or exceed that available from investments in equity securities. In addition, for temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may vary from its investment policies during periods when the Advisor determines that it is advisable to do so because of conditions in the securities markets or other economic or political conditions. During such periods, the Fund may hold without limit cash and cash equivalents. It is impossible to accurately predict for how long such alternative strategies may be utilized. The Fund may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in debt securities that are rated Baa or below by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or BBB or below by Standard and Poor's Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ("S&P"), or deemed by the Advisor to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as "high yield" or "junk" bonds). More information about these investment techniques is provided under "Investments and Investment Techniques." The managers use analytical tools to monitor actively the risk profile of the portfolio as compared to comparable funds and appropriate benchmarks and peer groups. The managers use several strategies in seeking to reduce downside risk, including: (i) diversifying broadly among companies, industries, countries and regions; (ii) focusing on high-quality companies with reasonable valuations; and (iii) generally focusing on countries with developed economies. The portfolio managers' attempts to manage downside risk may also reduce performance in a strong market. The Fund is intended to provide individual and institutional investors with an opportunity to invest a portion of their assets in a globally oriented portfolio, and is designed for long-term investors who can accept global investment risk. The Advisor believes that allocation of assets on a global basis decreases the degree to which events in any one country, including the U.S., will affect an investor's entire investment holdings. In the period since World War II, many leading foreign economies have grown more rapidly than the U.S. economy, thus providing investment opportunities; although there can be no assurance that this will be true in the future. As with any long-term investment, the value of the Fund's shares when sold may be higher or lower than when purchased. Investors should recognize that investing in foreign securities involves certain special considerations, including those set forth below, which are not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities and which may favorably or unfavorably affect the Fund's performance. As foreign companies are not generally subject to uniform standards, 3 practices and requirements, with respect to accounting, auditing and financial reporting, as are domestic companies, there may be less publicly available information about a foreign company than about a domestic company. Many foreign securities markets, while growing in volume of trading activity, have substantially less volume than the U.S. market, and securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and more volatile than securities of domestic issuers. Similarly, volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets is less than in the U.S. and, at times, volatility of price can be greater than in the U.S. Further, foreign markets have different clearance and settlement procedures and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when assets of the Fund are uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of the Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to settlement problems either could result in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the portfolio security or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the security, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. Fixed commissions on some foreign securities exchanges and bid to asked spreads in foreign bond markets are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges and bid to asked spreads in the U.S. bond market, although the Fund will endeavor to achieve the most favorable net results on their portfolio transactions. Further, the Fund may encounter difficulties or be unable to pursue legal remedies and obtain judgments in foreign courts. There is generally less governmental supervision and regulation of business and industry practices, securities exchanges, brokers and listed companies than in the U.S. It may be more difficult for the Fund's agents to keep currently informed about corporate actions such as stock dividends or other matters which may affect the prices of portfolio securities. Communications between the U.S. and foreign countries may be less reliable than within the U.S., thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Payment for securities without delivery may be required in certain foreign markets. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments which could affect U.S. investments in those countries. Investments in foreign securities may also entail certain risks, such as possible currency blockages or transfer restrictions, and the difficulty of enforcing rights in other countries. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. The management of the Fund seeks to mitigate the risks associated with the foregoing considerations through continuous professional management. These considerations generally are more of a concern in developing countries. For example, the possibility of revolution and the dependence on foreign economic assistance may be greater in these countries than in developed countries. Investments in companies domiciled in developing countries may be subject to potentially greater risks than investments in developed countries. Investments in foreign securities usually will involve currencies of foreign countries. Because of the considerations discussed above, 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 in connection with conversions between various currencies. 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 their 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 strategic transactions involving currencies (see "Strategic Transactions and Derivatives"). Because the Fund may be invested in both U.S. and foreign securities markets, changes in the Fund's share price may have a low correlation with movements in the U.S. markets. The Fund's share price will reflect the movements of both the different stock and bond markets in which it is invested and of the currencies in which the investments are denominated; the strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies may account for part of the Fund's investment performance. Foreign securities such as those purchased by the Fund may be subject to foreign governmental taxes which could reduce the yield on such securities, although a shareholder of the Fund may, subject to certain limitations, be entitled to claim a credit or deduction for U.S. federal income tax purposes for his or her proportionate share of such foreign taxes paid by the Fund. U.S. and foreign securities markets do not always move 4 in step with each other, and the total returns from different markets may vary significantly. The Fund invests in many securities markets around the world in an attempt to take advantage of opportunities wherever they may arise. Because of the Fund's investment considerations discussed above and the investment policies, investment in shares of a Fund is not intended to provide a complete investment program for an investor. The Fund cannot guarantee a gain or eliminate the risk of loss. The net asset value of the Fund's shares will increase or decrease with changes in the market price of the Fund's investments, and there is no assurance that the Fund's objectives will be achieved. Scudder International Fund The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital by investing at least 65% of its total assets in foreign equities (equities issued by foreign-based companies and listed on foreign exchanges.) These securities are selected primarily to permit the Fund to participate in non-U.S. companies and economies that are believed to have prospects for growth. The Fund invests in companies, wherever organized, which do business primarily outside the United States. The Fund generally invests in equity securities of established companies, listed on foreign exchanges (although the Fund may also invest in securities traded over the counter), which the Advisor believes have favorable characteristics. The Fund's equity investments include common stock, convertible and non-convertible preferred stock, sponsored and unsponsored depository receipts, and warrants. When the Advisor believes that it is appropriate to do so in order to achieve the Fund's investment objective of long-term capital growth, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in debt securities. Such debt securities include debt securities of governments, governmental agencies, supranational organizations and private issuers, including bonds denominated in the European Currency Unit (the "Euro"). Portfolio debt investments will be selected on the basis of, among other things, yield, credit quality, and the fundamental outlooks for currency and interest rate trends in different parts of the globe, taking into account the ability to hedge a degree of currency or local bond price risk. The value of fixed-income investments will fluctuate with changes in interest rates and bond market conditions, tending to rise as interest rates decline and decline as interest rates rise. The Fund will predominantly purchase "investment-grade" bonds, which are those rated Aaa, Aa, A or Baa by Moody's or AAA, AA, A or BBB by S&P or, if unrated, judged by the Advisor to be of equivalent quality. The Fund may also invest up to 5% of its total assets in debt securities which are rated below investment-grade (see "Risk factors"). The Fund intends to diversify investments among several countries and normally to have investments in securities of at least three different countries other than the U.S. The Fund will invest primarily in securities of issuers in the 21 developed foreign countries included in the Morgan Stanley Capital International ("MSCI") Europe, Australia, Far East ("EAFE") and Canada Index, but may invest in "emerging markets." The Fund considers "emerging markets" to include any country that is defined as an emerging or developing economy by any of the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (i.e., the World Bank), the International Finance Corporation or the United Nations or its authorities. It is expected that the Fund's investments will include companies of varying size as measured by assets, sales or market capitalization. The major portion of the Fund's assets consists of equity securities of established companies listed on recognized exchanges; the Advisor expects this condition to continue, although the Fund may invest in other securities. In selecting securities for the Fund's portfolio, the Advisor applies a disciplined, multi-part investment approach for selecting stocks for the Fund. In analyzing companies for investment, the Advisor ordinarily looks for one or more of the following characteristics: strong competitive positioning, above-average earnings growth per share, high return on invested capital, healthy balance sheets and overall financial strength, strength of management and general operating characteristics which will enable the companies to compete successfully in the marketplace. The Advisor will further seek to have broad country representation, favoring those countries that it believes have sound economic conditions and open markets. The Advisor will also look for opportunities on a macro-economic level, seeking to identify major changes in the business environment and companies that are poised to benefit from these changes. Investment decisions are made without regard to arbitrary criteria as to minimum asset size, debt-equity ratios or dividend history of portfolio companies. The Advisor will typically sell an investment when certain criteria are met, including but not limited to: the price of the security reaches the Advisor's assessment of its fair value; the 5 underlying investment theme is judged by the Advisor to have matured; or if the original reason for investing in the security no longer applies or is no longer valid. In applying the disciplined, multi-part investment approach for selecting stocks for the Fund, the Advisor first analyzes the pool of foreign dividend-paying securities, primarily from the world's more mature markets, and targeting stocks that have high relative yields compared to the average for their markets. In the Advisor's opinion, this group of higher-yielding stocks offers the potential for returns that is greater than or equal to the average market return, with price volatility that is lower than the overall market volatility. The Advisor believes that these potentially favorable risk and return characteristics exist because the higher dividends offered by these stocks act as a "cushion" when markets are volatile and because the stocks with higher yields tend to have more attractive valuations (e.g., lower price-to-earning ratios and lower price-to-book ratios). The second stage of portfolio construction involves a fundamental analysis of each company's financial strength, profitability, projected earnings, competitive positioning, and ability of management. During this step, the Advisor's research team identifies what it believes are the most promising stocks for the Fund's portfolio. The third stage of the investment process involves diversifying the portfolio among different industry sectors. The key element of this stage is evaluating how the stocks in different sectors react to economic factors such as interest rates, inflation, Gross Domestic Product, and consumer spending, and then attaining a proper balance of stocks in these sectors based on the Advisor's economic forecast. The fourth and final stage of this ongoing process is diversifying the portfolio among different countries. The Advisor will seek to have broad country representation, favoring those countries that it believes have sound economic conditions and open markets. The Fund's strategy is to manage risk and create opportunity at each of the four stages in its investment process, starting with the focus on stocks with high relative yields. The Fund may hold up to 20% of its net assets in U.S. and foreign fixed income securities for temporary defensive purposes when the Advisor believes that market conditions so warrant. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets under normal conditions, and without limit for temporary defensive purposes, in cash or cash equivalents including domestic and foreign money market instruments, short-term government and corporate obligations and repurchase agreements, when the Advisor deems such a position advisable in light of economic or market conditions. It is impossible to predict how long alternative strategies may be utilized. In addition, the Fund may engage in reverse repurchase agreements, illiquid securities and strategic transactions, which may include derivatives. Foreign securities such as those purchased by the Fund may be subject to foreign governmental taxes which could reduce the yield on such securities, although a shareholder of the Fund may, subject to certain limitations, be entitled to claim a credit or deduction for U.S. federal income tax purposes for his or her proportionate share of such foreign taxes paid by the Fund. From time to time, the Fund may be a purchaser of illiquid securities such as restricted debt or equity securities (i.e., securities which may require registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the "1933 Act"), or an exemption therefrom, in order to be sold in the ordinary course of business) in a private placement. (See "Illiquid Securities and Restricted Securities.") The Fund cannot guarantee a gain or eliminate the risk of loss. The net asset value of the Fund's shares will increase or decrease with changes in the market price of the Fund's investments, and there is no assurance that the Fund's objectives will be achieved. Master/feeder Structure. The Boards of Directors have the discretion to retain the current distribution arrangements for the Funds while investing in a master fund in a master/feeder structure as described below. A master/feeder fund structure is one in which a fund (a "feeder fund"), instead of investing directly in a portfolio of securities, invests most or all of its investment assets in a separate registered investment company (the "master fund") with substantially the same investment objective and policies as the feeder fund. Such a structure permits the pooling of assets of two or more feeder funds, preserving separate identities or distribution channels at the feeder fund level. Based on the premise that certain of the expenses of operating an investment portfolio are relatively fixed, a larger investment portfolio may eventually achieve a lower ratio of operating expenses to average net assets. An existing investment company is able to convert to a feeder fund by selling all of its investments, which involves brokerage and other transaction costs and realization of a taxable gain or loss, or by contributing its assets to the master fund and avoiding transaction costs and, if proper procedures are followed, the realization of taxable gain or loss. 6 Borrowing. Each Fund may not borrow money, except as permitted under Federal law. Each Fund will borrow only when the Advisor believes that borrowing will benefit a Fund after taking into account considerations such as the costs of the borrowing. Each Fund does not expect to borrow for investment purposes, to increase return or leverage the portfolio. Borrowing by a Fund will involve special risk considerations. Although the principal of a Fund's borrowings will be fixed, a Fund's assets may change in value during the time that a borrowing is outstanding, thus increasing exposure to capital risk. Common Stocks. Under normal circumstances, each Fund invests primarily in common stocks. Common stock is issued by companies to raise cash for business purposes and represents a proportionate interest in the issuing companies. Therefore, the Fund participates in the success or failure of any company in which it holds stock. The market values of common stock can fluctuate significantly, reflecting the business performance of the issuing company, investor perception and general economic or financial market movements. Smaller companies are especially sensitive to these factors and may even become valueless. Despite the risk of price volatility, however, common stock also offers greater potential for long-term gain on investment, compared to other classes of financial assets such as bonds or cash equivalents. Convertible Securities. Each Fund may invest in convertible securities, that is, bonds, notes, debentures, preferred stocks and other securities which are convertible into common stock. Investments in convertible securities can provide an opportunity for capital appreciation and/or income through interest and dividend payments by virtue of their conversion or exchange features. The convertible securities in which a Fund may invest are either fixed income or zero coupon debt securities which may be converted or exchanged at a stated or determinable exchange ratio into underlying shares of common stock. The exchange ratio for any particular convertible security may be adjusted from time to time due to stock splits, dividends, spin-offs, other corporate distributions or scheduled changes in the exchange ratio. Convertible debt securities and convertible preferred stocks, until converted, have general characteristics similar to both debt and equity securities. Although to a lesser extent than with debt securities generally, the market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, tends to increase as interest rates decline. In addition, because of the conversion or exchange feature, the market value of convertible securities typically changes as the market value of the underlying common stocks changes, and, therefore, also tends to follow movements in the general market for equity securities. A unique feature of convertible securities is that as the market price of the underlying common stock declines, convertible securities tend to trade increasingly on a yield basis, and so may not experience market value declines to the same extent as the underlying common stock. When the market price of the underlying common stock increases, the prices of the convertible securities tend to rise as a reflection of the value of the underlying common stock, although typically not as much as the underlying common stock. While no securities investments are without risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than investments in common stock of the same issuer. As debt securities, convertible securities are investments which provide for a stream of income (or in the case of zero coupon securities, accretion of income) with generally higher yields than common stocks. Of course, like all debt securities, there can be no assurance of income or principal payments because the issuers of the convertible securities may default on their obligations. Convertible securities generally offer lower yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality because of their conversion or exchange features. Convertible securities generally are subordinated to other similar but non-convertible securities of the same issuer, although convertible bonds, as corporate debt obligations, enjoy seniority in right of payment to all equity securities, and convertible preferred stock is senior to common stock of the same issuer. However, because of the subordination feature, convertible bonds and convertible preferred stock typically have lower ratings than similar non-convertible securities. Convertible securities may be issued as fixed income obligations that pay current income or as zero coupon notes and bonds, including Liquid Yield Option Notes ("LYONs"(TM)). Currency Transactions. Each 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 7 among two or more currencies and operates similarly to an interest rate swap, which is described below. The Funds 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 Funds' 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 Funds, which will generally arise in connection with the purchase or sale of their 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. A 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 Funds 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 Funds have or in which the Funds expect to have portfolio exposure. To reduce the effect of currency fluctuations on the value of existing or anticipated holdings of portfolio securities, the Funds may also engage in proxy hedging. Proxy hedging is often used when the currency to which a 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 a Fund's portfolio securities are or are expected to be denominated, in exchange for U.S. dollars. The amount of the commitment or option would not exceed the value of a 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 Funds holds securities denominated in schillings and the Advisor believes that the value of schillings will decline against the U.S. 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 Funds 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 Funds are engaging in proxy hedging. If the Funds enter into a currency hedging transaction, the Funds 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 a 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. Debt Securities. Global Fund may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in debt securities that are rated Baa or below by Moody's or BBB or below by S&P, or deemed by the Advisor to be of comparable quality. When the Advisor believes that it is appropriate to do so in order to achieve International Fund's objective of long-term capital growth, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in debt securities including bonds of foreign governments, supranational organizations and private issuers, including bonds denominated in the Euro. Portfolio debt investments will be selected on the basis of, among other things, yield, credit quality, and the fundamental 8 outlooks for currency, economic and interest rate trends in different parts of the globe, taking into account the ability to hedge a degree of currency or local bond price risk. Depository Receipts. International Fund may invest indirectly in securities of foreign issuers through sponsored or unsponsored American Depository Receipts ("ADRs"), Global Depository Receipts ("GDRs"), International Depository Receipts ("IDRs") and other types of Depository Receipts (which, together with ADRs, GDRs and IDRs are hereinafter referred to as "Depository Receipts"). Prices of unsponsored Depository Receipts may be more volatile than if the issuer of the underlying securities sponsored them. Depository Receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. In addition, the issuers of the stock of unsponsored Depository Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States and, therefore, there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depository Receipts. ADRs are Depository Receipts which are bought and sold in the United States and are typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company which evidence ownership of underlying securities by a foreign corporation. GDRs, IDRs and other types of Depository Receipts are typically issued by foreign banks or trust companies, although they may also be issued by United States banks or trust companies, and evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by either a foreign or a United States corporation. Generally, Depository Receipts in registered form are designed for use in the United States securities markets and Depository Receipts in bearer form are designed for use in securities markets outside the United States. For purposes of each Fund's investment policies, the Fund's investments in ADRs, GDRs and other types of Depository Receipts will be deemed to be investments in the underlying securities. Depository Receipts other than those denominated in U.S. dollars will be subject to foreign currency exchange rate risk. However, by investing in ADRs rather than directly in foreign issuers' stock, the Fund avoids currency risks during the settlement period. In general, there is a large, liquid market in the United States for most ADRs. However, certain Depository Receipts may not be listed on an exchange and therefore may be illiquid securities. Dollar Roll Transactions. Dollar roll transactions consist of the sale by a Fund to a bank or broker/dealers (the "counterparty") of GNMA certificates or other mortgage-backed securities together with a commitment to purchase from the counterparty similar, but not identical, securities at a future date, at the same price. The counterparty receives all principal and interest payments, including prepayments, made on the security while it is the holder. A Fund receives a fee from the counterparty as consideration for entering into the commitment to purchase. Dollar rolls may be renewed over a period of several months with a different purchase and repurchase price fixed and a cash settlement made at each renewal without a physical delivery of securities. Moreover, the transaction may be preceded by a firm commitment agreement pursuant to which the Fund agrees to buy a security on a later date. A fund will segregate cash, U.S. Government securities or other liquid assets in an amount sufficient to meet their purchase obligations under the transactions. The Fund will also maintain asset coverage of at least 300% for all outstanding firm commitments, dollar rolls and other borrowings. Dollar rolls may be treated for purposes of the 1940 Act as borrowings of a Fund because they involve the sale of a security coupled with an agreement to repurchase. A dollar roll involves costs to a Fund. For example, while a Fund receives a fee as consideration for agreeing to repurchase the security, a Fund forgoes the right to receive all principal and interest payments while the counterparty holds the security. These payments to the counterparty may exceed the fee received by a Fund, thereby effectively charging a Fund interest on its borrowing. Further, although a Fund can estimate the amount of expected principal prepayment over the term of the dollar roll, a variation in the actual amount of prepayment could increase or decrease the cost of a Fund's borrowing. The entry into dollar rolls involves potential risks of loss that are different from those related to the securities underlying the transactions. For example, if the counterparty becomes insolvent, a Fund's right to purchase from the counterparty might be restricted. Additionally, the value of such securities may change adversely before a Fund is able to purchase them. Similarly, a Fund may be required to purchase securities in connection with a dollar roll at a higher price than may otherwise be available on the open market. Since, as noted above, the counterparty is required to deliver a similar, but not identical, security to a Fund, the security that a Fund is required to buy under the dollar roll may be worth less than an identical security. Finally, there can be no assurance that a Fund's use of the cash that it receives from a dollar roll will provide a return that exceeds borrowing costs. Eurodollar Instruments. The Funds may make investments in Eurodollar instruments. Eurodollar instruments are U.S. dollar-denominated futures contracts or options thereon which are linked to the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"), although foreign currency-denominated instruments are available from time to time. Eurodollar futures 9 contracts enable purchasers to obtain a fixed rate for the lending of funds and sellers to obtain a fixed rate for borrowings. The Funds might use Eurodollar futures contracts and options thereon to hedge against changes in LIBOR, to which many interest rate swaps and fixed income instruments are linked. Foreign Currencies. Because investments in foreign securities usually will involve currencies of foreign countries, and because the Funds 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. In particular, the Funds' foreign investments are generally denominated in foreign currencies. 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. In addition, 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. A 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 Investment Risk. While the Funds offer the potential for substantial appreciation over time, they also involve above-average investment risk in comparison to a mutual fund investing in a broad range of U.S. equity securities. Each Fund is designed as a long-term investment and not for short-term trading purposes. None of the Funds, nor the Funds together, should be considered a complete investment program, although each could serve as a core international holding for an individual's portfolio. Each Fund's net asset value, or price, can fluctuate significantly with changes in stock market levels, political developments, movements in currencies, global investment flows and other factors. Foreign Securities. Investing in foreign securities involves certain special considerations, including those set forth below, which are not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities and which may favorably or unfavorably affect the Funds' performance. As foreign companies are not generally subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to domestic companies, there may be less publicly available information about a foreign company than about a domestic company. Many foreign securities markets, while growing in volume of trading activity, have substantially less volume than the U.S. market, and securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and more volatile than securities of domestic issuers. Similarly, volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets is less than in the U.S. and, at times, volatility of price can be greater than in the U.S. Fixed commissions on some foreign securities exchanges and bid to asked spreads in foreign bond markets are generally higher than commissions or bid to asked spreads on U.S. markets, although the Advisor will endeavor to achieve the most favorable net results on its portfolio transactions. There is generally less governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers and listed companies in foreign countries than in the U.S. It may be more difficult for a Fund's agents to keep currently informed about corporate actions in foreign countries which may affect the prices of portfolio securities. Communications between the U.S. and foreign countries may be less reliable than within the U.S., thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Payment for securities without delivery may be required in certain foreign markets. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments which could affect U.S. investments in those countries. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. The management of each Fund seeks to mitigate the risks associated with the foregoing considerations through continuous professional management. High Yield/High Risk Bonds. The Funds may purchase, to a limited extent, 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 10 S&P and unrated securities, which 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 of principal and income, and may be less liquid than securities in the higher rating categories and are considered speculative. The lower the ratings of such debt securities, the greater their risks render them like equity securities. The International Fund will invest no more than 5% of its total assets in securities rated BB or lower by Moody's or Ba by S&P, and may invest in securities which are rated D by S&P. Securities rated D may be in default with respect to payment of principal or interest. See the Appendix to this Statement of Additional Information for a more complete description of the ratings assigned by ratings organizations and their respective characteristics. High yield, high-risk securities are especially subject to adverse changes in general economic conditions, to changes in the financial condition of their issuers and to price fluctuations in response to changes in interest rates. An economic downturn could disrupt the high yield market, impair the ability of issuers to repay principal and interest and increase an issuer's risk of default. Also, an increase in interest rates would have a greater adverse impact on the value of such obligations than on higher quality debt securities. During an economic downturn or period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issues may experience financial stress which would adversely affect their ability to service their principal and interest payment obligations. 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 a 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 trading market for high yield securities may be thin to the extent that there is no established retail secondary market or because of a decline in the value of such securities. A thin trading market may limit the ability of a Fund to accurately value high yield securities in its portfolio and to dispose of those securities. 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 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 a 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 a Fund to retain or dispose of such security. Prices for below investment-grade securities may be affected by legislative and regulatory developments. For example, new federal rules require savings and loan institutions to gradually reduce their holdings of this type of security. Congress has from time to time considered legislation which would restrict or eliminate the corporate tax deduction for interest payments in these securities and regulate corporate restructurings. Such legislation may significantly depress the prices of outstanding securities of this type. Illiquid Securities and Restricted Securities. A 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; or (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. 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. Each Corporation's Board of Directors has approved guidelines for use by the Advisor in determining whether a security is illiquid. Among the factors the Investment Manager 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). 11 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, a Fund may be required to bear all or part of the registration expenses. A 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, a Fund may be liable to purchasers of such securities if the registration statement prepared by the issuer is materially inaccurate or misleading. A 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. A 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 a Fund's decision to sell a restricted or illiquid security and the point at which a Fund is permitted or able to sell such security, a Fund might obtain a price less favorable than the price that prevailed when it decided to sell. This investment practice, therefore, could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity of a Fund. Interfund Borrowing and Lending Program. Each Fund has received exemptive relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") that permits each Fund to participate in an interfund borrowing and 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, a 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 overnight, but could have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called on one day's notice. A 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 Boards of the participating funds. To the extent a Fund is actually engaged in borrowing through the interfund borrowing and lending program, a Fund, as a matter of non-fundamental policy, may not borrow for other than temporary or emergency purposes (and not for leveraging), except that a Fund may engage in reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls for any purpose. Investing in Emerging Markets. The Funds' investments in foreign securities may be in developed countries or in countries considered by the Funds' Advisor to have developing or "emerging" markets, which involves exposure to economic structures that are generally less diverse and mature than in the United States, and to political systems that may be less stable. A developing or emerging market country can be considered to be a country that is in the initial stages of its industrialization cycle. Currently, emerging markets generally include every country in the world other than the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and most Western European countries. Currently, investing in many emerging markets may not be desirable or feasible because of the lack of adequate custody arrangements for a Fund's assets, overly burdensome repatriation and similar restrictions, the lack of organized and liquid securities markets, unacceptable political risks or other reasons. As opportunities to invest in securities in emerging markets develop, the Funds may expand and further broaden the group of emerging markets in which it invests. In the past, markets of developing or emerging market countries have been more volatile than the markets of developed countries; however, such markets often have provided higher rates of return to investors. The Advisor believes that these characteristics may be expected to continue in the future. Most emerging securities markets may have substantially less volume and are subject to less governmental supervision than U.S. securities markets. Securities of many issuers in emerging markets may be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable domestic issuers. In addition, there is less regulation of securities exchanges, securities dealers, and listed and unlisted companies in emerging markets than in the U.S. 12 Emerging markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have not kept pace with the volume of securities transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of a Fund is uninvested and no cash is earned thereon. The inability of a Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause a Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to a Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the portfolio security or, if a Fund has entered into a contract to sell the security, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. Costs associated with transactions in foreign securities are generally higher than costs associated with transactions in U.S. securities. Such transactions also involve additional costs for the purchase or sale of foreign currency. Foreign investment in certain emerging market debt obligations is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions or controls may at times limit or preclude foreign investment in certain emerging markets debt obligations and increase the costs and expenses of a Fund. Certain emerging markets require prior governmental approval of investments by foreign persons, limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular company, limit the investment by foreign persons only to a specific class of securities of a company that may have less advantageous rights than the classes available for purchase by domiciliaries of the countries and/or impose additional taxes on foreign investors. Certain emerging markets may also restrict investment opportunities in issuers in industries deemed important to national interest. Certain emerging markets may require governmental approval for the repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of securities by foreign investors. In addition, if a deterioration occurs in an emerging market's balance of payments or for other reasons, a country could impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. A Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Fund of any restrictions on investments. In the course of investment in emerging markets, a Fund will be exposed to the direct or indirect consequences of political, social and economic changes in one or more emerging markets. Political changes in emerging market countries may affect the willingness of an emerging market country's governmental issuer to make or provide for timely payments of its obligations. The country's economic status, and reflected in, among other things, its inflation rate, the amount of its external debt and its gross domestic product, also affects its ability to honor its obligations. While a Fund will manage its assets in a manner that will seek to minimize the exposure to such risks, there can be no assurance that adverse political, social or economic changes will not cause a Fund to suffer a loss of value in respect of the securities in that Fund's portfolio. 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 a Fund's securities in such markets may not be readily available. The Corporation may suspend redemption of its shares for any period during which an emergency exists, as determined by the SEC. Accordingly if a 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 a Fund's identification of such condition until the date of the SEC action, a Fund's securities in the affected markets will be valued at fair value determined in good faith by or under the direction of the applicable Corporation's Board of Directors. Volume and liquidity in most foreign markets are less than in the U.S., and securities of many foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although the Fund endeavors to achieve the most favorable net results on its portfolio transactions. There is generally less governmental supervision and regulation of business and industry practices, securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the U.S.. Mail service between the U.S. and foreign countries may be slower or less reliable than within the U.S., thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for certificated portfolio securities. In addition, with respect to certain emerging markets, there is the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments which could affect a Fund's investments in those countries. Moreover, individual emerging market economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. A Fund may have limited legal recourse in the event of a default with respect to certain debt obligations it holds. If the issuer of a fixed-income security owned by the Fund defaults, that Fund may incur additional expenses to seek 13 recovery. Debt obligations issued by emerging market country governments differ from debt obligations of private entities; remedies from defaults on debt obligations issued by emerging market governments, unlike those on private debt, must be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party itself. A Fund's ability to enforce its rights against private issuers may be limited. The ability to attach assets to enforce a judgment may be limited. Legal recourse is therefore somewhat diminished. Bankruptcy, moratorium and other similar laws applicable to private issuers of debt obligations may be substantially different from those of other countries. The political context, expressed as an emerging market governmental issuer's willingness to meet the terms of the debt obligation, for example, is of considerable importance. In addition, no assurance can be given that the holders of commercial bank debt may not contest payments to the holders of debt obligations in the event of default under commercial bank loan agreements. Income from securities held by a Fund could be reduced by a withholding tax at the source or other taxes imposed by the emerging market countries in which that Fund makes its investments. A Fund's net asset value may also be affected by changes in the rates or methods of taxation applicable to that Fund or to entities in which that Fund has invested. The Advisor will consider the cost of any taxes in determining whether to acquire any particular investments, but can provide no assurance that the taxes will not be subject to change. Many emerging markets have experienced substantial, and, in some periods, extremely high, rates of inflation for many years. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had and may continue to have adverse effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging market countries. In an attempt to control inflation, wage and price controls have been imposed in certain countries. Of these countries, some, in recent years, have begun to control inflation through prudent economic policies. 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. Obligations arising from past restructuring agreements may affect the economic performance and political and social stability of those issuers. Governments of many emerging market 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 any given country. As a result, governmental actions in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions in emerging markets, which in turn, may adversely affect companies in the private sector, general market conditions and prices and yields of certain of the securities in a Fund's portfolio. Expropriation, confiscatory taxation, nationalization, political, economic or social instability or other similar developments have occurred frequently over the history of certain emerging markets and could adversely affect the Fund's assets should these conditions recur. 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 their exports in currencies other than dollars or non-emerging market currencies, their 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. 14 Investment Company Securities. Each 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. A Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by such other investment companies. For example, a Fund may invest in a variety of investment companies which seek to track the composition and performance of specific indices 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: 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. WEBs(SM): WEBs, an acronym for "World Equity Benchmark Shares," are based on 17 country-specific Morgan Stanley Capital International Indices. They are issued by the WEBs Index Fund, Inc., an open-end management investment company that seeks to correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specific Morgan Stanley Capital International Index. Investment-Grade Bonds. Each Fund may purchase "investment-grade" bonds, which are those rated Aaa, Aa, A or Baa by Moody's or AAA, AA, A or BBB by S&P or, if unrated, judged to be of equivalent quality as determined by the Advisor. Moody's considers bonds it rates Baa to have speculative elements as well as investment-grade characteristics. To the extent that the Funds invest in higher-grade securities, each Fund will not be able to avail itself of opportunities for higher income which may be available at lower grades. Investment of Uninvested Cash Balances. Each 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, each 15 Fund may use Uninvested Cash to purchase shares of affiliated funds including money market funds, short-term bond funds and Zurich Scudder Cash Management QP Trust and Scudder Trust Company, or one or more future entities for which Zurich Scudder Investments 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 each Fund in shares of the Central Funds will be in accordance with each 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 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 each Fund's ability to manage Uninvested Cash. Each Fund will invest Uninvested Cash in Central Funds only to the extent that each 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. Each Fund may seek to increase its income by lending portfolio securities. Such loans may be made to registered broker/dealers and are required to be secured continuously by collateral in cash, U.S. Government Securities and liquid high grade debt obligations maintained on a current basis at an amount at least equal to the market value and accrued interest of the securities loaned. Each Fund has the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned on no more than five days' notice or, in connection with securities trading on foreign markets, within such longer period of time which coincides with the normal settlement period for purchases and sales of such securities in such foreign markets. During the existence of a loan, a Fund will continue to receive the equivalent of any distributions paid by the issuer on the securities loaned and will also receive compensation based on investment of the collateral. As with other extensions of credit there are risks of delay in recovery or even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially. However, the loans will be made only to firms deemed by the Advisor to be in good standing. The value of the securities loaned will not exceed 5% of the value of a Fund's total assets at the time any loan is made. Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs"). Global Fund may invest in REITs. REITs are sometimes informally characterized as 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 Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (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's, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of the REITs. In addition, REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders. Repurchase Agreements. Each Fund may invest 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. Some repurchase commitment transactions may not provide a Fund with collateral marked-to-market during the term of the commitment. 16 A repurchase agreement provides a means for a Fund to earn income on funds for periods as short as overnight. It is an arrangement under which the purchaser (i.e., a 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 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 a 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 a 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 a Fund subject to a repurchase agreement as being owned by a Fund or as being collateral for a loan by a 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, a 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 a Fund has not perfected a security interest in the Obligation, a 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, a 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 a Fund, the Advisor seeks to reduce 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 a 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), a Fund will direct the seller of the Obligation to deliver additional securities so that the market value of all securities subject to the repurchase agreement will equal or exceed the repurchase price. It is possible that a Fund will be unsuccessful in seeking to enforce the seller's contractual obligation to deliver additional securities. Reverse Repurchase Agreements. Each Fund may enter into "reverse repurchase agreements," which are repurchase agreements in which a Fund, as the seller of the securities, agrees to repurchase such securities at an agreed upon time and price. Each Fund maintains a segregated account in connection with outstanding reverse repurchase agreements. Each 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 a Fund's assets and its yield. Trust Preferred Securities. Each Fund may invest in Trust Preferred Securities, which are hybrid instruments issued by a special purpose trust (the "Special Trust"), the entire equity interest of which is owned by a single issuer. The proceeds of the issuance to a Fund of Trust Preferred Securities are typically used to purchase a junior subordinated debenture, and distributions from the Special Trust are funded by the payments of principal and interest on the subordinated debenture. If payments on the underlying junior subordinated debentures held by the Special Trust are deferred by the debenture issuer, the debentures would be treated as original issue discount ("OID") obligations for the remainder of their term. As a result, holders of Trust Preferred Securities, such as a Fund, would be required to accrue daily for Federal income tax purposes their share of the stated interest and the de minimis OID on the debentures (regardless of whether a Fund receives any cash distributions from the Special Trust), and the value of Trust Preferred Securities would likely be negatively affected. Interest payments on the underlying junior subordinated debentures typically may only be deferred if dividends are suspended on both common and preferred stock of the issuer. The underlying junior subordinated debentures generally rank slightly higher in terms of payment priority than both common and preferred securities of the issuer, but rank below other subordinated debentures and debt securities. Trust Preferred Securities may be subject to mandatory prepayment under certain circumstances. The market values of Trust Preferred Securities may be more volatile than those of conventional debt securities. Trust Preferred Securities may be issued in reliance on Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, and, unless and until registered, are restricted securities; there can be no assurance as to the liquidity of Trust Preferred Securities and the ability of holders of Trust Preferred Securities, such as a Fund, to sell their holdings. Warrants. International Fund may invest in warrants up to 5% of the value of its net 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 17 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 in tandem with the prices of the underlying securities, however, and are, therefore, considered to be 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, the Fund would lose the entire purchase price of the warrant. When-Issued and Forward Delivery Securities. Each Fund may from time to time purchase equity and debt securities on a "when-issued" 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 when-issued or forward delivery securities takes place at a later date. During the period between purchase and settlement, no payment is made by a Fund to the issuer and no interest accrues to a Fund. To the extent that assets of a Fund are held in cash pending the settlement of a purchase of securities, a Fund would earn no income; however, it is each Fund's intention to be fully invested to the extent practicable and subject to the policies stated above. While when-issued or forward delivery securities may be sold prior to the settlement date, each Fund intends to purchase such securities with the purpose of actually acquiring them unless a sale appears desirable for investment reasons. At the time a Fund makes the commitment to purchase a security on a when-issued or forward delivery basis, it will record the transaction and reflect the value of the security in determining its net asset value. At the time of the settlement, the market value of the when-issued or forward delivery securities may be more or less than the purchase price. Each Fund does not believe that its net asset value or income will be adversely affected by its purchase of securities on a when-issued or forward delivery basis. Zero Coupon Securities. Global 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 issue price and their value at maturity. Zero coupon securities are subject to greater market value fluctuations from changing interest rates than debt obligations of comparable maturities which make current distributions of interest (cash). Zero coupon securities which are convertible into common stock offer the opportunity for capital appreciation as increases (or decreases) in market value of such securities closely follows 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. Zero coupon securities include securities issued directly by the U.S. Treasury, and U.S. Treasury bonds or notes and their unmatured interest coupons and receipts for their underlying principal ("coupons") which have been separated by their holder, typically a custodian bank or investment brokerage firm. A holder will separate the interest coupons from the underlying principal (the "corpus") of the U.S. Treasury security. A number of securities firms and banks have stripped the interest coupons and receipts and then resold them in custodial receipt programs with a number of different names, including "Treasury Income Growth Receipts" (TIGRS(TM)) and Certificate of Accrual on Treasuries (CATS(TM)). The underlying U.S. Treasury bonds and notes themselves are held in book-entry form at the Federal Reserve Bank or, in the case of bearer securities (i.e., unregistered securities which are owned ostensibly by the bearer or holder thereof), in trust on behalf of the owners thereof. Counsel to the underwriters of these certificates or other evidences of ownership of the U.S. Treasury securities have stated that, for federal tax and securities purposes, in their opinion purchasers of such certificates, such as the Fund, most likely will be deemed the beneficial holder of the underlying U.S. Government securities. The Fund understands that the staff of the Division of Investment Management of the SEC no longer considers such privately stripped obligations to be U.S. Government securities, as defined in the 1940 Act; therefore, the Fund intends to adhere to this staff position and will not treat such privately stripped obligations to be U.S. Government securities for the purpose of determining if the Global Fund is "diversified" under the 1940 Act. The U.S. Treasury has facilitated transfers of ownership of zero coupon securities by accounting separately for the beneficial ownership of particular interest coupon and corpus payments on Treasury securities through the Federal Reserve book-entry record keeping system. The Federal Reserve program as established by the Treasury Department is known as "STRIPS" or "Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities." Under the STRIPS program, the Fund will be able to have its beneficial ownership of zero coupon securities recorded directly in the book-entry record-keeping system in lieu of having to hold certificates or other evidences of ownership of the underlying U.S. Treasury securities. 18 When U.S. Treasury obligations have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons by the holder, the principal or corpus is sold at a deep discount because the buyer receives only the right to receive a future fixed payment on the security and does not receive any rights to periodic interest (cash) payments. Once stripped or separated, the corpus and coupons may be sold separately. Typically, the coupons are sold separately or grouped with other coupons with like maturity dates and sold bundled in such form. Purchasers of stripped obligations acquire, in effect, discount obligations that are economically identical to the zero coupon securities that the Treasury sells itself. Strategic Transactions and Derivatives. Each 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 fixed-income securities in a 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 limitations 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 a Fund's portfolio resulting from securities markets or currency exchange rate fluctuations, to protect a 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 fixed-income securities in a 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 though no more than 5% of a Fund's assets will be committed to 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 Funds 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 Funds, and the Funds 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 Funds. 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 a 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 a 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 Funds 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 a Fund creates the possibility that losses on the hedging instrument may be greater than gains in the value of a 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, a 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 Futures. The Funds 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 19 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 Funds, 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. A Fund's use of futures and options thereon will in all cases be consistent with applicable regulatory requirements and in particular the rules and regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and will be entered into for bona fide hedging, risk management (including duration management) or other portfolio and return enhancement management purposes. Typically, maintaining a futures contract or selling an option thereon requires a 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 mark 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 Funds. If the Funds exercise an option on a futures contract they will be obligated to post initial margin (and potential subsequent variation margin) for the resulting futures position just as they 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. A Fund will not enter into a futures contract or related option (except for closing transactions) if, immediately thereafter, the sum of the amount of its initial margin and premiums on open futures contracts and options thereon would exceed 5% of a Fund's total assets (taken at current value); however, in the case of an option that is in-the-money at the time of the purchase, the in-the-money amount may be excluded in calculating the 5% limitation. The segregation requirements with respect to futures contracts and options thereon are described below. 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, a 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 Funds 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. A Fund's purchase of a call option on a security, financial future, index, currency or other instrument might be intended to protect a 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 Funds are 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. 20 A 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 Funds will only sell OTC options (other than OTC currency options) that are subject to a buy-back provision permitting the Funds to require the Counterparty to sell the option back to the Funds at a formula price within seven days. The Funds expect generally to enter into OTC options that have cash settlement provisions, although they are 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 Funds or fails to make a cash settlement payment due in accordance with the terms of that option, the Funds will lose any premium they 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 Funds will engage in OTC option transactions only with U.S. 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 Funds, and portfolio securities "covering" the amount of a 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 a Fund's limitation on investing no more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. If the Funds sell a call option, the premium that they receive 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 their portfolio or will increase a Fund's income. The sale of put options can also provide income. The Funds may purchase and sell call options on securities including U.S. 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 U.S. and foreign securities exchanges and in the over-the-counter markets, and on securities indices, currencies and futures contracts. All calls sold by the Funds must be "covered" (i.e., the Funds 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 Funds will receive the option premium to help protect them against loss, a call sold by the Funds exposes the Funds 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 Funds to hold a security or instrument which they might otherwise have sold. The Funds may purchase and sell put options on securities including U.S. Treasury and agency securities, mortgage-backed securities, foreign sovereign debt, corporate debt securities, equity securities (including convertible securities) and Eurodollar instruments (whether or not they hold the above securities in their portfolios), and on 21 securities indices, currencies and futures contracts other than futures on individual corporate debt and individual equity securities. The Funds will not sell put options if, as a result, more than 50% of a Fund's 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 Funds may be required to buy the underlying security at a disadvantageous price above the market price. Options on Securities Indices and Other Financial Indices. The Funds 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. Risks of Strategic Transactions Outside the U.S. When conducted outside the U.S., Strategic Transactions may not be regulated as rigorously as in the U.S., 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 U.S. of data on which to make trading decisions, (iii) delays in a Fund's ability to act upon economic events occurring in foreign markets during non-business hours in the U.S., (iv) the imposition of different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and margin requirements than in the U.S., and (v) lower trading volume and liquidity. Combined Transactions. The Funds 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 Funds 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. Swaps, Caps, Floors and Collars. Among the Strategic Transactions into which the Funds may enter are interest rate, currency, index and other swaps and the purchase or sale of related caps, floors and collars. The Funds expect 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 Funds anticipate purchasing at a later date. The Funds will not sell interest rate caps or floors where they do not own securities or other instruments providing the income stream the Funds may be obligated to pay. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Funds 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. The Funds will usually enter into swaps on a net basis, i.e., the two payment streams are netted out in a cash settlement on the payment date or dates specified in the instrument, with the Funds receiving or paying, as the case 22 may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Inasmuch as the Funds will segregate assets (or enter into offsetting positions) to cover their obligations under swaps, the Advisor and the Funds believe such obligations do not constitute senior securities under the 1940 Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to their borrowing restrictions. The Funds will not enter into any swap, cap, floor or collar transaction unless, at the time of entering into such transaction, the unsecured long-term debt of the Counterparty, combined with any credit enhancements, is rated at least A by S&P or Moody's or has an equivalent rating from a NRSRO or is determined to be of equivalent credit quality by the Advisor. If there is a default by the Counterparty, the Funds may have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid. Caps, floors and collars are more recent innovations for which standardized documentation has not yet been fully developed and, accordingly, they are less liquid than swaps. Use of Segregated and Other Special Accounts. Many Strategic Transactions, in addition to other requirements, require that a 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 Funds 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 Funds will require the Funds 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 Funds on an index will require the Funds 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 Funds requires the Funds to segregate cash or liquid assets equal to the exercise price. Except when the Funds enter 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 Funds to buy or sell currency will generally require the Funds to hold an amount of that currency or liquid assets denominated in that currency equal to the Funds' obligations or to segregate cash or liquid assets equal to the amount of a Fund's obligation. OTC options entered into by the Funds, 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 Funds, 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 Funds 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 their 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 their 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. 23 Strategic Transactions may be covered by other means when consistent with applicable regulatory policies. A 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, if a Fund held a futures or forward contract instead of segregating cash or liquid assets, 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. Each Fund's activities involving Strategic Transactions may be limited by the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code for qualification as a regulated investment company. Portfolio Turnover Each Fund's average annual portfolio turnover rate is the ratio of the lesser of sales or purchases to the monthly average value of the portfolio securities owned during the year, excluding all securities with maturities or expiration dates at the time of acquisition of one year or less. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2000 and August 31, 2001 Global Fund's portfolio turnover rates were 60% and 40%, respectively. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2000 and August 31, 2001 International Fund's portfolio turnover rates were 83% and 85%, respectively. Purchases and sales are made for a Fund's portfolio whenever necessary, in management's opinion, to meet that Fund's objective. MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS Investment Advisor Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc., an investment counsel firm, acts as investment advisor to the Funds. This organization, the predecessor of which is Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc., is one of the most experienced investment counseling firms in the U.S. It was established as a partnership in 1919 and pioneered the practice of providing investment counsel to individual clients on a fee basis. In 1928 it introduced the first no-load mutual fund to the public. In 1953 the Advisor introduced Scudder International Fund, Inc., the first mutual fund available in the U.S. investing internationally in securities of issuers in several foreign countries. The predecessor firm reorganized from a partnership to a corporation on June 28, 1985. On December 31, 1997, Zurich Insurance Company ("Zurich") acquired a majority interest in the Advisor, and Zurich Kemper Investments, Inc., a Zurich subsidiary, became part of the Advisor. The Advisor's name changed to Scudder Kemper Investments, Inc. On September 7, 1998, the businesses of Zurich (including Zurich's 70% interest in Scudder Kemper) and the financial services businesses of B.A.T Industries p.l.c. ("B.A.T") were combined to form a new global insurance and financial services company known as Zurich Financial Services Group. By way of a dual holding company structure, former Zurich shareholders initially owned approximately 57% of Zurich Financial Services Group, with the balance initially owned by former B.A.T shareholders. On October 17, 2000, the dual holding company structure of Zurich Financial Services Group, comprised of Allied Zurich p.l.c. in the United Kingdom and Zurich Allied A.G. in Switzerland, was unified into a single Swiss holding company, Zurich Financial Services. The Advisor manages the Fund's daily investment and business affairs subject to the policies established by the Corporation's Board of Directors. The Directors have overall responsibility for the management of the Fund under Massachusetts law. On January 1, 2001, the Advisor changed its name from Scudder Kemper Investments, Inc. to Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. Founded in 1872, Zurich is a multinational, public corporation organized under the laws of Switzerland. Its home office is located at Mythenquai 2, 8002 Zurich, Switzerland. Historically, Zurich's earnings have resulted from its operations as an insurer as well as from its ownership of its subsidiaries and affiliated companies (the "Zurich Insurance Group"). Zurich and the Zurich Insurance Group provide an extensive range of insurance products and services and have branch offices and subsidiaries in more than 40 countries throughout the world. 24 The principal source of the Advisor's income is professional fees received from providing continuous investment advice. Today, it provides investment counsel for many individuals and institutions, including insurance companies, colleges, industrial corporations, and financial and banking organizations as well as providing investment advice to open and closed-end mutual funds. The Advisor maintains a large research department, which conducts continuous studies of the factors that affect the position of various industries, companies and individual securities. The Advisor receives published reports and statistical compilations from issuers and other sources, as well as analyses from brokers and dealers who may execute portfolio transactions for the Advisor's clients. However, the Advisor regards this information and material as an adjunct to its own research activities. The Advisor's international investment management team travels the world, researching hundreds of companies. In selecting the securities in which the Funds may invest, the conclusions and investment decisions of the Advisor with respect to the Funds are based primarily on the analyses of its own research department. Certain investments may be appropriate for a Fund and also for other clients advised by the Advisor. Investment decisions for a 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 a Fund. Purchase and sale orders for a Fund may be combined with those of other clients of the Advisor in the interest of achieving the most favorable net results to that Fund. In certain cases, the investments for a Fund are 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 Funds are likely to differ from these other mutual funds in size, cash flow pattern and tax matters. Accordingly, the holdings and performance of the Funds can be expected to vary from those of these other mutual funds. Upon consummation of the transaction between Zurich and B.A.T, the Funds' existing investment management agreement with Scudder Kemper were deemed to have been assigned and, therefore, terminated. The Board approved new investment management agreements with Scudder Kemper, which were substantially identical to the prior investment management agreement, except for the date of execution and termination. The agreements became effective September 7, 1998, upon the termination of the then current investment management agreement and were approved at a shareholder meeting held on December 15, 1998. An Amended and Restated investment management agreement for Global Fund became effective September 11, 2000, and was most recently approved by the Directors on August 13, 2001. An Amended and Restated Agreement for International Fund became effective on August 14, 2000 and was most recently approved by the Directors on August 13, 2001 and at a shareholder meeting held on July 13, 2000 (each an "Agreement," collectively the "Agreements"). The Agreements will continue in effect until September 30, 2002 and from year to year thereafter only if each Agreement's continuance is approved annually by the vote of a majority of those Directors who are not parties to such Agreement or interested persons of the Advisor or the Corporations, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and either by a vote of the Corporations' Directors or of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the respective Fund. The Agreements may be terminated at any time without payment of penalty by either party on sixty days' written notice and automatically terminate in the event of their assignment. Under each Agreement, the Advisor regularly provides each Fund with continuing investment management for the Fund's portfolio consistent with each Fund's investment objective, policies and restrictions and determines what securities shall be purchased, held or sold and what portion of the Fund's assets shall be held uninvested, subject to the Corporation's Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, the 1940 Act, the Code and to each Fund's investment objective, policies and restrictions, and subject, further, to such policies and instructions as the Board of Directors of the Corporation may from time to time establish. The Advisor also advises and assists the officers of the Corporation 25 in taking such steps as are necessary or appropriate to carry out the decisions of its Directors and the appropriate committees of the Directors regarding the conduct of the business of each Fund. Under the Agreement, the Advisor renders significant administrative services (not otherwise provided by third parties) necessary for each Fund's operations as an open-end investment company including, but not limited to, preparing reports and notices to the Directors and shareholders; supervising, negotiating contractual arrangements with, and monitoring various third-party service providers to each Fund (such as transfer agent, pricing agents, Custodian, accountants and others); preparing and making filings with the SEC and other regulatory agencies; assisting in the preparation and filing of each Fund's federal, state and local tax returns; preparing and filing each Fund's federal excise tax returns; assisting with investor and public relations matters; monitoring the valuation of securities and the calculation of net asset value; monitoring the registration of shares of each Fund under applicable federal and state securities laws; maintaining each Fund's books and records to the extent not otherwise maintained by a third party; assisting in establishing accounting policies of each Fund; assisting in the resolution of accounting and legal issues; establishing and monitoring each Fund's operating budget; processing the payment of each Fund's bills; assisting each Fund in, and otherwise arranging for, the payment of distributions and dividends; and otherwise assisting each Fund in the conduct of its business, subject to the direction and control of the Directors. The Advisor pays the compensation and expenses of all Directors, officers and executive employees (except expenses incurred attending Board and committee meetings outside New York, New York; Boston, Massachusetts and Chicago, Illinois) of each Fund affiliated with the Advisor and makes available, without expense to the Corporation, the services of such Directors, officers and employees of the Advisor as may duly be elected officers or Directors of the Corporation, subject to their individual consent to serve and to any limitations imposed by law, and provides each Fund's office space and facilities. Scudder Global Fund For these services, under the current Agreement between Global Fund and the Advisor, effective September 11, 2000, the management fee payable under the Agreement is equal to an annual rate of 1.00% on the first $500 million of average daily net assets, 0.95% on such net assets in excess of $500 million, 0.90% on such net assets in excess of $1 billion, 0.85% on such net assets in excess of $1.5 billion and 0.80% on such net assets in excess of $2 billion. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2001, the fee pursuant to the Agreement aggregated $13,563,178, which was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.96% of the Fund's average daily net assets. For these services, under the prior Agreement, effective September 7, 1998 until September 11, 2000, Global Fund paid the Advisor a fee equal to 1.00% on the first $500 million of average daily net assets, 0.95% on such net assets in excess of $500 million, 0.90% on such net assets in excess of $1 billion and 0.85% on such net assets in excess of $1.5 billion. The fee is payable monthly, provided the Fund will make such interim payments as may be requested by the Advisor not to exceed 75% of the amount of the fee then accrued on the books of the Fund and unpaid. Accordingly, under these agreements the investment advisory fees for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1999, were $14,936,557. For the two months ended August 31, 1999, the investment advisory fee pursuant to the Agreement amounted to $2,547,570. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2000, the investment advisory fees were $14,778,270. Scudder International Fund For the services described above, under the current Agreement between International Fund and the Advisor, effective August 14, 2000, the management fee payable under the Agreement is equal to an annual rate of 0.675% on the first $6 billion of average daily net assets, 0.625% on the next $1 billion of such net assets, and 0.600% of such net assets in excess of $7 billion, computed and accrued daily and payable monthly. Under the prior Agreement between International Fund and the Advisor, effective September 7, 1998 until August 14, 2000, the management fee payable under the Agreement was equal to an annual rate of approximately 0.90% of the first $500 million of average daily net assets, 0.85% of the next $500 million of such net assets, 0.80% of the next $1 billion of such net assets, 0.75% of the next $1 billion of such net assets, and 0.70% of such net assets in excess of $3 billion computed and accrued daily and payable monthly. 26 Accordingly, for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2001, the Fund aggregated fees of $28,435,700, which was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.675% of the Fund's average daily net assets. For the year ended August 31, 2000, the investment advisory fees amounted to $36,335,757. For the five months ended August 31, 1999, the net investment advisory fees were $11,269,103. The net investment advisory fees for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999 were $23,819,941. Under the Agreements each Fund is responsible for all of its other expenses including: fees and expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; brokers' commissions; legal, auditing and accounting expenses; the calculation of net asset value; taxes and governmental fees; the fees and expenses of the Transfer Agent; the cost of preparing share certificates or any other expenses of issue, sale, underwriting, distribution, redemption or repurchase of shares; the expenses of and the fees for registering or qualifying securities for sale; the fees and expenses of Directors, officers and employees of each Fund who are not affiliated with the Advisor; the cost of printing and distributing reports and notices to stockholders; and the fees and disbursements of custodians. A Fund may arrange to have third parties assume all or part of the expenses of sale, underwriting and distribution of shares of the Fund. Each Fund is also responsible for its expenses of shareholders' meetings, the cost of responding to shareholders' inquiries, and its expenses incurred in connection with litigation, proceedings and claims and the legal obligation it may have to indemnify its officers and Directors of the Corporation with respect thereto. Each Agreement identifies the Advisor as the exclusive licensee of the rights to use and sublicense the names "Scudder," "Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc." and "Scudder Stevens and Clark, Inc." (together, the "Scudder Marks"). Under this license, each Corporation, with respect to each Fund, has the non-exclusive right to use and sublicense the Scudder name and marks as part of its name, and to use the Scudder Marks in each Corporation's investment products and services. In reviewing the terms of each Agreement and in discussions with the Advisor concerning the Agreements, the Directors of each Corporation who are not "interested persons" of the Advisor are represented by independent counsel at each Fund's expense. Each 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 misfeasance, 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. Officers and employees of the Advisor from time to time may have transactions with various banks, including the Funds' custodian bank. It is the Advisor's opinion that the terms and conditions of those transactions which have occurred were not influenced by existing or potential custodial or other Fund relationships. The Advisor may serve as advisor to other funds with investment objectives and policies similar to those of the Fund that may have different distribution arrangements or expenses, which may affect performance. None of the officers or Directors of the Corporation may have dealings with the Funds as principals in the purchase or sale of securities, except as individual subscribers to or holders of shares of the Funds. The term Scudder Investments is the designation given to the services provided by Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. and its affiliates to the Scudder Family of Funds. The Advisor has agreed to pay a fee to AARP and/or its affiliates in return for services relating to investments by AARP members in AARP Class shares of each fund. This fee is calculated on a daily basis as a percentage of the combined net assets of AARP Classes of all funds managed by the Advisor. The fee rates, which decrease as the aggregate net assets of the AARP Classes become larger, are as follows: 0.07% for the first $6 billion in net assets, 0.06% for the next $10 billion and 0.05% thereafter. AMA InvestmentLink(SM) Program Pursuant to an Agreement between the Advisor and AMA Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of the American Medical Association (the "AMA"), dated May 9, 1997, the Advisor has agreed, subject to applicable state regulations, to pay 27 AMA Solutions, Inc. royalties in an amount equal to 5% of the management fee received by the Advisor with respect to assets invested by AMA members in Scudder funds in connection with the AMA InvestmentLink(SM) Program. The Advisor will also pay AMA Solutions, Inc. a general monthly fee, currently in the amount of $833. The AMA and AMA Solutions, Inc. are not engaged in the business of providing investment advice and neither is registered as an investment advisor or broker/dealer under federal securities laws. Any person who participates in the AMA InvestmentLink(SM) Program will be a customer of the Advisor (or of a subsidiary thereof) and not the AMA or AMA Solutions, Inc. AMA InvestmentLink(SM) is a service mark of AMA Solutions, Inc. Code of Ethics The Funds, the Advisor and the principal underwriter have each adopted codes of ethics under rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. Board members, officers of the Corporations and employees of the Advisor and principal underwriter are permitted to make personal securities transactions, including transactions in securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds, subject to 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 Funds. 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. Brokerage Commissions Allocation of brokerage is supervised by the Advisor. The primary objective of the Advisor in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities for a Fund is to obtain the most favorable net results, taking into account such factors as price, commission where applicable, size of order, difficulty of execution and skill required of the executing broker/dealer. The Advisor seeks to evaluate the overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid (to the extent applicable) through the familiarity of the Distributor with commissions charged on comparable transactions, as well as by comparing commissions paid by a Fund to reported commissions paid by others. The Advisor routinely reviews commission rates, execution and settlement services performed and makes internal and external comparisons. The Funds' purchases and sales of fixed-income securities are generally placed by the Advisor with primary market makers for these securities on a net basis, without any brokerage commission being paid by a Fund. Trading does, however, involve transaction costs. Transactions with dealers serving as primary market makers reflect the spread between the bid and asked prices. Purchases of underwritten issues may be made, which will include an underwriting fee paid to the underwriter. When it can be done consistently with the policy of obtaining the most favorable net results, it is the Advisor's practice to place such orders with broker/dealers who supply research, market and statistical information to the Advisor or the Funds. The term "research services" includes advice as to the value of securities; the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities; the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; and analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy and the performance of accounts. The Advisor is authorized when placing portfolio transactions, if applicable, for the Funds to pay a brokerage commission in excess of that which another broker might charge for executing the same transaction on account of execution services and the receipt of research services. The Advisor has negotiated arrangements, which are not applicable to most fixed-income transactions, with certain broker/dealers pursuant to which a broker/dealer will provide research services, to the Advisor or a Fund in exchange for the direction by the Advisor of brokerage transactions to the broker/dealer. These arrangements regarding receipt of research services generally apply to equity security transactions. The Advisor may place orders with a broker/dealer on the basis that the broker/dealer has or has not sold shares of the Funds. In effecting transactions in over-the-counter securities, orders are placed with the principal market makers for the security being traded unless, after exercising care, it appears that more favorable results are available elsewhere. To the maximum extent feasible, it is expected that the Advisor will place orders for portfolio transactions through the Distributor, which is a corporation registered as a broker/dealer and a subsidiary of the Advisor; the Distributor 28 will place orders on behalf of the Funds with issuers, underwriters or other brokers and dealers. The Distributor will not receive any commission, fee or other remuneration from the Funds for this service. Although certain research services from broker/dealers may be useful to a Fund and to the Advisor, it is the opinion of the Advisor that such information only supplements the Advisor's own research effort since the information must still be analyzed, weighed, and reviewed by the Advisor's staff. Such information may be useful to the Advisor in providing services to clients other than a Fund, and not all such information is used by the Advisor in connection with a Fund. Conversely, such information provided to the Advisor by broker/dealers through whom other clients of the Advisor effect securities transactions may be useful to the Advisor in providing services to a Fund. The Directors review, from time to time, whether the recapture for the benefit of the Funds of some portion of the brokerage commissions or similar fees paid by the Funds on portfolio transactions is legally permissible and advisable. Scudder Global Fund For the fiscal year ended June 30, 1999, Global Fund paid brokerage commissions of $2,425,890. For the two months ended August 31, 1999 and the fiscal year ended August 31, 2000, Global Fund paid brokerage commissions of $349,205 and 2,263,550, respectively. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2001, Global Fund paid brokerage commissions of $1,370,386. $752,878 (54.94% of the total brokerage paid by the Fund) resulted from orders placed, consistent with the policy of obtaining the most favorable results, with brokers and dealers who provided supplementary research, market and statistical information to the Fund or the Advisor. The total amount of brokerage transactions aggregated $1,585,305,267, of which $793,076,305 (50.03% of all brokerage transactions) were transactions which included research commissions. Scudder International Fund For the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999, International Fund paid brokerage commissions of $9,926,570. For the five months ended August 31, 1999 and the fiscal year ended August 31, 2000, International Fund paid brokerage commissions of $4,793,969 and $14,867,810, respectively. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2001, International Fund paid brokerage commissions of $11,244,046. $5,363,294 (47.70% of the total brokerage paid by the Fund) resulted from orders placed, consistent with the policy of obtaining the most favorable results, with brokers and dealers who provided supplementary research, market and statistical information to the Fund or the Advisor. The total amount of brokerage transactions aggregated $7,598,333,534, of which $3,228,079,085 (42.48% of all brokerage transactions) were transactions which included research commissions. Administrative Agreement Each Fund has an administrative services agreement with the Advisor (the "Administrative Agreements"), pursuant to which the Advisor will provide or pay others to provide substantially all of the administrative services required by a Fund (other than those provided by the Advisor under its investment management agreements with the Funds, as described above) in exchange for the payment by each Fund of an administrative services fee (the "Administrative Fee") of 0.375% of its average daily net assets for International Fund and Global Fund's average daily net assets. One effect of these arrangements is to make each Fund's future expense ratio more predictable. However, the Funds will not benefit from economies of scale derived from increases in assets. The Administrative Fee became effective August 14, 2000 for International Fund and September 11, 2000 for Global Fund. For the period August 14, 2000 through August 31, 2000, the Administrative Agreement expense charged to International Fund amounted to $921,739. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2001 the Administrative Fees paid by International Fund and Global Fund were $15,823,658 and $5,110,182, respectively. Various third-party service providers (the "Service Providers"), some of which are affiliated with the Advisor, provide certain services to the Funds pursuant to separate agreements with the Funds. Scudder Fund Accounting Corporation, a subsidiary of the Advisor, computes net asset value for the Funds and maintains their accounting records. Scudder Service Corporation, also a subsidiary of the Advisor, is the transfer, shareholder servicing and dividend-paying agent for the shares of the Funds. Scudder Trust Company, an affiliate of the Advisor, provides 29 subaccounting and recordkeeping services for shareholders in certain retirement and employee benefit plans. As custodian, Brown Brothers Harriman holds the portfolio securities of the Funds, pursuant to a custodian agreement. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP audits the financial statements of the Funds and provides other audit, tax, and related services. Dechert acts as general counsel for each Fund. The Advisor will pay the Service Providers for the provision of their services to the Funds and will pay other fund expenses, including insurance, registration, printing and postage fees. In return, each Fund will pay the Advisor an Administrative Fee. Each Administrative Agreement has an initial term of three years, subject to earlier termination by a Fund's Board. The fee payable by a Fund to the Advisor pursuant to the Administrative Agreements is reduced by the amount of any credit received from the Fund's custodian for cash balances. Certain expenses of the Funds will not be borne by the Advisor under the Administrative Agreements, such as taxes, brokerage, interest and extraordinary expenses; and the fees and expenses of the Independent Directors (including the fees and expenses of their independent counsel). In addition, each Fund will continue to pay the fees required by its investment management agreement with the Advisor. Distributor Each Corporation has an underwriting agreement with Scudder Investor Services, Inc., Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110 (the "Distributor"), a Massachusetts corporation, which is a subsidiary of the Advisor, a Delaware corporation. The Corporations' underwriting agreement dated May 8, 2000 will remain in effect until September 30, 2002 and from year to year thereafter only if its continuance is approved annually by a majority of the members of the applicable Board of Directors who are not parties to such agreement or interested persons of any such party and either by vote of a majority of the applicable Board of Directors or a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the applicable Fund. The underwriting agreements were last approved by the Directors on August 14, 2001. Under the underwriting agreements, a Fund is responsible for: the payment of all fees and expenses in connection with the preparation and filing with the Commission 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 a 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 a 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 a 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 a Fund's shares to the public and preparing, printing and mailing any other literature or advertising in connection with the offering of shares of a 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 a Fund, unless a Rule 12b-1 Plan is in effect which provides that a Fund shall bear some or all of such expenses. As agent, the Distributor currently offers shares of the Funds on a continuous basis to investors in all states in which shares of a Fund may from time to time be registered or where permitted by applicable law. The underwriting agreements provide that the Distributor accepts orders for shares at net asset value as no sales commission or load is charged to the investor. The Distributor has made no firm commitment to acquire shares of any Fund. 30 FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS Transfer Agent Scudder Service Corporation ("SSC"), P.O. Box 219669, Kansas City, Missouri, 64121-9669, a subsidiary of the Advisor, is the transfer and dividend disbursing agent for the Funds. SSC also serves as shareholder service agent and provides subaccounting and recordkeeping services for shareholder accounts in certain retirement and employee benefit plans. Prior to the implementation of the Administrative Agreement, each Fund paid SSC an annual fee of $26.00 for each retail account and $29.00 for each retirement account. For the fiscal years ended June 30, 1998 and 1999, SSC charged Global Fund aggregate fees of $2,508,727 and $2,380,471, respectively, and $368,471 for the two months ended August 31, 1999. Prior to August 14, 2000, the amount charged to the Fund by SSC aggregated $2,110,505. International Fund incurred fees of $3,098,197 for Class S shares and $4,857 for Barrett International Shares, respectively, during the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999, and $1,258,902 and $4,632, respectively, for the five months ended August 31, 1999. Prior to August 14, 2000, the amount charged by SSC to International Fund for Class S shares and Barrett International Shares aggregated $3,420,086 and $10,603, respectively. The Funds, 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. Custodian The Funds employ Brown Brothers Harriman & Company, 40 Water Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109 as Custodian for the Funds. Auditors The financial highlights of the Funds included in the prospectus and the Financial Statements incorporated by reference in this Statement of Additional Information have been so included or incorporated by reference in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 160 Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, independent accountants, and given on the authority of that firm as experts in accounting and auditing. PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP is responsible for performing annual and semiannual audits of the financial statements and financial highlights of each Fund in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, and the preparation of federal tax returns. Legal Counsel The law firm of Dechert is counsel to the Funds. Fund Accounting Agent Scudder Fund Accounting Corporation ("SFAC"), Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110-4103, a subsidiary of the Advisor, computes net asset value for each Fund. Prior to the implementation of the Administrative Agreement, each Fund paid SFAC an annual fee equal to 0.065% of the first $150 million of average daily net assets, 0.040% of such assets in excess of $150 million, 0.020% of such assets in excess of $1 billion, plus holding and transaction charges for this service. For the fiscal years ended June 30, 1998 and 1999, SFAC charged Global Fund aggregate fees of $601,315 and $585,537, respectively, and $97,186 for the two months ended August 31, 1999. For the year ended August 31, 2000, the amount charged to Global Fund by SFAC aggregated $577,424. Prior to September 11, 2000, the amount charged to Global Fund by SFAC aggregated $36,085. For the fiscal years ended March 31, 1998 and 1999, SFAC charged International Fund aggregate fees of $838,885 and $795,122, respectively, and $402,576 for the five months ended August 31, 1999. Prior to August 14, 2000, the amount charged by SFAC to International Fund aggregated $1,250,099. 31 Retirement Service Provider Scudder Trust Company, an affiliate of the Advisor, provides subaccounting and recordkeeping services for shareholder accounts in certain retirement and employee benefit plans. Prior to the implementation of the Administrative Agreement, annual service fees were paid by each Fund to Scudder Trust Company, Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110-4103, an affiliate of the Advisor, for certain retirement plan accounts. Class S shares of Global Fund and International Fund paid Scudder Trust Company an annual fee of $29 per shareholder account. For the fiscal years ended June 30, 1998 and 1999, Global Fund incurred fees of $1,195,885 and $1,427,397, respectively, and $235,738 for the two months ended August 31, 1999. Prior to September 11, 2000, Global Fund incurred fees of $76,000. Class S shares of International Fund incurred fees of $2,067,603 and $1,561,049 during the fiscal years ended March 31, 1999 and 1998, respectively, and $1,202,021 for the five months ended August 31, 1999. Prior to August 14, 2000, the amount charged by STC to Class S shares of International Fund aggregated $3,776,386. PERFORMANCE From time to time, quotations of the Shares' performance may be included in advertisements, sales literature or reports to shareholders or prospective investors. These performance figures will be calculated in the following manner: Average Annual Total Return Average Annual Total Return is the average annual compound rate of return for the periods of one year, five years and ten years, all ended on the last day of a recent calendar quarter. Average annual total return quotations reflect changes in the price of the Class S shares and assume that all dividends and capital gains distributions during the respective periods were reinvested in Class S shares. Performance information is computed separately for each class. Average annual total return is calculated by finding the average annual compound rates of return of a hypothetical investment over such periods, according to the following formula (average annual total return is then expressed as a percentage): T = (ERV/P)1/n - 1 Where: P = a hypothetical initial investment of $1,000 T = Average Annual Total Return n = number of years ERV = ending redeemable value: ERV is the value, at the end of the applicable period, of a hypothetical $1,000 investment made at the beginning of the applicable period Average Annual Total Returns for the Period Ended August 31, 2001
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years Since Inception ------ ------- -------- --------------- Scudder Global Fund -- Class S -16.34% 8.03% 10.00% -- Scudder Global Fund -- Class AARP N/A N/A N/A -14.99% Scudder International Fund -- Class S -26.43% 7.12% 8.53% -- Scudder International Fund -- Class AARP N/A N/A N/A 0.84%
Total Return Total Return is the rate of return on an investment for a specified period of time. From time to time, in advertisements, sales literature, and reports to shareholders or prospective investors, figures relating to the growth in the total net assets of each Fund apart from capital appreciation will be cited, as an update to 32 the information in this section, including, but not limited to: net cash flow, net subscriptions, gross subscriptions, net asset growth, net account growth, and subscription rates. Capital appreciation generally will be covered by marketing literature as part of the Funds' and classes' performance data. Quotations of a Fund's performance are based on historical earnings, show the performance of a hypothetical investment, and are not intended to indicate future performance of that Fund. An investor's shares when redeemed may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance of a Fund will vary based on changes in market conditions and the level of that Fund's and class's expenses. Comparison of Fund Performance A comparison of the quoted non-standard performance offered for various investments is valid only if performance is calculated in the same manner. Since there are different methods of calculating performance, investors should consider the effects of the methods used to calculate performance when comparing performance of the Fund with performance quoted with respect to other investment companies or types of investments. In connection with communicating their performance to current or prospective shareholders, the Funds also may compare these figures to the performance of unmanaged indices which may assume reinvestment of dividends or interest but generally do not reflect deductions for administrative and management costs. Historical information on the value of the dollar versus foreign currencies may be used from time to time in advertisements concerning the Funds. Such historical information is not indicative of future fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar against these currencies. In addition, marketing materials may cite country and economic statistics and historical stock market performance for any of the countries in which a Fund invests. From time to time, in advertising and marketing literature, a Fund's performance may be compared to the performance of broad groups of mutual funds with similar investment goals, as tracked by independent organizations. From time to time, in marketing and other Fund literature, Directors and officers of a Fund, its portfolio manager, or members of the portfolio management team may be depicted and quoted to give prospective and current shareholders a better sense of the outlook and approach of those who manage the Fund. In addition, the amount of assets that the Advisor has under management in various geographical areas may be quoted in advertising and marketing materials. Marketing and other Fund literature may include a description of the potential risks and rewards associated with an investment in a Fund. The description may include a "risk/return spectrum" which compares the Funds to other Scudder funds or broad categories of funds, such as money market, bond or equity funds, in terms of potential risks and returns. Money market funds are designed to maintain a constant $1.00 share price and have a fluctuating yield. Share price, yield and total return of a bond fund will fluctuate. The share price and return of an equity fund also will fluctuate. The description may also compare the Funds to bank products, such as certificates of deposit. Unlike mutual funds, certificates of deposit are insured up to $100,000 by the U.S. government and offer a fixed rate of return. Because bank products guarantee the principal value of an investment and money market funds seek stability of principal, these investments are considered to be less risky than investments in either bond or equity funds, which may involve the loss of principal. However, all long-term investments, including investments in bank products, may be subject to inflation risk, which is the risk of erosion of the value of an investment as prices increase over a long time period. The risks/returns associated with an investment in bond or equity funds depend upon many factors. For bond funds these factors include, but are not limited to, a fund's overall investment objective, the average portfolio maturity, credit quality of the securities held, and interest rate movements. For equity funds, factors include a fund's overall investment objective, the types of equity securities held and the financial position of the issuers of the securities. The risks/returns associated with an investment in international bond or equity funds also will depend upon currency exchange rate fluctuation. A risk/return spectrum generally will position the various investment categories in the following order: bank products, money market funds, bond funds and equity funds. Shorter-term bond funds generally are considered less risky and offer the potential for less return than longer-term bond funds. The same is true of domestic bond funds 33 relative to international bond funds, and bond funds that purchase higher quality securities relative to bond funds that purchase lower quality securities. Growth and income equity funds are generally considered to be less risky and offer the potential for less return than growth funds. In addition, international equity funds usually are considered more risky than domestic equity funds but generally offer the potential for greater return. Evaluation of Fund performance or other relevant statistical information made by independent sources may also be used in advertisements concerning a Fund, including reprints of, or selections from, editorials or articles about a Fund. PURCHASES AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES Additional Information About Opening An Account All new investors in Class AARP of the Funds are required to provide an AARP membership number on their account application. In addition, Class S shares of the Funds will generally not be available to new investors. The following investors may continue to purchase Class S shares of Scudder Funds: 1. Existing shareholders of Class S shares of any Scudder Fund as of December 29, 2000, and household members residing at the same address. 2. Investors may purchase Class S shares of any Scudder Fund through any broker-dealer or service agent account until June 30, 2001. After June 30, 2001, only investors who owned Class S shares as of June 30, 2001 and household members residing at the same address may open new accounts in Class S of any Scudder Fund. 3. Any retirement, employee stock, bonus pension or profit-sharing plans. 4. Any participant who owns Class S shares of any Scudder Fund through an employee sponsored retirement, employee stock, bonus, pension or profit sharing plan as of December 29, 2000 may, at a later date, open a new individual account in Class S of any Scudder Fund. 5. Any participant who owns Class S shares of any Scudder 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 for individuals who begin their retirement plan investments with a Scudder Fund at any time, including after December 29, 2000. 6. Officers, Fund Trustees and Directors, and full-time employees and their family members, of Zurich Financial Services and its affiliates. 7. Class S shares are available to any accounts managed by Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc., any advisory products offered by Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. or Scudder Investor Services, Inc., and to the Portfolios of Scudder Pathway Series. 8. Registered investment advisors ("RIAs") may continue to purchase Class S shares of Scudder Funds for all clients until June 30, 2001. After June 30, 2001, RIAs may purchase Class S shares for any client that has an existing position in Class S shares of any Scudder Funds as of June 30, 2001. 9. Broker-dealers and RIAs who have clients participating in comprehensive fee programs may continue to purchase Class S shares of Scudder Funds until June 30, 2001. After June 30, 2001, broker dealers and RIAs may purchase Class S shares in comprehensive fee programs for any client that has an existing position in Class S shares of a Scudder Fund as of June 30, 2001. 10. Scudder Investors Services, Inc. may, at its discretion, require appropriate documentation that shows an investor is eligible to purchase Class S shares. 34 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 and $1,000 for Class AARP through Scudder Investor Services, Inc. by letter, fax, or telephone. Shareholders of other Scudder 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. Investors interested in investing in Class S must call 1-800-225-5163 to get an account number. During the call the investor will be asked to indicate the Fund name, class name, amount to be wired ($2,500 minimum for Class S and $1,000 for Class AARP), name of bank or trust company from which the wire will be sent, the exact registration of the new account, the tax identification number or Social Security number, address and telephone number. The investor must then call the bank to arrange a wire transfer to The Scudder Funds, Boston, MA 02101, ABA Number 011000028, DDA Account 9903-5552. The investor must give the Scudder fund name, class name, account name and the new account number. Finally, the investor must send a completed and signed application to the Fund promptly. Investors interested in investing in Class AARP should call 1-800-253-2277 for further instructions. The minimum initial purchase amount is less than $2,500 for Class S under certain special plan accounts and is $1,000 for Class AARP. Minimum Balances Shareholders should maintain a share balance worth at least $2,500 for Class S and $1,000 for Class AARP. For fiduciary accounts such as IRAs, and custodial accounts such as Uniform Gift to Minor Act, and Uniform Trust to Minor Act accounts, the minimum balance is $1,000 for Class S and $500 for Class AARP. Each Fund's Board of Directors may change these amounts. 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. The Funds reserve the right, following 60 days' written notice to applicable shareholders, to: o for Class S, assess an annual $10 per Fund charge (with the Fee to be paid to the Fund) for any non-fiduciary/non-custodial account without an automatic investment plan (AIP) in place and a balance of less than $2,500; and o redeem all shares in Fund Class S accounts which fall below $2,500 where a reduction in value has occurred due to a redemption, exchange or transfer out of the account. The Fund will mail the proceeds of the redeemed account to the shareholder. Reductions in value that result solely from market activity will not trigger an involuntary redemption. Shareholders with a combined household account balance in any of the Scudder Funds of $100,000 or more, as well as group retirement and certain other accounts will not be subject to a fee or 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. Additional Information About Making Subsequent Investments Subsequent purchase orders for $10,000 or more and for an amount not greater than four times the value of the shareholder's account may be placed by telephone, fax, etc. by established shareholders (except by Scudder Individual Retirement Account (IRA), Scudder Horizon Plan, Scudder Profit Sharing and Money Purchase Pension Plans, Scudder 401(k) and Scudder 403(b) Plan holders), members of the NASD, and banks. Orders placed in this manner may be directed to any office of the Distributor listed in a Fund's prospectus. A confirmation of the purchase will be mailed out promptly following receipt of a request to buy. Federal regulations require that payment be received within three (3) business days. If payment is not received within that time, the order is subject to 35 cancellation. In the event of such cancellation or cancellation at the purchaser's request, the purchaser will be responsible for any loss incurred by a Fund or the principal underwriter by reason of such cancellation. If the purchaser is a shareholder, a Fund shall have the authority, as agent of the shareholder, to redeem shares in the account in order to reimburse a Fund or the principal underwriter for the loss incurred. Net losses on such transactions which are not recovered from the purchaser will be absorbed by the principal underwriter. Any net profit on the liquidation of unpaid shares will accrue to a Fund. Additional Information About Making Subsequent Investments by QuickBuy Shareholders, whose predesignated bank account of record is a member of the Automated Clearing House Network (ACH) and who have elected to participate in the QuickBuy program, may purchase shares of a Fund by telephone. Through this service shareholders may purchase up to $250,000, and a minimum of $50. To purchase shares by QuickBuy, shareholders should call before the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (the "Exchange"), normally 4 p.m. eastern time. Proceeds in the amount of your purchase will be transferred from your bank checking account two or three business days following your call. For requests received by the close of regular trading on the Exchange, shares will be purchased at the net asset value per share calculated at the close of trading on the day of your call. QuickBuy requests received after the close of regular trading on the Exchange will begin their processing and be purchased at the net asset value calculated the following business day. If you purchase shares by QuickBuy and redeem them within seven days of the purchase, a Fund may hold the redemption proceeds for a period of up to seven business days. If you purchase shares and there are insufficient funds in your bank account, the purchase will be canceled and you will be subject to any losses or fees incurred in the transaction. QuickBuy transactions are not available for most retirement plan accounts. However, QuickBuy transactions are available for Scudder IRA accounts. In order to request purchases by QuickBuy, shareholders must have completed and returned to the Transfer Agent the application, including the designation of a bank account from which the purchase payment will be debited. New investors wishing to establish QuickBuy may so indicate on the application. Existing shareholders who wish to add QuickBuy to their account may do so by completing a QuickBuy Enrollment Form. After sending in an enrollment form shareholders should allow 15 days for this service to be available. Each Fund employs procedures, including recording telephone calls, testing a caller's identity, and sending written confirmation of telephone transactions, designed to give reasonable assurance that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine and to discourage fraud. To the extent that the Funds do not follow such procedures, they may be liable for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent telephone instructions. The Funds will not be liable for acting upon instructions communicated by telephone that they reasonably believe to be genuine. Investors interested in making subsequent investments in Class AARP of a Fund should call 1-800-253-2277 for further information. Checks A certified check is not necessary, but checks are only accepted subject to collection at full face value in U.S. funds and must be drawn on or payable through a U.S. bank. If shares of a Fund are purchased by a check which proves to be uncollectible, the Corporation reserves the right to cancel the purchase immediately, and the purchaser will be responsible for any loss incurred by a Fund or the principal underwriter by reason of such cancellation. If the purchaser is a shareholder, the Corporation shall have the authority, as agent of the shareholder, to redeem shares in the account in order to reimburse a Fund or the principal underwriter for the loss incurred. Investors whose orders have been canceled may be prohibited from or restricted in placing future orders in any of the Scudder funds. Wire Transfer of Federal Funds To obtain the net asset value determined as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange on a selected day, your bank must forward federal funds by wire transfer and provide the required account information so as to be available to a Fund prior to the regular close of trading on the Exchange (normally 4 p.m. Eastern time). 36 The bank sending an investor's federal funds by bank wire may charge for the service. Presently, the Funds pay a fee for receipt by the Custodian of "wired funds," but the right to charge investors for this service is reserved. Boston banks are presently closed on certain holidays although the Exchange may be open. These holidays are Columbus Day (the 2nd Monday in October) and Veterans' Day (November 11). Investors are not able to purchase shares by wiring federal funds on such holidays because the Custodian is not open to receive such federal funds on behalf of a Fund. Share Price Purchases will be filled without sales charge at the net asset value per share next computed after receipt of the application in good order. Net asset value normally will be computed for each class as of the close of regular trading on each day during which 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 that member broker, rather than a Fund, to forward the purchase order to SSC in Kansas City by the close of regular trading on the Exchange. Share Certificates Due to the desire of each Fund's management to afford ease of redemption, certificates will not be issued to indicate ownership in a Fund. Share certificates now in a shareholder's possession may be sent to a Fund's Transfer Agent for cancellation and credit to such shareholder's account. Shareholders who prefer may hold the certificates in their possession until they wish to exchange or redeem such shares. All issued and outstanding shares of what were formerly AARP Funds that were subsequently reorganized into existing Scudder Funds were simultaneously cancelled on the books of the AARP Funds. Share certificates representing interests in shares of the relevant AARP Fund will represent a number of shares of Class AARP of the relevant Scudder Fund into which the AARP Fund was reorganized. Class AARP shares of each fund will not issue certificates representing shares in connection with the reorganization. Other Information Each Fund has authorized certain members of the NASD other than the Distributor to accept purchase and redemption orders for its shares. Those brokers may also designate other parties to accept purchase and redemption orders on a Fund's behalf. Orders for purchase or redemption will be deemed to have been received by a Fund when such brokers or their authorized designees accept the orders. Subject to the terms of the contract between a Fund and the broker, ordinarily orders will be priced at a class' net asset value next computed after acceptance by such brokers or their authorized designees. Further, if purchases or redemptions of a Fund's shares are arranged and settlement is made at an investor's election through any other authorized NASD member, that member may, at its discretion, charge a fee for that service. The Board of Directors and the Distributor, also a Fund's principal underwriter, each has the right to limit the amount of purchases by, and to refuse to sell to, any person. The Board of Directors and the Distributor may suspend or terminate the offering of shares of a Fund at any time for any reason. The "Tax Identification Number" section of the Application must be completed when opening an account. Applications and purchase orders without a certified tax identification number and certain other certified information (e.g., from exempt organizations a certification of exempt status), will be returned to the investor. The Funds reserve the right, following 30 days' notice, to redeem all shares in accounts without a correct certified Social Security or tax identification number. A shareholder may avoid involuntary redemption by providing the Fund with a tax identification number during the 30-day notice period. The Corporation may issue shares at net asset value in connection with any merger or consolidation with, or acquisition of the assets of, any investment company or personal holding company, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. 37 Exchanges Exchanges are comprised of a redemption from one Scudder fund and a purchase into another Scudder fund. The purchase side of the exchange either may be an additional investment into an existing account or may involve opening a new account in the other fund. When an exchange involves a new account, the new account will be established with the same registration, tax identification number, address, telephone redemption option, "Scudder Automated Information Line" (SAIL) transaction authorization and dividend option as the existing account. Other features will not carry over automatically to the new account. Exchanges to a new fund account must be for a minimum of $2,500 for Class S and $1,000 for Class AARP. When an exchange represents an additional investment into an existing account, the account receiving the exchange proceeds must have identical registration, address, and account options/features as the account of origin. Exchanges into an existing account must be for $50 or more. If the account receiving the exchange proceeds is to be different in any respect, the exchange request must be in writing and must contain an original signature guarantee. Exchange orders received before the close of regular trading on the Exchange on any business day ordinarily will be executed at respective net asset values determined on that day. Exchange orders received after the close of regular trading on the Exchange will be executed on the following business day. Investors may also request, at no extra charge, to have exchanges automatically executed on a predetermined schedule from one Scudder fund to an existing account in another Scudder fund, at current net asset value, through Scudder's Automatic Exchange Program. Exchanges must be for a minimum of $50. Shareholders may add this free feature over the telephone or in writing. Automatic Exchanges will continue until the shareholder requests by telephone or in writing to have the feature removed, or until the originating account is depleted. The Corporation and the Transfer Agent each reserves the right to suspend or terminate the privilege of the Automatic Exchange Program at any time. There is no charge to the shareholder for any exchange described above. An exchange into another Scudder fund is a redemption of shares and therefore may result in tax consequences (gain or loss) to the shareholder, and the proceeds of such an exchange may be subject to backup withholding. Investors currently receive the exchange privilege, including exchange by telephone, automatically without having to elect it. The Funds employ procedures, including recording telephone calls, testing a caller's identity, and sending written confirmation of telephone transactions, designed to give reasonable assurance that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine and to discourage fraud. To the extent that a Fund does not follow such procedures, it may be liable for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent telephone instructions. A Fund will not be liable for acting upon instructions communicated by telephone that it reasonably believes to be genuine. The Funds and the Transfer Agent each reserves the right to suspend or terminate the privilege of exchanging by telephone or fax at any time. The Scudder Funds into which investors may make an exchange are listed herein. Before making an exchange, shareholders should obtain from Scudder Investor Services, Inc. a prospectus of the Scudder fund into which the exchange is being contemplated. The exchange privilege may not be available for certain Scudder Funds or classes of Scudder Funds. For more information, please call 1-800-225-5163 (Class S) and 1-800-253-2277 (Class AARP). Special Redemption and Exchange Information -- Scudder International Fund In general, Class S shares of the Fund may be exchanged or redeemed at net asset value. However, Class S shares of Scudder International Fund held for less than six months are redeemable at a price equal to 98% of the then current net asset value per share. This 2% discount, referred to in the prospectus and this statement of additional information as a redemption fee, directly affects the amount a shareholder who is subject to the discount receives upon exchange or redemption. It is intended to encourage long-term investment in the Fund, to avoid transaction and other expenses caused by early redemptions and to facilitate portfolio management. The fee is not a deferred sales charge, is not a commission paid to the Advisor or its subsidiaries, and does not benefit the Advisor in any way. The Fund reserves the right to modify the terms of or terminate this fee at any time. The redemption discount will not be applied to (a) a redemption of Class S shares of the Fund outstanding for six months or more, (b) shares purchased through certain of the Advisor's retirement plans, Including 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, 457 plans, Keogh accounts, and Profit Sharing and Money Purchase Pension Plans, (c) a redemption of reinvestment shares (i.e., shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions paid 38 by the Fund), (d) a redemption of shares due to the death of the registered shareholder of a Fund account, or, due to the death of all registered shareholders of a Fund account with more than one registered shareholder, (i.e., joint tenant account), upon receipt by Scudder Service Corporation of appropriate written instructions and documentation satisfactory to Scudder Service Corporation, or (e) a redemption of shares by the Fund upon exercise of its right to liquidate accounts (i) falling below the minimum account size by reason of shareholder redemptions or (ii) when the shareholder has failed to provide tax identification information, and (f) shares purchased by accounts opened pursuant to certain types of "WRAP" fee investment programs. However, if shares are purchased for a retirement plan account through a broker, financial institution or recordkeeper maintaining an omnibus account for the shares, such waiver may not apply. (Before purchasing shares, please check with your account representative concerning the availability of the fee waiver.) In addition, this waiver does not apply to IRA and SEP-IRA accounts. For this purpose and without regard to the shares actually redeemed, shares will be treated as redeemed as follows: first, reinvestment shares; second, purchased shares held six months or more; and third, purchased shares held for less than six months. Finally, if a redeeming shareholder acquires Fund shares through a transfer from another shareholder, applicability of the discount, if any, will be determined by reference to the date the shares were originally purchased, and not from the date of transfer between shareholders. Scudder retirement plans may have different exchange requirements. Please refer to appropriate plan literature. Redemption By Telephone Shareholders currently receive the right automatically, without having to elect it, to redeem by telephone up to $100,000 and have the proceeds mailed to their address of record. Shareholders may also request by telephone to have the proceeds mailed or wired to their predesignated bank account. In order to request wire redemptions by telephone, shareholders must have completed and returned to the Transfer Agent the application, including the designation of a bank account to which the redemption proceeds are to be sent. (a) NEW INVESTORS wishing to establish the telephone redemption privilege must complete the appropriate section on the application. (b) EXISTING SHAREHOLDERS (except those who are Scudder IRA, Scudder pension and profit-sharing, Scudder 401(k) and Scudder 403(b) Planholders) who wish to establish telephone redemption to a predesignated bank account or who want to change the bank account previously designated to receive redemption proceeds should either return a Telephone Redemption Option Form (available upon request), or send a letter identifying the account and specifying the exact information to be changed. The letter must be signed exactly as the shareholder's name(s) appears on the account. An original signature and an original signature guarantee are required for each person in whose name the account is registered. If a request for a redemption to a shareholder's bank account is made by telephone or fax, payment will be by Federal Reserve bank wire to the bank account designated on the application, unless a request is made that the redemption check be mailed to the designated bank account. Note: Investors designating a savings bank to receive their telephone redemption proceeds are advised that if the savings bank is not a participant in the Federal Reserve System, redemption proceeds must be wired through a commercial bank which is a correspondent of the savings bank. As this may delay receipt by the shareholder's account, it is suggested that investors wishing to use a savings bank discuss wire procedures with their bank and submit any special wire transfer information with the telephone redemption authorization. If appropriate wire information is not supplied, redemption proceeds will be mailed to the designated bank. The Funds employ procedures, including recording telephone calls, testing a caller's identity, and sending written confirmation of telephone transactions, designed to give reasonable assurance that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine and to discourage fraud. To the extent that a Fund does not follow such procedures, it may be liable for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent telephone instructions. A Fund will not be liable for acting upon instructions communicated by telephone that it reasonably believes to be genuine. Redemption requests by telephone (technically a repurchase agreement between the Fund and the shareholder) of shares purchased by check will not be accepted until the purchase check has cleared which may take up to seven business days. 39 Redemption by QuickSell Shareholders, whose predesignated bank account of record is a member of the Automated Clearing House Network (ACH) and have elected to participate in the QuickSell program, may sell shares of a Fund by telephone. Redemptions must be for at least $50. Proceeds in the amount of your redemption will be transferred to your bank checking account in two or three business days following your call. For requests received by the close of regular trading on the Exchange, normally 4 p.m. Eastern time, shares will be redeemed at the net asset value per share calculated at the close of trading on the day of your call. QuickSell requests received after the close of regular trading on the Exchange will begin their processing the following business day. QuickSell transactions are not available for Scudder IRA accounts and most other retirement plan accounts. In order to request redemptions by QuickSell, shareholders must have completed and returned to the Transfer Agent the application, including the designation of a bank account. New investors wishing to establish QuickSell may so indicate on the application. Existing shareholders who wish to add QuickSell to their account may do so by completing a QuickSell Enrollment Form. After sending in an enrollment form, shareholders should allow for 15 days for this service to be available. The Funds employ procedures, including recording telephone calls, testing a caller's identity, and sending written confirmation of telephone transactions, designed to give reasonable assurance that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine and to discourage fraud. To the extent that a Fund does not follow such procedures, it may be liable for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent telephone instructions. A Fund will not be liable for acting upon instructions communicated by telephone that it reasonably believes to be genuine. Redemption by Mail or Fax Any existing share certificates representing shares being redeemed must accompany a request for redemption and be duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper stock assignment form with signature(s) guaranteed. In order to ensure proper authorization before redeeming shares, the Transfer Agent may request additional documents such as, but not restricted to, stock powers, trust instruments, certificates of death, appointments as executor, certificates of corporate authority and waivers of tax (required in some states when settling estates). It is suggested that shareholders holding shares registered in other than individual names contact the Transfer Agent prior to any redemptions to ensure that all necessary documents accompany the request. When shares are held in the name of a corporation, trust, fiduciary agent, attorney or partnership, the Transfer Agent requires, in addition to the stock power, certified evidence of authority to sign. These procedures are for the protection of shareholders and should be followed to ensure prompt payment. Redemption requests must not be conditional as to date or price of the redemption. Proceeds of a redemption will be sent within seven (7) business days after receipt by the Transfer Agent of a request for redemption that complies with the above requirements. Delays of more than seven (7) days of payment for shares tendered for repurchase or redemption may result, but only until the purchase check has cleared. The requirements for IRA redemptions are different from those for regular accounts. For more information call 1-800-225-5163. Redemption-in-Kind Each Corporation reserves the right, if conditions exist which make cash payments undesirable, to honor any request for redemption or repurchase order by making payment in whole or in part in readily marketable securities chosen by a Fund and valued as they are for purposes of computing a Fund's net asset value (a redemption-in-kind). If payment is made in securities, a shareholder may incur transaction expenses in converting these securities into cash. Each Corporation has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, as a result of which a Fund is obligated to redeem shares, with respect to any one shareholder during any 90-day period, solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net asset value of that Fund at the beginning of the period. 40 Other Information Clients, officers or employees of the Advisor or of an affiliated organization, and members of such clients', officers' or employees' immediate families, banks and members of the NASD may direct repurchase requests to a Fund through Scudder Investor Services, Inc. at Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-4103 by letter, fax, TWX, or telephone. A two-part confirmation will be mailed out promptly after receipt of the repurchase request. A written request in good order with a proper original signature guarantee, as described in the Shares' prospectus, should be sent with a copy of the invoice to Scudder Investments, attn: Scudder Confirmed Processing, 42 Longwater Drive, Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-1612. Failure to deliver shares or required documents (see above) by the settlement date may result in cancellation of the trade and the shareholder will be responsible for any loss incurred by a Fund or the principal underwriter by reason of such cancellation. Net losses on such transactions which are not recovered from the shareholder will be absorbed by the principal underwriter. Any net gains so resulting will accrue to a Fund. For this group, repurchases will be carried out at the net asset value next computed after such repurchase requests have been received. The arrangements described in this paragraph for repurchasing shares are discretionary and may be discontinued at any time. Shareholders who wish to redeem shares from Special Plan Accounts should contact the employer, trustee or custodian of the Plan for the requirements. If a shareholder redeems all shares in the account after the record date of a dividend, the shareholder receives in addition to the net asset value thereof, all declared but unpaid dividends thereon. The value of shares redeemed or repurchased may be more or less than the shareholder's cost depending on the net asset value at the time of redemption or repurchase. A Fund does not impose a redemption or repurchase charge, although a wire charge may be applicable for redemption proceeds wired to an investor's bank account. Redemption of shares, including redemptions undertaken to effect an exchange for shares of another Scudder fund, may result in tax consequences (gain or loss) to the shareholder and the proceeds of such redemptions may be subject to backup withholding. (See "Taxes.") The determination of net asset value and a shareholder's right to redeem shares and to receive payment therefore may be suspended at times (a) during which the Exchange is closed, other than customary weekend and holiday closings, (b) during which trading on the Exchange is restricted for any reason, (c) during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by a Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for a Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets, or (d) during which the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"), by order permits a suspension of the right of redemption or a postponement of the date of payment or of redemption; provided that applicable rules and regulations of the Commission (or any succeeding governmental authority) shall govern as to whether the conditions prescribed in (b), (c) or (d) exist. Dividends and Capital Gains Distribution Options Each Fund will reinvest dividend checks (and future dividends) in shares of that same fund and class if checks are returned undeliverable. Investors have freedom to choose whether to receive cash or to reinvest any dividends from net investment income or distributions from realized capital gains in additional Shares of a Fund. A change of instructions for the method of payment may be given to the Transfer Agent in writing at least five days prior to a dividend record date. Shareholders may change their dividend option by calling 1-800-225-5163 for Class S and 1-800-253-2277 for Class AARP or by sending written instructions to the Transfer Agent. Please include your account number with your written request. Reinvestment is usually made at the closing net asset value determined on the business day following the record date. Investors may leave standing instructions with the Transfer Agent designating their option for either reinvestment or cash distribution of any income dividends or capital gains distributions. If no election is made, dividends and distributions will be invested in additional class shares of a Fund. Investors may also have dividends and distributions automatically deposited to their predesignated bank account through Scudder's Direct Distributions Program. Shareholders who elect to participate in the Direct Distributions Program, 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 41 account usually within three business days after a Fund pays its distribution. A Direct Distributions request form can be obtained by calling 1-800-225-5163 for Class S and 1-800-253-2277 for Class AARP. Confirmation Statements will be mailed to shareholders as notification that distributions have been deposited. Investors choosing to participate in Scudder's Automatic Withdrawal Plan must reinvest any dividends or capital gains. For most retirement plan accounts, the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains is also required. Transaction Summaries Annual summaries of all transactions in each Fund account are available to shareholders. The summaries may be obtained by calling 1-800-SCUDDER for Class S and 1-800-253-2277 for Class AARP. Reports to Shareholders The Corporation issues to its shareholders an unaudited semiannual report for Global Fund, an audited semiannual report for International Fund and annual financial statements audited by independent accountants, including a list of investments held and statements of assets and liabilities, operations, changes in net assets and financial highlights. Each distribution will be accompanied by a brief explanation of the source of the distribution. Special Plan Accounts Detailed information on any Scudder investment plan, including the applicable charges, minimum investment requirements and disclosures made pursuant to Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") requirements, may be obtained by contacting Scudder Investor Services, Inc., Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-4103 or by calling toll free, 1-800-225-2470. The discussions of the plans below describe only certain aspects of the federal income tax treatment of the plan. The state tax treatment may be different and may vary from state to state. It is advisable for an investor considering the funding of the investment plans described below to consult with an attorney or other investment or tax advisor with respect to the suitability requirements and tax aspects thereof. Shares of a Fund may also be a permitted investment under profit sharing and pension plans and IRA's other than those offered by a Fund's distributor depending on the provisions of the relevant plan or IRA. None of the plans assures a profit or guarantees protection against depreciation, especially in declining markets. Scudder Retirement Plans: Profit-Sharing and Money Purchase Pension Plans for Corporations and Self-Employed Individuals Shares of a Fund may be purchased as the investment medium under a plan in the form of a Scudder Profit-Sharing Plan (including a version of the Plan which includes a cash-or-deferred feature) or a Scudder Money Purchase Pension Plan (jointly referred to as the Scudder Retirement Plans) adopted by a corporation, a self-employed individual or a group of self-employed individuals (including sole proprietorships and partnerships), or other qualifying organization. Each of these forms was approved by the IRS as a prototype. The IRS's approval of an employer's plan under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code will be greatly facilitated if it is in such approved form. Under certain circumstances, the IRS will assume that a plan, adopted in this form, after special notice to any employees, meets the requirements of Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code as to form. Scudder 401(k): Cash or Deferred Profit-Sharing Plan for Corporations and Self-Employed Individuals Shares of a Fund may be purchased as the investment medium under a plan in the form of a Scudder 401(k) Plan adopted by a corporation, a self-employed individual or a group of self-employed individuals (including sole proprietors and partnerships), or other qualifying organization. This plan has been approved as a prototype by the IRS. Scudder IRA: Individual Retirement Account Shares of a Fund may be purchased as the underlying investment for an Individual Retirement Account which meets the requirements of Section 408(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. 42 A single individual who is not an active participant in an employer-maintained retirement plan, a simplified employee pension plan, or a tax-deferred annuity program (a "qualified plan"), and a married individual who is not an active participant in a qualified plan and whose spouse is also not an active participant in a qualified plan, are eligible to make tax deductible contributions to an IRA of up to the maximum contribution amount described below for each year prior to the year such individual attains age 70 1/2. In addition, certain individuals who are active participants in qualified plans (or who have spouses who are active participants) are also eligible to make tax-deductible contributions to an IRA; the annual amount, if any, of the contribution which such an individual will be eligible to deduct will be determined by the amount of his, her, or their adjusted gross income for the year. Whenever the adjusted gross income limitation prohibits an individual from contributing what would otherwise be the maximum tax-deductible contribution he or she could make, the individual will be eligible to contribute the difference to an IRA in the form of nondeductible contributions. An eligible individual may contribute up to the maximum contribution amount of qualified income (earned income or, under certain circumstances, alimony) to an IRA each year (up to the maximum contribution amount per individual for married couples, even if only one spouse has earned income). The maximum contribution amount (whether deductible or nondeductible) permitted to be made to an IRA is $2000 for the 2001 year, and is increased to $3,000 for 2002 through 2004, to $4,000 for 2005 through 2007, and to $5,000 for 2008. After 2008, the maximum contribution amount will be adjusted to reflect increases in the cost of living. In addition, for 2002 through 2005, individuals who are age 50 or older will be permitted to make additional "catch-up" contributions of $500 in each of those years, increasing to $1,000 for years after 2005. Further, a temporary nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $1,000 may be available for certain individuals with low and middle incomes for 2002 through 2006. All income and capital gains derived from IRA investments are reinvested and compound tax-deferred until distributed. Such tax-deferred compounding can lead to substantial retirement savings. The following paragraph applies to Class S shareholders only: Scudder 403(b) Plan Shares of a Fund may also be purchased as the underlying investment for tax sheltered annuity plans under the provisions of Section 403(b)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code. In general, employees of tax-exempt organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (such as hospitals, churches, religious, scientific, or literary organizations and educational institutions) or a public school system are eligible to participate in a 403(b) plan. Automatic Withdrawal Plan Non-retirement plan shareholders may establish an Automatic Withdrawal 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. Requests for increases in withdrawal amounts or to change the payee must be submitted in writing, signed exactly as the account is registered, and contain signature guarantee(s). Any such requests must be received by a 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 Corporation or its agent on written notice, and will be terminated when all Shares of a Fund under the Plan have been liquidated or upon receipt by the Corporation of notice of death of the shareholder. An Automatic Withdrawal Plan request form can be obtained by calling 1-800-225-5163 for Class S and 1-800-253-2277 for Class AARP. Group or Salary Deduction Plan An investor may join a Group or Salary Deduction Plan where satisfactory arrangements have been made with Scudder Investor Services, Inc. for forwarding regular investments through a single source. The minimum annual 43 investment is $240 per investor which may be made in monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual payments. The minimum monthly deposit per investor is $20. Except for trustees or custodian fees for certain retirement plans, at present there is no separate charge for maintaining group or salary deduction plans; however, the Corporation and its agents reserve the right to establish a maintenance charge in the future depending on the services required by the investor. The Corporation reserves the right, after notice has been given to the shareholder, to redeem and close a shareholder's account in the event that the shareholder ceases participating in the group plan prior to investment of $1,000 per individual or in the event of a redemption which occurs prior to the accumulation of that amount or which reduces the account value to less than $1,000 and the account value is not increased to $1,000 within a reasonable time after notification. An investor in a plan who has not purchased shares for six months shall be presumed to have stopped making payments under the plan. Automatic Investment Plan Shareholders may arrange to make periodic investments in Class S shares through automatic deductions from checking accounts by completing the appropriate form and providing the necessary documentation to establish this service. The minimum investment is $50 for Class S shares. Shareholders may arrange to make periodic investments in Class AARP of each Fund through automatic deductions from checking accounts. The minimum pre-authorized investment amount is $50. New shareholders who open a Gift to Minors Account pursuant to the Uniform Gift to Minors Act (UGMA) and the Uniform Transfer to Minors Act (UTMA) and who sign up for the Automatic Investment Plan will be able to open a Fund account for less than $500 if they agree to increase their investment to $500 within a 10 month period. Investors may also invest in any Class AARP for $500 if they establish a plan with a minimum automatic investment of at least $100 per month. This feature is only available to Gifts to Minors Account investors. The Automatic Investment Plan may be discontinued at any time without prior notice to a shareholder if any debit from their bank is not paid, or by written notice to the shareholder at least thirty days prior to the next scheduled payment to the Automatic Investment Plan. The Automatic Investment Plan involves an investment strategy called dollar cost averaging. Dollar cost averaging is a method of investing whereby a specific dollar amount is invested at regular intervals. By investing the same dollar amount each period, when shares are priced low the investor will purchase more shares than when the share price is higher. Over a period of time this investment approach may allow the investor to reduce the average price of the shares purchased. However, this investment approach does not assure a profit or protect against loss. This type of regular investment program may be suitable for various investment goals such as, but not limited to, college planning or saving for a home. Uniform Transfers/Gifts to Minors Act Grandparents, parents or other donors may set up custodian accounts for minors. The minimum initial investment is $1,000 unless the donor agrees to continue to make regular share purchases for the account through Scudder's Automatic Investment Plan (AIP). In this case, the minimum initial investment is $500. The Corporation reserves the right, after notice has been given to the shareholder and custodian, to redeem and close a shareholder's account in the event that regular investments to the account cease before the $1,000 minimum is reached. Scudder Roth IRA: Individual Retirement Account Shares of a Fund may be purchased as the underlying investment for a Roth Individual Retirement Account which meets the requirements of Section 408A of the Internal Revenue Code. A single individual earning below $95,000 can contribute up to the maximum contribution amount per year to a Roth IRA. The maximum contribution amount (whether deductible or nondeductible) permitted to be made to an IRA is $2000 for the 2001 year, and is increased to $3,000 for 2002 through 2004, to $4,000 for 2005 through 2007, and to $5,000 for 2008. After 2008, the maximum contribution amount will be adjusted to reflect increases in the cost of living. In addition, for 2002 through 2005, individuals who are age 50 or older will be permitted to make additional 44 "catch-up" contributions of $500 in each of those years, increasing to $1,000 for years after 2005. Further, a temporary nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $1,000 may be available for certain individuals with low and middle incomes for 2002 through 2006. The maximum contribution amount diminishes and gradually falls to zero for single filers with adjusted gross incomes ranging from $95,000 to $110,000. Married couples earning less than $150,000 combined, and filing jointly, can each contribute the full maximum contribution amount each year (for example, in 2001 each spouse could contribute $2,000 to his or her IRA, for aggregate IRA contributions of $4,000). The maximum contribution amount for married couples filing jointly phases out from $150,000 to $160,000. An eligible individual can contribute money to a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA as long as the total contribution to all IRAs does not exceed the maximum contribution amount. No tax deduction is allowed under Section 219 of the Internal Revenue Code for contributions to a Roth IRA. Contributions to a Roth IRA may be made even after the individual for whom the account is maintained has attained age 70 1/2. All income and capital gains derived from Roth IRA investments are reinvested and compounded tax-free. Such tax-free compounding can lead to substantial retirement savings. No distributions are required to be taken prior to the death of the original account holder. If a Roth IRA has been established for a minimum of five years, distributions can be taken tax-free after reaching age 59 1/2, for a first-time home purchase ($10,000 maximum, one-time use) or upon death or disability. All other distributions of earnings from a Roth IRA are taxable and subject to a 10% tax penalty unless an exception applies. Exceptions to the 10% penalty include: disability, certain medical expenses, the purchase of health insurance for an unemployed individual and qualified higher education expenses. An individual with an income of $100,000 or less (who is not married filing separately) can roll his or her existing IRA into a Roth IRA. However, the individual must pay taxes on the taxable amount in his or her traditional IRA. Individuals who completed the rollover in 1998 were allowed to spread the tax payments over a four-year period. Since 1999, all taxes on such a rollover have had to be paid in the tax year in which the rollover is made. DIVIDENDS, CAPITAL GAINS AND TAXES The Funds intend to follow the practice of distributing all of their investment company taxable income, which includes any excess of net realized short-term capital gains over net realized long-term capital losses. A 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, a Fund may retain all or part of such gain for reinvestment after paying the related federal income taxes for which the shareholders may then be asked to claim a credit against their federal income tax liability. If a 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, a Fund may determine that it is in the interest of shareholders to distribute less than the required amount. Earnings and profits distributed to shareholders on redemptions of Fund shares may be utilized by a Fund, to the extent permissible, as part of the Fund's dividends paid deduction on its federal tax return. Each Fund intends to distribute its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains in November or December to avoid federal excise tax, although an additional distribution may be made if necessary. Both types of distributions will be made in Shares of the Fund and confirmations will be mailed to each shareholder unless a shareholder has elected to receive cash, in which case 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 each Fund issues to each shareholder a statement of the federal income tax status of all distributions in the prior calendar year. 45 Taxes Each Fund has elected to be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, or a predecessor statute and has qualified as such since its inception. Such qualification does not involve governmental supervision or management of investment practices or policy. A regulated investment company qualifying under Subchapter M of the Code is required to distribute to its shareholders at least 90 percent of its investment company taxable income (including net short-term capital gain) and generally is not subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes annually its investment company taxable income and net realized capital gains in the manner required under the Code. If for any taxable year a Fund does not qualify for 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). In such an event, dividend distributions would be taxable to shareholders to the extent of the Fund's earnings and profits, and would be eligible for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Each Fund is subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on amounts required to be but 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 ordinary income for the calendar year, at least 98% of the excess of its capital gains over capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) realized during the one-year period ending October 31 during such year, and all ordinary income and capital gains for prior years that were not previously distributed. Investment company taxable income generally is made up of dividends, interest and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, less expenses. Net realized capital gains for a fiscal year are computed by taking into account any capital loss carryforward of a Fund. From November 1, 2000 through August 31, 2001, Global Fund incurred approximately $13,879,000 of net realized capital losses. As permitted by tax regulations, the Fund intends to elect to defer these losses and treat them as arising in the fiscal year ending August 31, 2002. From November 1, 2000 through August 31, 2001, International Fund incurred approximately $626,984,000 of net realized capital losses. As permitted by tax regulations, the Fund intends to elect to defer these losses and treat them as arising in the fiscal year ending August 31, 2002. If any net realized long-term capital gains in excess of net realized short-term capital losses are retained by a Fund for reinvestment, requiring federal income taxes to be paid thereon by theFund, the Fund intends to elect to treat such capital gains as having been distributed to shareholders. As a result, each shareholder will report such capital gains as long-term capital gains, will be able to claim a proportionate share of federal income taxes paid by the Fund on such gains as a credit against the shareholder's federal income tax liability, and will be entitled to increase the adjusted tax basis of the shareholder's Fund shares by the difference between such reported gains and the shareholder's tax credit. Distributions of investment company taxable income are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Dividends from domestic corporations are not expected to comprise a substantial part of a Fund's gross income. If any such dividends constitute a portion of a 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 a 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 shareholders, as the case may be, for less than 46 days during the 90-day period beginning 45 days before the shares become ex-dividend. Properly designated distributions of the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss are taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains, regardless of the length of time the shares of the Fund have been 46 held by such shareholders. Such distributions are not eligible for the dividends-received deduction. Any loss realized upon the redemption of shares held at the time of redemption for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions of long-term capital gain during such six-month period. Distributions of investment company taxable income and net realized capital gains will be taxable as described above, whether received in shares or in cash. Shareholders electing to receive distributions in the form of additional Shares will have a cost basis for federal income tax purposes in each Share so received equal to the net asset value of a Share on the reinvestment date. All distributions of investment company taxable income and net realized capital gain, whether received in shares or in cash, must be reported by each shareholder on his or her federal income tax return. Dividends declared in October, November or December with a record date in such a month will be deemed to have been received by shareholders on December 31, if paid during January of the following year. Redemptions of shares, including exchanges for shares of another Scudder Fund, may result in tax consequences (gain or loss) to the shareholder and are also subject to these reporting requirements. A qualifying individual may make a deductible IRA contribution for any taxable year only if (i) neither the individual nor his or her spouse (unless filing separate returns) is an active participant in an employer's retirement plan, or (ii) the individual (and his or her spouse, if applicable) has an adjusted gross income below a certain level in 2001 ($53,000 for married individuals filing a joint return, with a phase-out of the deduction for adjusted gross income between $53,000 and $63,000; $33,000 for a single individual, with a phase-out for adjusted gross income between $33,000 and $43,000). However, an individual not permitted to make a deductible contribution to an IRA for any such taxable year may nonetheless make nondeductible contributions up to $2,000 to an IRA (up to $2,000 per individual for married couples if only one spouse has earned income) for that year. The $2000 limit on contributions (whether deductible or nondeductible) is increased to $3,000 for 2002 through 2004. In addition, for 2002 through 2005, individuals who are age 50 or older will be permitted to make additional "catch-up" contributions of $500 in each of those years. In addition, a temporary nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $1,000 may be available for certain individuals with low and middle incomes for 2002 through 2006. There are special rules for determining how withdrawals are to be taxed if an IRA contains both deductible and nondeductible amounts. In general, a proportionate amount of each withdrawal will be deemed to be made from nondeductible contributions; amounts treated as a return of nondeductible contributions will not be taxable. Also, annual contributions may be made to a spousal IRA even if the spouse has earnings in a given year if the spouse elects to be treated as having no earnings (for IRA contribution purposes) for the year. Distributions by a Fund result in a reduction in the net asset value of that 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 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 then receive a partial return of capital upon the distribution, which will nevertheless be taxable to them. Dividend and interest income received by a Fund from sources outside the U.S. may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such foreign jurisdictions. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate these foreign taxes, however, and foreign countries generally do not impose taxes on capital gains respecting investments by foreign investors. Each Fund intends to qualify for and may make the election permitted under Section 853 of the Code so that shareholders may (subject to limitations) be able to claim a credit or deduction on their federal income tax returns for, and will be required to treat as part of the amounts distributed to them, their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by a Fund to foreign countries (which taxes relate primarily to investment income). Each Fund may make an election under Section 853 of the Code, provided that more than 50% of the value of the total assets of the Fund at the close of the taxable year consists of securities in foreign corporations. The foreign tax credit available to shareholders is subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, except in the case of certain electing individual taxpayers who have limited creditable foreign taxes and no foreign source income other than passive investment-type income. Furthermore, the foreign tax credit is eliminated with respect to foreign taxes withheld on dividends if the dividend-paying shares or the shares of a Fund are held by the Fund or the shareholder, as the case may be, for less 47 than 16 days (46 days in the case of preferred shares) during the 30-day period (90-day period for preferred shares) beginning 15 days (45 days for preferred shares) before the shares become ex-dividend. In addition, if a Fund fails to satisfy these holding period requirements, it cannot elect under Section 853 to pass through to shareholders the ability to claim a deduction for the related foreign taxes. If a Fund does not make the election permitted under section 853 any foreign taxes paid or accrued will represent an expense to the Fund which will reduce its investment company taxable income. Absent this election, shareholders will not be able to claim either a credit or a deduction for their pro rata portion of such taxes paid by the Fund, nor will shareholders be required to treat as part of the amounts distributed to them their pro rata portion of such taxes paid. Equity options (including covered call options written on portfolio stock) and over-the-counter options on debt securities written or purchased by a Fund will be subject to tax under Section 1234 of the Code. In general, no loss will be recognized by a Fund upon payment of a premium in connection with the purchase of a put or call option. The character of any gain or loss recognized (i.e., long-term or short-term) will generally depend, in the case of a lapse or sale of the option, on the Fund's holding period for the option, and in the case of the exercise of a put option, on the Fund's holding period for the underlying property. The purchase of a put option may constitute a short sale for federal income tax purposes, causing an adjustment in the holding period of any stock in a Fund's portfolio similar to the stocks on which the index is based. If a Fund writes an option, no gain is recognized upon its receipt of a premium. If the option lapses or is closed out, any gain or loss is treated as short-term capital gain or loss. If a call option is exercised, the character of the gain or loss depends on the holding period of the underlying stock. Positions of a Fund which consist of at least one stock and at least one stock option or other position with respect to a related security which substantially diminishes the Fund's risk of loss with respect to such stock could be treated as a "straddle" which is governed by Section 1092 of the Code, the operation of which may cause deferral of losses, adjustments in the holding periods of stocks or securities and conversion of short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. An exception to these straddle rules exists for certain "qualified covered call options" on stock written by a Fund. Many futures and forward contracts entered into by a Fund and listed nonequity options written or purchased by a Fund (including options on debt securities, options on futures contracts, options on securities indices and options on currencies), will be governed by Section 1256 of the Code. Absent a tax election to the contrary, gain or loss attributable to the lapse, exercise or closing out of any such position generally will be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term, and on the last trading day of the Fund's fiscal year, all outstanding Section 1256 positions will be marked to market (i.e., treated as if such positions were closed out at their closing price on such day), with any resulting gain or loss recognized as 60% long-term and 40% short-term. Under Section 988 of the Code, discussed below, foreign currency gain or loss from foreign currency-related forward contracts, certain futures and options and similar financial instruments entered into or acquired by a Fund will be treated as ordinary income or loss. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, a Fund may recognize gain (but not loss) from a constructive sale of certain "appreciated financial positions" if the Fund enters into a short sale, offsetting notional principal contract, futures or forward contract transaction with respect to the appreciated position or substantially identical property. Appreciated financial positions subject to this constructive sale treatment are interests (including options, futures and forward contracts and short sales) in stock, partnership interests, certain actively traded trust instruments and certain debt instruments A transaction during the tax year that would otherwise be a constructive sale may be disregarded if 1) the transaction is closed by the 30th day after the close of the tax year, and 2) the taxpayer holds the appreciated financial position (without reduction of risk of loss) throughout the 60-day period following the date of closing of the transaction. Similarly, if a Fund enters into a short sale of property that becomes substantially worthless, the Fund will recognize gain at that time as though it had closed the short sale. Future regulations may apply similar treatment to other transactions with respect to property that becomes substantially worthless. Under the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates which occur between the time a Fund accrues receivables or liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such receivables or pays such liabilities generally are treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss. Similarly, on disposition of debt securities denominated in a foreign currency and on disposition of certain options, futures and forward contracts, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in the value of foreign currency between the date of acquisition of the security or contract and the date of disposition are also treated as ordinary gain or loss. These 48 gains or losses, referred to under the Code as "Section 988" gains or losses, may increase or decrease the amount of a Fund's investment company taxable income to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income. If a Fund invests in stock of certain foreign investment companies, the Fund may be subject to U.S. federal income taxation on a portion of any "excess distribution" with respect to, or gain from the disposition of, such stock. The tax would be determined by allocating such distribution or gain ratably to each day of the Fund's holding period for the stock. The distribution or gain so allocated to any taxable year of the Fund, other than the taxable year of the excess distribution or disposition, would be taxed to the Fund at the highest ordinary income rate in effect for such year, and the tax would be further increased by an interest charge to reflect the value of the tax deferral deemed to have resulted from the ownership of the foreign company's stock. Any amount of distribution or gain allocated to the taxable year of the distribution or disposition would be included in the Fund's investment company taxable income and, accordingly, would not be taxable to the Fund to the extent distributed by the Fund as a dividend to its shareholders. A Fund may make an election to mark to market its shares of these foreign investment companies in lieu of being subject to U.S. federal income taxation. At the end of each taxable year to which the election applies, the Fund would report as ordinary income the amount by which the fair market value of the foreign company's stock exceeds the Fund's adjusted basis in these shares; any mark-to-market losses and any loss from an actual disposition of shares would be reported as ordinary loss to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains included in income in prior years. The effect of the election would be to treat excess distributions and gain on dispositions as ordinary income which is not subject to a fund level tax when distributed to shareholders as a dividend. Alternatively, a Fund may elect to include as income and gain its share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gain of certain foreign investment companies in lieu of being taxed in the manner described above. If a Fund holds zero coupon securities or other securities which are issued at a discount, a portion of the difference between the issue price of zero coupon securities and the face value ("original issue discount") will be treated as income to the Fund each year, even though the Fund will not receive cash interest payments from these securities. This original issue discount (imputed income) will comprise a part of the investment company taxable income of the Fund which must be distributed to shareholders in order to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company and to avoid federal income tax at the Fund level. In addition, if a Fund invests in certain high yield original issue discount obligations issued by corporations, a portion of the original issue discount accruing on the obligation may be eligible for the deduction for dividends received by corporations. In such event, dividends of investment company taxable income received from the Fund by its corporate shareholders, to the extent attributable to such portion of accrued original issue discount, may be eligible for this deduction for dividends received by corporations if so designated by the Fund in a written notice to shareholders. A Fund will be required to report to the IRS all distributions of investment company taxable income and capital gains as well as gross proceeds from the redemption or exchange of Fund shares, except in the case of certain exempt shareholders. Under the backup withholding provisions of Section 3406 of the Code, distributions of investment company taxable income and capital gains and proceeds from the redemption or exchange of the shares of a regulated investment company may be subject to withholding of federal income tax at the rate of 30% in the case of non-exempt shareholders who fail to furnish the investment company with their taxpayer identification numbers and with required certifications regarding their status under the federal income tax law. Withholding may also be required if a Fund is notified by the IRS or a broker that the taxpayer identification number furnished by the shareholder is incorrect or that the shareholder has previously failed to report interest or dividend income. If the withholding provisions are applicable, any such distributions and proceeds, whether taken in cash or reinvested in additional shares, will be reduced by the amounts required to be withheld. Shareholders of a Fund may be subject to state and local taxes on distributions received from the Fund and on redemptions of the Fund's shares. The foregoing discussion of U.S. federal income tax law relates solely to the application of that law to U.S. persons, i.e., U.S. citizens and residents and U.S. corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates. Each shareholder who is not a U.S. person should consider the U.S. and foreign tax consequences of ownership of shares of a Fund, including the possibility that such a shareholder may be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or at a lower rate under an applicable income tax treaty) on amounts constituting ordinary income received by him or her, where such amounts are treated as income from U.S. sources under the Code. 49 Shareholders should consult their tax advisors about the application of the provisions of tax law described in this statement of additional information in light of their particular tax situations. NET ASSET VALUE The net asset value of shares of each 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 each 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 each Fund because of higher expenses borne by these classes. An exchange-traded equity security is valued at its most recent sale price on the relevant exchange 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 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 as of the Value Time. An equity security which is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. ("Nasdaq") system or another over-the-counter ("OTC") market is valued at its most recent sale price on Nasdaq or such other OTC market as of the Value Time. Lacking any sales, the security is valued at the Calculated Mean on Nasdaq or such other 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 Nasdaq or such other OTC market as of the Value Time. In the case of certain foreign exchanges, the closing price reported by the exchange (which may sometimes be referred to by the exchange or one or more pricing agents as the "official close" or the "official closing price" or other similar term) will be considered the most recent sale price. If a security is traded on more than one exchange, or upon one or more exchanges and in the OTC market, quotations are taken from the market in which the security is traded most extensively. 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 brokerdealers. 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. An exchange-traded option contract on securities, currencies and other financial instruments is valued at its most recent sale price on such 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 with less than 180 days remaining until expiration is valued at the evaluated price provided by the broker-dealer with which it was traded. An option contract on securities, currencies and other financial instruments traded in the OTC market with 180 days or more remaining until expiration is valued at the average of the evaluated prices provided by two broker-dealers. Futures contracts (and options thereon) are valued at the most recent settlement price as of the Value Time on such exchange. Foreign currency forward contracts are valued at the value of the underlying currency at the prevailing currency exchange rate, which shall be determined not more than one hour before the Value Time based on information obtained from sources determined by the Advisor to be appropriate. 50 Following the valuations of securities or other portfolio assets in terms of the currency in which the market quotation used is expressed ("Local Currency"), the value of these portfolio assets in terms of U.S. dollars is calculated by converting the Local Currency into U.S. dollars at the prevailing currency exchange rate on the valuation date. 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. DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS The officers and directors of the Corporations, their ages, their principal occupations and their affiliations, if any, with the Advisor, and Scudder Investor Services, Inc., are as follows:
Position with Underwriter, Scudder Investor Name, Age, and Address Position with Funds Principal Occupation** Services, Inc. ---------------------- ------------------- -------------------- -------------- Henry P. Becton, Jr. (58) Director President, WGBH Educational Foundation WGBH -- 125 Western Avenue Allston, MA 02134 Linda C. Coughlin (50)+* Chairperson, Director Managing Director of Zurich Scudder Vice Chairman and and President Investments, Inc. Director Dawn-Marie Driscoll (55) Director Executive Fellow, Center for Business -- 4909 SW 9th Place Ethics, Bentley College; President, Cape Coral, FL 33914 Driscoll Associates (consulting firm) Edgar R. Fiedler (72) Director Senior Fellow and Economic -- 50023 Brogden Counsellor, The Conference Board, Chapel Hill, NC Inc. (not-for-profit business research organization) Keith R. Fox (47) Director General Partner, The Exeter Group of -- 10 East 53rd Street Funds New York, NY 10022 Jean Gleason Stromberg (58) Director Consultant; Director, Financial -- 3816 Military Road, NW Institutions Issues, U.S. General Washington, D.C. Accounting Office (1996-1997); Partner, Fulbright & Jaworski law firm (1978-1996) Jean C. Tempel (58) Director Managing Director, First Light -- One Boston Place Capital, LLC (venture capital firm) 23rd Floor Boston, MA 02108 51 Position with Underwriter, Scudder Investor Name, Age, and Address Position with Funds Principal Occupation** Services, Inc. ---------------------- ------------------- -------------------- -------------- Steven Zaleznick (47)* Director President and CEO, AARP Services, Inc. -- 601 E Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20049 Thomas V. Bruns (44)+ Vice President Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Investments, Inc. William F. Glavin, Jr. (43)+ Vice President Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Investments, Inc. James E. Masur (41)+ Vice President Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Investments, Inc. Kathryn L. Quirk (49)# Vice President and Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Assistant Secretary Investments, Inc. Howard Schneider (44)+ Vice President Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Investments, Inc. John R. Hebble (43)+ Treasurer Senior Vice President of Zurich Assistant Treasurer Scudder Investments, Inc. Brenda Lyons (38)+ Assistant Treasurer Senior Vice President of Zurich -- Scudder Investments, Inc. Thomas Lally (34)+ Assistant Treasurer Senior Vice President of Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. Caroline Pearson (39)+ Assistant Secretary Managing Director of Zurich Scudder Assistant Clerk Investments, Inc.; Associate, Dechert Price & Rhoads (law firm) 1989 - 1997 John Millette (39)+ Vice President and Vice President of Zurich Scudder -- Secretary Investments, Inc. Irene T. Cheng (47) # Vice President of Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Scudder International Investments, Inc. Fund, Inc. Joyce E. Cornell (57) # Vice President of Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Scudder International Investments, Inc. Fund, Inc. Jan C. Faller (35)+ Vice President of Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Global/International Investments, Inc. Fund, Inc. Carol L. Franklin (49) # Vice President of Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Scudder International Investments, Inc. Fund, Inc. 52 Position with Underwriter, Scudder Investor Name, Age, and Address Position with Funds Principal Occupation** Services, Inc. ---------------------- ------------------- -------------------- -------------- Joan R. Gregory (56) # Vice President of Senior Vice President of Zurich -- Scudder International Scudder Investments, Inc. Fund, Inc. William Holzer (51)# Vice President of Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Global/International Investments, Inc. Fund, Inc. Gerald J. Moran (61)# Vice President of Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Global/International Investments, Inc. Fund, Inc. Paul Rogers (45)+ Vice President of Senior Vice President of Zurich -- Scudder International Scudder Investments, Inc. Fund, Inc.
* Ms. Coughlin and Mr. Zaleznick are considered by the Funds and its counsel to be "interested persons" of the Advisor or of the Corporation as defined in the 1940 Act. ** Unless otherwise stated, all officers and directors have been associated with their respective companies for more than five years, but not necessarily in the same capacity. + Address: Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 # Address: 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154 ## Address: 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606 The Directors and officers of each Corporation also serve in similar capacities with respect to other Scudder Funds. The newly-constituted Board may determine to change its compensation structure. Beneficial Ownership As of November 30, 2001, 4,601,297 shares in the aggregate, or 10.13% of the outstanding shares of Scudder Global Fund, Class S were held in the name of Charles Schwab, 101 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94101 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 30,648 shares in the aggregate, or 5.63% of the outstanding shares of Scudder Global Fund, Class B were held in the name of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities, P.O. Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 12,310 shares in the aggregate, or 5.76% of the outstanding shares of Scudder Global Fund, Class C were held in the name of Sterling Trust Company, custodian, for the benefit of Joseph and Jennifer Simon, P.O. Box 2518, Waco, TX 76702 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 11,202,365 shares in the aggregate, or 14.80% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class S were held in the name of Charles Schwab, 101 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94101 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 875,333 shares in the aggregate, or 10.73% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class A were held in the name of Bear Stearns & Company, 245 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10167 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. 53 As of November 30, 2001, 120,019 shares in the aggregate, or 22.62% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class I were held in the name of Scudder Trust Company, for the benefit of Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. Supplemental Profit Sharing Plan, P.O. Box 957, Salem, NH 03079 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 398,028 shares in the aggregate, or 75.04% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class I were held in the name of Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. Profit Sharing Plan, 345 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10154 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 41,111 shares in the aggregate, or 5.31% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class C were held in the name of National Financial Services Corp., for the benefit of George Thomas Wiley, 200 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10281 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 56,157 shares in the aggregate, or 7.26% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class C were held in the name of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities, P.O. Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 64,212 shares in the aggregate, or 8.30% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class C were held in the name of Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith, for the benefit of customers, 4800 Deer Lake Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32246 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 55,925 shares in the aggregate, or 7.23% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class C were held in the name of Banc One Securities Corp., for the benefit of The One Select Portfolio, 1111 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, OH 43240 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. Responsibilities of the Board -- Board and Committee Meetings The Board of Directors of each Corporation is responsible for the general oversight of the Funds' business. A majority of the Board's members are not affiliated with the Advisor. These "Independent Directors" have primary responsibility for assuring that a Fund is managed in the best interests of its shareholders. Each Board of Directors meets at least quarterly to review the investment performance of the Funds and other operational matters, including policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with various regulatory requirements. At least annually, the Independent Directors review the fees paid to the Advisor and its affiliates for investment advisory services and other administrative and shareholder services. In this regard, they evaluate, among other things, the Fund's investment performance, the quality and efficiency of the various other services provided, costs incurred by the Advisor and its affiliates, and comparative information regarding fees and expenses of competitive funds. They are assisted in this process by the Funds' independent public accountants and by independent legal counsel selected by the Independent Directors. All of the Independent Directors serve on the Committee on Independent Directors, which nominates Independent Directors and considers other related matters, and the Audit Committee, which selects the Funds' independent public accountants and reviews accounting policies and controls. In addition, Independent Directors from time to time have established and served on task forces and subcommittees focusing on particular matters such as investment, accounting and shareholder service issues. Compensation of Officers and Directors Each Independent Director receives compensation for his or her services, which include an annual retainer and an attendance fee for each meeting attended. The Independent Director who serves as Lead Director receives additional compensation for his or her services. No additional compensation is paid to any Independent Director for travel time to meetings, attendance at directors' educational seminars or conferences, service on industry or association committees, participation as speakers at directors' conferences or service on special director task forces or 54 subcommittees. Independent Directors do not receive any employee benefits such as pension or retirement benefits or health insurance. Notwithstanding the schedule of fees, the Independent Directors have in the past and may in the future waive a portion of their compensation. The Independent Directors also serve in the same capacity for other funds managed by the Advisor. These funds differ broadly in type and complexity and in some cases have substantially different Director fee schedules. The following table shows the aggregate compensation received by each Independent Director during 2000 from the Corporation and from all of the Scudder funds as a group.
Global/International Name Scudder International Fund, Inc.* Fund, Inc.+ All Scudder Funds*** ---- --------------------------------- ----------- -------------------- Henry P. Becton, Jr.** $9,697 $3,387 $159,094 (73 funds) Dawn-Marie Driscoll** $10,815 $16,734 $157,162 (73 funds) Edgar R. Fiedler** $10,561 $3,461 $303,975++ (74 funds) Keith R. Fox $33,167 $21,683 $181,914 (72 funds) Jean Gleason Stromberg** $9,697 $3,387 $100,372 (70 funds) Jean C. Tempel** $9,697 $3,387 $152,488 (74 funds)
* Scudder International Fund, Inc. consists of five funds: Scudder International Fund, Scudder Latin America Fund, Scudder Pacific Opportunities Fund, Scudder Greater Europe Growth Fund and Scudder Emerging Markets Growth Fund. ** Newly elected Director. On July 13, 2000, shareholders of the Fund elected a new Board of Directors. See the "Directors and Officers" section for the newly constituted Board. *** Total compensation includes certain payments made by the Advisor as compensation for meetings held to discuss the reorganization of the Scudder and Kemper Funds. + Global/International Fund, Inc. consists of four funds: Scudder Global Fund, Scudder Global Bond Fund, Scudder Global Discovery Fund and Scudder Emerging Markets Income Fund ++ Mr. Fiedler's total compensation includes $174,060.91 received through the deferred compensation program, $2,003 accrued, but not received, and certain payments made by the Advisor as compensation for the retainer fee for Farmers Investment Trust and meetings held to discuss the reorganization of the Scudder and Kemper Funds. Members of each Board who are employees of the Advisor or its affiliates receive no direct compensation from each Corporation, although they are compensated as employees of the Advisor, or its affiliates, as a result of which they may be deemed to participate in fees paid by each Fund. FUND ORGANIZATION AND SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS Scudder International Fund, Inc. was organized as Scudder Fund of Canada Ltd. in Canada in 1953 by the investment management firm of Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc. On March 16, 1964, the name of the Corporation was changed to Scudder International Investments Ltd. On July 31, 1975, the corporate domicile of the Corporation was changed to the U.S. through the transfer of its net assets to a newly formed Maryland corporation, Scudder International Fund, Inc., in exchange for shares of the Corporation which then were distributed to the shareholders of the Corporation. The authorized capital stock of Scudder International Fund, Inc. consists of 2,247,923,888 shares of a par value of $.01 each, which capital stock has been divided into five series: Scudder International Fund, the original series; 55 Scudder Latin America Fund and Scudder Pacific Opportunities Fund, both organized in December 1992, Scudder Greater Europe Growth Fund, organized in October 1994, and Scudder Emerging Markets Growth Fund, organized in May 1996. Each series consists of 320 million shares except for International Fund which consists of 620,595,597 shares and Scudder Latin America Fund which consists of 340 million shares. Scudder International Fund is further divided into seven classes of shares, Class AARP, Class S, Barrett International Shares, Class A (formerly known as Class R shares), Class B, Class C, and Class I shares. Scudder Pacific Opportunities Fund, Scudder Greater Europe Growth Fund and Scudder Emerging Markets Growth Fund are each further divided into five classes of shares, Class AARP, Class S, Class A, Class B and Class C. Scudder Latin America Fund is further divided into six classes of shares, Class S, Class AARP, Class A, Class B, Class C and Class M. The Directors have the authority to issue additional series of shares and to designate the relative rights and preferences as between the different series. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and non-assessable, transferable, and redeemable at net asset value, subject to such charges as may be applicable, at the option of the shareholder. Shares have no pre-emptive or conversion rights. To the extent that the Funds offer additional share classes, these classes will be offered in a separate prospectus and have different fees, requirements and services. Scudder Global Fund is a series of Global/International Fund, Inc., a Maryland corporation organized on May 15, 1986. The name of this Corporation was changed, effective May 29, 1998, from Scudder Global Fund, Inc. This Corporation currently consists of four series: Scudder Global Fund, Scudder Global Bond Fund, Scudder Global Discovery Fund and Scudder Emerging Markets Income Fund. Each Fund is further divided into five classes of shares, Class AARP, Class S, Class A, Class B and Class C shares. The authorized capital stock of Global/International Fund, Inc. consists of 1,559,993,796 shares with $0.01 par value, 200 million shares of which are allocated to Scudder Global Discovery Fund, 529,154,575 shares of which are allocated to Scudder Global Bond Fund, and 320 million shares of which are allocated to each of, Scudder Emerging Markets Income Fund and Scudder Global Fund. The Directors have the authority to issue additional series of shares and to designate the relative rights and preferences as between the different series. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and non-assessable, transferable and redeemable at net asset value, subject to such charges as may be applicable, at the option of the shareholder. Shares have no pre-emptive or conversion rights. To the extent that the Funds offer additional share classes, these classes will be offered in a separate prospectus and have different fees, requirements and services. The Directors of each Corporation, in their discretion, may authorize the additional division of shares of a series into different classes permitting shares of different classes to be distributed by different methods. Although shareholders of different classes of a series would have an interest in the same portfolio of assets, shareholders of different classes may bear different expenses in connection with different methods of distribution. Shares of each Corporation have non-cumulative voting rights, which means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of Directors can elect 100% of the Directors if they choose to do so, and, in such event, the holders of the remaining less than 50% of the shares voting for the election of Directors will not be able to elect any person or persons to the Board of Directors. The assets of each Corporation received for the issue or sale of the shares of each series and all income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, subject only to the rights of creditors, are specifically allocated to such series and constitute the underlying assets of such series. The underlying assets of each series are segregated on the books of account, and are charged with the liabilities in respect to such series and with a share of the general liabilities of each Corporation. If a series were unable to meet its obligations, the assets of all other series may in some circumstances be available to creditors for that purpose, in which case the assets of such other series could be used to meet liabilities which are not otherwise properly chargeable to them. Expenses with respect to any two or more series are to be allocated in proportion to the asset value of the respective series except where allocations of direct expenses can otherwise be fairly made. The officers of each Corporation, subject to the general supervision of the Directors, have the power to determine which liabilities are allocable to a given series, or which are general or allocable to two or more series. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of either Corporation or any series, the holders of the shares of any series are entitled to receive as a class the underlying assets of such shares available for distribution to shareholders. Shares of each Corporation entitle their holders to one vote per share; however, separate votes are taken by each series on matters affecting an individual series and by class on matters affecting an individual class. For example, a change in investment policy for a series would be voted upon only by shareholders of the series involved. Additionally, approval of the investment advisory agreement is a matter to be determined separately by each series. 56 Approval by the shareholders of one series is effective as to that series whether or not enough votes are received from the shareholders of the other series to approve such agreement as to the other series. Pursuant to the approval of a majority of stockholders, each Corporation's Directors have the discretion to retain the current distribution arrangement while investing in a master fund in a master/feeder fund structure if the Board determines that the objectives of a Fund would be achieved more efficiently thereby. Each Corporation's Board of Directors supervises the Fund's activities. Each Corporation adopted a plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act (the "Plan") to permit the Corporation to establish a multiple class distribution system for the Fund. Under each Plan, each class of shares will represent interests in the same portfolio of investments of the Series, and be identical in all respects to each other class, except as set forth below. The only differences among the various classes of shares of the Series will relate solely to: (a) different distribution fee payments or service fee payments associated with any Rule 12b-1 Plan for a particular class of shares and any other costs relating to implementing or amending such Rule 12b-1 Plan (including obtaining shareholder approval of such Rule 12b-1 Plan or any amendment thereto) which will be borne solely by shareholders of such class; (b) different service fees; (c) different account minimums; (d) the bearing by each class of its "Class Expenses"; (e) the voting rights related to any Rule 12b-1 Plan affecting a specific class of shares; (f) separate exchange privileges; (g) different conversion features and (h) different class names and designations. Expenses currently designated as "Class Expenses" by each Corporation's Board of Directors under each Plan include, for example, transfer agency fees attributable to a specific class, and certain securities registration fees. Each Corporation's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (the "Articles") provide that the Directors of the Corporations, to the fullest extent permitted by Maryland General Corporation Law and the 1940 Act, shall not be liable to the Corporations or their shareholders for damages. Maryland law currently provides that Directors shall not be liable for actions taken by them in good faith, in a manner reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Corporations and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. In so acting, a Director shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the Corporations and upon reports made to the Corporation by persons selected in good faith by the Directors as qualified to make such reports. The Articles and the By-Laws of each Corporation provide that each Corporation will indemnify its Directors, officers, employees or agents against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with litigation in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Corporations consistent with applicable law. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Internet Access World Wide Web Site -- The address of the Scudder Funds site is www.myScudder.com. The address for Class AARP shares is aarp.scudder.com. These sites offer guidance on global investing and developing strategies to help meet financial goals and provide access to the Scudder investor relations department via e-mail. The sites also enable users to access or view fund prospectuses and profiles with links between summary information in Fund Summaries and details in the Prospectus. Users can fill out new account forms on-line, order free software, and request literature on funds. Account Access -- The Advisor is among the first mutual fund families to allow shareholders to manage their fund accounts through the World Wide Web. Scudder Fund shareholders can view a snapshot of current holdings, review account activity and move assets between Scudder Fund accounts. The Advisor's personal portfolio capabilities -- known as SEAS (Scudder Electronic Account Services) -- are accessible only by current Scudder Fund shareholders who have set up a Personal Page on Scudder's Web site. Using a secure Web browser, shareholders sign on to their account with their Social Security number and their SAIL password. As an additional security measure, users can change their current password or disable access to their portfolio through the World Wide Web. 57 An Account Activity option reveals a financial history of transactions for an account, with trade dates, type and amount of transaction, share price and number of shares traded. For users who wish to trade shares between Scudder Funds, the Fund Exchange option provides a step-by-step procedure to exchange shares among existing fund accounts or to new Scudder Fund accounts. Many of the investment changes in a Fund will be made at prices different from those prevailing at the time they may be reflected in a regular report to shareholders of a Fund. These transactions will reflect investment decisions made by the Advisor in the light of its other portfolio holdings and tax considerations and should not be construed as recommendations for similar action by other investors. The CUSIP number of Global Fund Class S is 378947-20-4. The CUSIP number of Global Fund Class AARP is 378947-87-3. The CUSIP number of International Fund Class S shares is 811165-10-9. The CUSIP number of International Fund Class AARP shares is 811165-82-8. Global Fund has a fiscal year end of August 31. On July 7, 1999, the Directors of the Fund changed the fiscal year end of the Fund from June 30 to August 31. International Fund has a fiscal year end of August 31. On June 7, 1999, the Directors of the Fund changed the fiscal year end of the Fund from March 31 to August 31. This Statement of Additional Information contains the information of International Fund and Global Fund. Each Fund, through its combined prospectus, offers only its own share classes, yet it is possible that one Fund might become liable for a misstatement regarding the other Fund. The Trustees of each Fund have considered this, and have approved the use of this Statement of Additional Information. The prospectuses and this Statement of Additional Information omit certain information contained in the Registration Statement which the Fund has filed with the Commission under the 1933 Act 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 Commission in Washington, D.C. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The financial statements, including the investment portfolio of the Funds, together with the Report of Independent Accountants, Financial Highlights and notes to financial statements in the Annual Report to the Shareholders of Scudder International Fund and Scudder Global Fund dated August 31, 2001, are each incorporated herein by reference and are hereby deemed to be a part of this Statement of Additional Information by reference in its entirety. 58 APPENDIX The following is a description of the ratings given by Moody's and S&P to corporate bonds. Ratings of Corporate Bonds S&P: Debt rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong. Debt rated AA has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from the highest rated issues only in small degree. 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. 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. Debt rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C is regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions. Debt rated BB has less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The BB rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BBB- rating. Debt rated B has a greater vulnerability to default but currently has the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The B rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BB or BB- rating. Debt rated CCC has a currently identifiable vulnerability to default, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet timely payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, it is not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The CCC rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied B or B- rating. The rating CC typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied CCC rating. The rating C typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt which is assigned an actual or implied CCC- debt rating. The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments are continued. The rating C1 is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid. Debt rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period had not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are jeopardized. Moody's: 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. 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. 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. 59 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 60 STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION January 1, 2002 SCUDDER INTERNATIONAL FUND (Class A, B, C and Class I Shares) A series of Scudder International Fund, Inc. SCUDDER GLOBAL FUND (Class A, B and C Shares) A series of Global/International Fund, Inc. This combined Statement of Additional Information is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the prospectuses for Scudder Global Fund and Scudder International Fund dated January 1, 2002, as amended from time to time, a copy of which may be obtained without charge by writing to Scudder Distributors, Inc., 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606. The Annual Report to Shareholders for each Fund dated August 31, 2001 are incorporated by reference and hereby deemed to be part of this Statement of Additional Information. The Annual Reports may be obtained without charge by calling (800) 621-1048. TABLE OF CONTENTS INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS........................................................1 INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES.............................................2 MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND........................................................23 Investment Advisor...................................................23 Brokerage Commissions................................................27 Administrative Agreement.............................................28 Underwriter..........................................................29 FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS........................................................31 Custodian, Transfer Agent and Shareholder Service Agent..............31 Auditors.............................................................31 Legal Counsel........................................................31 Fund Accounting Agent................................................31 PERFORMANCE...................................................................31 PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES.............................................34 DIVIDENDS, CAPITAL GAINS AND TAXES...........................................47 NET ASSET VALUE...............................................................52 OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS........................................................53 FUND ORGANIZATION AND SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS......................................57 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS..........................................................60 APPENDIX......................................................................61 INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS Scudder Global Fund and Scudder International Fund (each a "Fund," collectively the "Funds") have each adopted certain fundamental investment restrictions which cannot be changed without approval of a "majority" of a fund's outstanding voting shares. As defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), this means the lesser of (1) 67% of a Fund's Shares present at a meeting where more than 50% of the outstanding shares are present in person or by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of each Fund's outstanding shares. Any investment restrictions herein which involve a maximum percentage of securities or assets shall not be considered to be violated unless an excess over the percentage occurs immediately after and is caused by an acquisition or encumbrance of securities or assets of, or borrowings by, each Fund. Each Fund has elected to be classified as a diversified series of an open-end management investment company. Each Fund may not, as a fundamental policy: 1. borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time; 2. issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time; 3. concentrate its investments in a particular industry, as that term is used in the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time; 4. 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; 5. 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; 6. purchase physical commodities or contracts relating to physical commodities; or 7. make loans to other persons, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time. With respect to fundamental policy number five above, the Funds have no current intention to hold and sell real estate acquired as a result of a Fund's ownership of securities. The Directors of each Corporation have voluntarily adopted certain policies and restrictions which are observed in the conduct of a Fund's affairs. These represent intentions of the Directors based upon current circumstances. They differ from fundamental investment policies in that they may be changed or amended by action of the Directors without requiring prior notice to or approval of shareholders. As a matter of nonfundamental policy, each Fund currently does not intend to: 1. borrow money in an amount greater than 5% of its total assets, except (i) for temporary or emergency purposes and (ii) by engaging in reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, or other investments or transactions described in the Fund's registration statement which may be deemed to be borrowings; 2. enter into either of reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls in an amount greater than 5% of its total assets; 3. purchase securities on margin or make short sales, except (i) short sales against the box, (ii) in connection with arbitrage transactions, (iii) for margin deposits in connection with futures contracts, options or other permitted investments, (iv) that transactions in futures contracts and options shall not be deemed to constitute selling securities short, and (v) that the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of securities transactions; 4. purchase options, unless the aggregate premiums paid on all such options held by the Fund at any time do not exceed 20% of its total assets; or sell put options, if as a result, the aggregate value of the obligations underlying such put options would exceed 50% of its total assets; 5. enter into futures contracts or purchase options thereon unless immediately after the purchase, the value of the aggregate initial margin with respect to such futures contracts entered into on behalf of the Fund and the premiums paid for such options on futures contracts does not exceed 5% of the fair market value of the Fund's total assets; provided that in the case of an option that is in-the-money at the time of purchase, the in-the-money amount may be excluded in computing the 5% limit; 6. purchase warrants if as a result, such securities, taken at the lower of cost or market value, would represent more than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets (for this purpose, warrants acquired in units or attached to securities will be deemed to have no value); and 7. lend portfolio securities in an amount greater than 5% of its total assets. The foregoing nonfundamental policies are in addition to policies otherwise stated in the Prospectus or in this Statement of Additional Information. INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES Each Fund is an open-end management investment company which continuously offers and redeems shares at net asset value. Each Fund is a company of the type commonly known as a mutual fund. Scudder Global Fund is a diversified series of Global/International Fund, Inc. Scudder International Fund is a diversified series of Scudder International Fund, Inc. (each a "Corporation," collectively the "Corporations"). Scudder Global Fund offers five classes of shares, Class AARP, Class S, Class A, Class B and Class C shares. Scudder International Fund offers seven classes of shares: Class AARP, Class S, Barrett International Shares, Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class I shares. Each class has its own important features and policies. Only Class A, Class B, Class C and Class I of International Fund are offered herein. Shares of Class AARP are especially designed for members of AARP. Except as otherwise indicated, each Fund's investment objective and policies are not fundamental and may be changed without a vote of shareholders. If there is a change in investment objective, shareholders should consider whether the Fund remains an appropriate investment in light of their then current financial position and needs. There can be no assurance that a Fund's objective will be met. Descriptions in this Statement of Additional Information of a particular investment practice or technique in which the Funds may engage (such as short selling, hedging, etc.) or a financial instrument in which each 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 that 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 a Fund but, to the extent employed, could from time to time have a material impact on that Fund's performance. Changes in portfolio securities are made on the basis of investment considerations and it is against the policy of management to make changes for trading purposes. Scudder Global Fund The Fund seeks long-term growth while actively seeking to reduce downside risk as compared with other global growth funds. The Fund will not invest in securities issued by tobacco-producing companies. Although the Fund can invest in companies of any size, it generally focuses on established companies whose stocks are listed on a recognized exchange. While most of the Fund's equities are common stocks, some may be other types of equities, such as convertible stocks, 2 preferred stocks and depository receipts. The Fund may also buy investment grade debt securities when it believes they may perform at least as well as equities. The management of the Fund believes that there is substantial opportunity for long-term capital growth from a professionally managed portfolio of securities selected from the U.S. and foreign equity markets. Through this global investment framework, management seeks to take advantage of the investment opportunities created by the global economy. The world has become highly integrated in economic, industrial and financial terms. Companies increasingly operate globally as they purchase raw materials, produce and sell their products, and raise capital. As a result, international trends such as movements in currency and trading relationships are becoming more important to many industries than purely domestic influences. To understand a company's business, it is frequently more important to understand how it is linked to the world economy than whether or not it is, for example, a U.S., French or Swiss company. Just as a company takes a global perspective in deciding where to operate, so too may an investor benefit from looking globally in deciding which industries are growing, which producers are efficient and which companies' shares are undervalued. The Fund affords the investor access to potential opportunities wherever they arise, without being constrained by the location of a company's headquarters or the trading market for its shares. The Fund invests in companies that the Advisor believes will benefit from global economic trends, promising technologies or products and specific country opportunities resulting from changing geopolitical, currency, or economic considerations. It is expected that investments will be spread broadly around the world. The Fund will be invested usually in securities of issuers located in at least three countries, one of which may be the U.S. The Fund may be invested 100% in non-U.S. issues, and for temporary defensive purposes may be invested 100% in U.S. issues, although under normal circumstances it is expected that both foreign and U.S. investments will be represented in the Fund's portfolio. It is expected that investments will include companies of varying sizes as measured by assets, sales, or capitalization. The Fund generally invests in equity securities of established companies listed on U.S. or foreign securities exchanges, but also may invest in securities traded over-the-counter. It also may invest in debt securities convertible into common stock, and convertible and non-convertible preferred stock, and fixed-income securities of governments, governmental agencies, supranational agencies and companies when the Advisor believes the potential for appreciation will equal or exceed that available from investments in equity securities. In addition, for temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may vary from its investment policies during periods when the Advisor determines that it is advisable to do so because of conditions in the securities markets or other economic or political conditions. During such periods, the Fund may hold without limit cash and cash equivalents. It is impossible to accurately predict for how long such alternative strategies may be utilized. The Fund may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in debt securities that are rated Baa or below by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or BBB or below by Standard and Poor's Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ("S&P"), or deemed by the Advisor to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as "high yield" or "junk" bonds). More information about these investment techniques is provided under "Investments and Investment Techniques." The managers use analytical tools to monitor actively the risk profile of the portfolio as compared to comparable funds and appropriate benchmarks and peer groups. The managers use several strategies in seeking to reduce downside risk, including: (i) diversifying broadly among companies, industries, countries and regions; (ii) focusing on high-quality companies with reasonable valuations; and (iii) generally focusing on countries with developed economies. The portfolio managers' attempts to manage downside risk may also reduce performance in a strong market. The Fund is intended to provide individual and institutional investors with an opportunity to invest a portion of their assets in a globally oriented portfolio, and is designed for long-term investors who can accept global investment risk. The Advisor believes that allocation of assets on a global basis decreases the degree to which events in any one country, including the U.S., will affect an investor's entire investment holdings. In the period since World War II, many leading foreign economies have grown more rapidly than the U.S. economy, thus providing investment opportunities; although there can be no assurance that this will be true in the future. As with any long-term investment, the value of the Fund's shares when sold may be higher or lower than when purchased. Investors should recognize that investing in foreign securities involves certain special considerations, including those set forth below, which are not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities and which may favorably or unfavorably affect the Fund's performance. As foreign companies are not generally subject to uniform standards, practices and requirements, with respect to accounting, auditing and financial reporting, as are domestic companies, there may be less publicly available information about a foreign company than about a domestic company. Many foreign securities markets, while growing in volume of trading activity, have substantially less volume than the U.S. market, and securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and more volatile than securities of domestic issuers. Similarly, volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets is less than in the U.S. and, at times, volatility of price can be greater than in the 3 U.S. Further, foreign markets have different clearance and settlement procedures and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when assets of the Fund are uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of the Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to settlement problems either could result in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the portfolio security or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the security, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. Fixed commissions on some foreign securities exchanges and bid to asked spreads in foreign bond markets are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges and bid to asked spreads in the U.S. bond market, although the Fund will endeavor to achieve the most favorable net results on their portfolio transactions. Further, the Fund may encounter difficulties or be unable to pursue legal remedies and obtain judgments in foreign courts. There is generally less governmental supervision and regulation of business and industry practices, securities exchanges, brokers and listed companies than in the U.S. It may be more difficult for the Fund's agents to keep currently informed about corporate actions such as stock dividends or other matters which may affect the prices of portfolio securities. Communications between the U.S. and foreign countries may be less reliable than within the U.S., thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Payment for securities without delivery may be required in certain foreign markets. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments which could affect U.S. investments in those countries. Investments in foreign securities may also entail certain risks, such as possible currency blockages or transfer restrictions, and the difficulty of enforcing rights in other countries. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. The management of the Fund seeks to mitigate the risks associated with the foregoing considerations through continuous professional management. These considerations generally are more of a concern in developing countries. For example, the possibility of revolution and the dependence on foreign economic assistance may be greater in these countries than in developed countries. Investments in companies domiciled in developing countries may be subject to potentially greater risks than investments in developed countries. Investments in foreign securities usually will involve currencies of foreign countries. Because of the considerations discussed above, 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 in connection with conversions between various currencies. 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 their 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 strategic transactions involving currencies (see "Strategic Transactions and Derivatives"). Because the Fund may be invested in both U.S. and foreign securities markets, changes in the Fund's share price may have a low correlation with movements in the U.S. markets. The Fund's share price will reflect the movements of both the different stock and bond markets in which it is invested and of the currencies in which the investments are denominated; the strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies may account for part of the Fund's investment performance. Foreign securities such as those purchased by the Fund may be subject to foreign governmental taxes which could reduce the yield on such securities, although a shareholder of the Fund may, subject to certain limitations, be entitled to claim a credit or deduction for U.S. federal income tax purposes for his or her proportionate share of such foreign taxes paid by the Fund. U.S. and foreign securities markets do not always move in step with each other, and the total returns from different markets may vary significantly. The Fund invests in many securities markets around the world in an attempt to take advantage of opportunities wherever they may arise. Because of the Fund's investment considerations discussed above and the investment policies, investment in shares of the Fund is not intended to provide a complete investment program for an investor. 4 The Fund cannot guarantee a gain or eliminate the risk of loss. The net asset value of the Fund's shares will increase or decrease with changes in the market price of the Fund's investments, and there is no assurance that the Fund's objectives will be achieved. Scudder International Fund The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital by investing at least 65% of its total assets in foreign equities (equities issued by foreign-based companies and listed on foreign exchanges). These securities are selected primarily to permit the Fund to participate in non-U.S. companies and economies that are believed to have prospects for growth. The Fund invests in companies, wherever organized, which do business primarily outside the United States. The Fund generally invests in equity securities of established companies, listed on foreign exchanges (although the Fund may also invest in securities traded over the counter), which the Advisor believes have favorable characteristics. The Fund's equity investments include common stock, convertible and non-convertible preferred stock, sponsored and unsponsored depository receipts, and warrants. When the Advisor believes that it is appropriate to do so in order to achieve the Fund's investment objective of long-term capital growth, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in debt securities. Such debt securities include debt securities of governments, governmental agencies, supranational organizations and private issuers, including bonds denominated in the European Currency Unit (the "Euro"). Portfolio debt investments will be selected on the basis of, among other things, yield, credit quality, and the fundamental outlooks for currency and interest rate trends in different parts of the globe, taking into account the ability to hedge a degree of currency or local bond price risk. The value of fixed-income investments will fluctuate with changes in interest rates and bond market conditions, tending to rise as interest rates decline and decline as interest rates rise. The Fund will predominantly purchase "investment-grade" bonds, which are those rated Aaa, Aa, A or Baa by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or AAA, AA, A or BBB by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., or, if unrated, judged by the Advisor to be of equivalent quality. The Fund may also invest up to 5% of its total assets in debt securities which are rated below investment-grade (see "Risk factors"). The Fund intends to diversify investments among several countries and normally to have investments in securities of at least three different countries other than the U.S. The Fund will invest primarily in securities of issuers in the 21 developed foreign countries included in the Morgan Stanley Capital International ("MSCI") Europe, Australia, Far East ("EAFE") and Canada Index, but may invest in "emerging markets." The Fund considers "emerging markets" to include any country that is defined as an emerging or developing economy by any of the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (i.e., the World Bank), the International Finance Corporation or the United Nations or its authorities. It is expected that the Fund's investments will include companies of varying size as measured by assets, sales or market capitalization. The major portion of the Fund's assets consists of equity securities of established companies listed on recognized exchanges; the Advisor expects this condition to continue, although the Fund may invest in other securities. In selecting securities for the Fund's portfolio, the Advisor applies a disciplined, multi-part investment approach for selecting stocks for the Fund. In analyzing companies for investment, the Advisor ordinarily looks for one or more of the following characteristics: strong competitive positioning, above-average earnings growth per share, high return on invested capital, healthy balance sheets and overall financial strength, strength of management and general operating characteristics which will enable the companies to compete successfully in the marketplace. The Advisor will further seek to have broad country representation, favoring those countries that it believes have sound economic conditions and open markets. The Advisor will also look for opportunities on a macro-economic level, seeking to identify major changes in the business environment and companies that are poised to benefit from these changes. Investment decisions are made without regard to arbitrary criteria as to minimum asset size, debt-equity ratios or dividend history of portfolio companies. The Advisor will typically sell an investment when certain criteria are met, including but not limited to: the price of the security reaches the Advisor's assessment of its fair value; the underlying investment theme is judged by the Advisor to have matured; or if the original reason for investing in the security no longer applies or is no longer valid. In applying the disciplined, multi-part investment approach for selecting stocks for the Fund, the Advisor first analyzes the pool of foreign dividend-paying securities, primarily from the world's more mature markets, and targeting stocks that have high relative yields compared to the average for their markets. In the Advisor's opinion, this group of higher-yielding stocks offers the potential for returns that is greater than or equal to the average market return, with price volatility that is lower than the overall market volatility. The Advisor believes that these potentially favorable risk and 5 return characteristics exist because the higher dividends offered by these stocks act as a "cushion" when markets are volatile and because the stocks with higher yields tend to have more attractive valuations (e.g., lower price-to-earning ratios and lower price-to-book ratios). The second stage of portfolio construction involves a fundamental analysis of each company's financial strength, profitability, projected earnings, competitive positioning, and ability of management. During this step, the Advisor's research team identifies what it believes are the most promising stocks for the Fund's portfolio. The third stage of the investment process involves diversifying the portfolio among different industry sectors. The key element of this stage is evaluating how the stocks in different sectors react to economic factors such as interest rates, inflation, Gross Domestic Product, and consumer spending, and then attaining a proper balance of stocks in these sectors based on the Advisor's economic forecast. The fourth and final stage of this ongoing process is diversifying the portfolio among different countries. The Advisor will seek to have broad country representation, favoring those countries that it believes have sound economic conditions and open markets. The Fund's strategy is to manage risk and create opportunity at each of the four stages in its investment process, starting with the focus on stocks with high relative yields. The Fund may hold up to 20% of its net assets in U.S. and foreign fixed income securities for temporary defensive purposes when the Advisor believes that market conditions so warrant. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets under normal conditions, and without limit for temporary defensive purposes, in cash or cash equivalents including domestic and foreign money market instruments, short-term government and corporate obligations and repurchase agreements, when the Advisor deems such a position advisable in light of economic or market conditions. It is impossible to predict how long alternative strategies may be utilized. In addition, the Fund may engage in reverse repurchase agreements, illiquid securities and strategic transactions, which may include derivatives. Foreign securities such as those purchased by the Fund may be subject to foreign governmental taxes which could reduce the yield on such securities, although a shareholder of the Fund may, subject to certain limitations, be entitled to claim a credit or deduction for U.S. federal income tax purposes for his or her proportionate share of such foreign taxes paid by the Fund. From time to time, the Fund may be a purchaser of illiquid securities such as restricted debt or equity securities (i.e., securities which may require registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the "1933 Act"), or an exemption therefrom, in order to be sold in the ordinary course of business) in a private placement. (See "Illiquid Securities and Restricted Securities" .) The Fund cannot guarantee a gain or eliminate the risk of loss. The net asset value of the Fund's shares will increase or decrease with changes in the market price of the Fund's investments, and there is no assurance that the Fund's objectives will be achieved. Master/feeder Structure. The Boards of Directors has the discretion to retain the current distribution arrangements for the Funds while investing in a master fund in a master/feeder fund structure as described below. A master/feeder fund structure is one in which a fund (a "feeder fund"), instead of investing directly in a portfolio of securities, invests most or all of its investment assets in a separate registered investment company (the "master fund") with substantially the same investment objective and policies as the feeder fund. Such a structure permits the pooling of assets of two or more feeder funds, preserving separate identities or distribution channels at the feeder fund level. Based on the premise that certain of the expenses of operating an investment portfolio are relatively fixed, a larger investment portfolio may eventually achieve a lower ratio of operating expenses to average net assets. An existing investment company is able to convert to a feeder fund by selling all of its investments, which involves brokerage and other transaction costs and realization of a taxable gain or loss, or by contributing its assets to the master fund and avoiding transaction costs and, if proper procedures are followed, the realization of taxable gain or loss. Borrowing. Each Fund may not borrow money, except as permitted under Federal law. Each Fund will borrow only when the Advisor believes that borrowing will benefit the Fund after taking into account considerations such as the costs of the borrowing. Each Fund does not expect to borrow for investment purposes, to increase return or leverage the portfolio. Borrowing by a Fund will involve special risk considerations. Although the principal of each Fund's borrowings will be fixed, the Fund's assets may change in value during the time a borrowing is outstanding, thus increasing exposure to capital risk. Common Stocks. Under normal circumstances, each Fund invests primarily in common stocks. Common stock is issued by each company to raise cash for business purposes and represents a proportionate interest in the issuing companies. Therefore, each Fund participates in the success or failure of any company in which it holds stock. The 6 market values of common stock can fluctuate significantly, reflecting the business performance of the issuing company, investor perception and general economic or financial market movements. Smaller companies are especially sensitive to these factors and may even become valueless. Despite the risk of price volatility, however, common stock also offers greater potential for long-term gain on investment, compared to other classes of financial assets such as bonds or cash equivalents. Convertible Securities. Each Fund may invest in convertible securities, that is, bonds, notes, debentures, preferred stocks and other securities which are convertible into common stock. Investments in convertible securities can provide an opportunity for capital appreciation and/or income through interest and dividend payments by virtue of their conversion or exchange features. The convertible securities in which the Funds may invest are either fixed income or zero coupon debt securities which may be converted or exchanged at a stated or determinable exchange ratio into underlying shares of common stock. The exchange ratio for any particular convertible security may be adjusted from time to time due to stock splits, dividends, spin-offs, other corporate distributions or scheduled changes in the exchange ratio. Convertible debt securities and convertible preferred stocks, until converted, have general characteristics similar to both debt and equity securities. Although to a lesser extent than with debt securities generally, the market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, tends to increase as interest rates decline. In addition, because of the conversion or exchange feature, the market value of convertible securities typically changes as the market value of the underlying common stocks changes, and, therefore, also tends to follow movements in the general market for equity securities. A unique feature of convertible securities is that as the market price of the underlying common stock declines, convertible securities tend to trade increasingly on a yield basis, and so may not experience market value declines to the same extent as the underlying common stock. When the market price of the underlying common stock increases, the prices of the convertible securities tend to rise as a reflection of the value of the underlying common stock, although typically not as much as the underlying common stock. While no securities investments are without risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than investments in common stock of the same issuer. As debt securities, convertible securities are investments which provide for a stream of income (or in the case of zero coupon securities, accretion of income) with generally higher yields than common stocks. Of course, like all debt securities, there can be no assurance of income or principal payments because the issuers of the convertible securities may default on their obligations. Convertible securities generally offer lower yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality because of their conversion or exchange features. Convertible securities generally are subordinated to other similar but non-convertible securities of the same issuer, although convertible bonds, as corporate debt obligations, enjoy seniority in right of payment to all equity securities, and convertible preferred stock is senior to common stock of the same issuer. However, because of the subordination feature, convertible bonds and convertible preferred stock typically have lower ratings than similar non-convertible securities. Convertible securities may be issued as fixed income obligations that pay current income or as zero coupon notes and bonds, including Liquid Yield Option Notes ("LYONs"(TM)). Currency Transactions. Each 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. Each 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 each Fund, which will generally arise in connection with the purchase or sale of their 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. 7 The Funds 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 Funds 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 a Fund has or in which a 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 Funds may also engage in proxy hedging. Proxy hedging is often used when the currency to which a 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 each Fund's portfolio securities are or are expected to be denominated, in exchange for U.S. 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 U.S. 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 a 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 a Fund is engaging in proxy hedging. If a 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 a 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. Debt Securities. Global Fund may not invest more than 5% of its total assets in debt securities that are rated Baa or below by Moody's or BBB or below by S&P, or deemed by the Advisor to be of comparable quality. When the Advisor believes that it is appropriate to do so in order to achieve International Fund's objective of long-term capital growth, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in debt securities including bonds of foreign governments, supranational organizations and private issuers, including bonds denominated in the Euro. Portfolio debt investments will be selected on the basis of, among other things, yield, credit quality, and the fundamental outlooks for currency, economic and interest rate trends in different parts of the globe, taking into account the ability to hedge a degree of currency or local bond price risk. Depository Receipts. International Fund may invest sponsored or unsponsored American Depository Receipts ("ADRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs"), Global Depository Receipts ("GDRs"), International Depository Receipts ("IDRs") and other types of Depository Receipts (which, together with ADRs, GDRs and IDRs are hereinafter referred to as "Depository Receipts"). Depositary receipts provide indirect investment in securities of foreign issuers. Prices of unsponsored Depository Receipts may be more volatile than if the issuer of the underlying securities sponsored them. Depository Receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. In addition, the issuers of the stock of unsponsored Depository Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States and, therefore, there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depository Receipts. ADRs are Depository Receipts which are bought and sold in the United States and are typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company which evidence ownership of underlying securities by a foreign corporation. GDRs, IDRs and other types of Depository Receipts are typically issued by foreign banks or trust companies, although they may also be issued by United States banks or trust companies, and evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by either a foreign or a United States corporation. Generally, Depository 8 Receipts in registered form are designed for use in the United States securities markets and Depository Receipts in bearer form are designed for use in securities markets outside the United States. For purposes of the Fund's investment policies, the Fund's investments in ADRs, GDRs and other types of Depository Receipts will be deemed to be investments in the underlying securities. Depository Receipts, including those denominated in U.S. dollars will be subject to foreign currency exchange rate risk. However, by investing in US dollar-denominated ADRs rather than directly in foreign issuers' stock, the Fund avoids currency risks during the settlement period. In general, there is a large, liquid market in the United States for most ADRs. However, certain Depository Receipts may not be listed on an exchange and therefore may be illiquid securities. Dollar Roll Transactions. Dollar roll transactions consist of the sale by a Fund to a bank or broker/dealer (the "counterparty") of GNMA certificates or other mortgage-backed securities together with a commitment to purchase from the counterparty similar, but not identical, securities at a future date, at the same price. The counterparty receives all principal and interest payments, including prepayments, made on the security while it is the holder. A Fund receives a fee from the counterparty as consideration for entering into the commitment to purchase. Dollar rolls may be renewed over a period of several months with a different purchase and repurchase price fixed and a cash settlement made at each renewal without physical delivery of securities. Moreover, the transaction may be preceded by a firm commitment agreement pursuant to which a Fund agrees to buy a security on a future date. Each Fund will segregate cash, U.S. Government securities or other liquid assets in an amount sufficient to meet their purchase obligations under the transactions. The Funds will also maintain asset coverage of at least 300% for all outstanding firm commitments, dollar rolls and other borrowings. Dollar rolls may be treated for purposes of the of 1940 Act, as amended, as borrowings of each Fund because they involve the sale of a security coupled with an agreement to repurchase. A dollar roll involves costs to the Fund. For example, while a Fund receives a fee as consideration for agreeing to repurchase the security, the Fund forgoes the right to receive all principal and interest payments while the counterparty holds the security. These payments to the counterparty may exceed the fee received by the Fund, thereby effectively charging the Fund interest on its borrowing. Further, although a Fund can estimate the amount of expected principal prepayment over the term of the dollar roll, a variation in the actual amount of prepayment could increase or decrease the cost of the Fund's borrowing. The entry into dollar rolls involves potential risks of loss that are different from those related to the securities underlying the transactions. For example, if the counterparty becomes insolvent, a Fund's right to purchase from the counterparty might be restricted. Additionally, the value of such securities may change adversely before a Fund is able to purchase them. Similarly, a Fund may be required to purchase securities in connection with a dollar roll at a higher price than may otherwise be available on the open market. Since, as noted above, the counterparty is required to deliver a similar, but not identical security to a Fund, the security that the Fund is required to buy under the dollar roll may be worth less than an identical security. Finally, there can be no assurance that each Fund's use of the cash that it receives from a dollar roll will provide a return that exceeds borrowing costs. Eurodollar Instruments. The Funds may make investments in Eurodollar instruments. Eurodollar instruments are U.S. dollar-denominated futures contracts or options thereon which are linked to the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"), although foreign currency-denominated instruments are available from time to time. Eurodollar futures contracts enable purchasers to obtain a fixed rate for the lending of funds and sellers to obtain a fixed rate for borrowings. The Fund might use Eurodollar futures contracts and options thereon to hedge against changes in LIBOR, to which many interest rate swaps and fixed income instruments are linked. Foreign Currencies. Because investments in foreign securities usually will involve currencies of foreign countries, and because the Funds 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 Funds 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 Funds may incur costs and experience conversion difficulties and uncertainties in connection with conversions between various currencies. In particular, each Fund's foreign investments are generally denominated in foreign currencies. The strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar against these currencies is responsible for part of each 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. In addition, many foreign currencies have experienced significant devaluation relative to the dollar. Although each 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. 9 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 each Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire to resell that currency to the dealer. Each 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 Investment Risk. While each Fund offers the potential for substantial appreciation over time, it also involves above-average investment risk in comparison to a mutual fund investing in a broad range of U.S. equity securities. Each Fund is designed as a long-term investment and not for short-term trading purposes. Each Fund together, should be considered a complete investment program, although each could serve as a core international holding for an individual's portfolio. Each Fund's net asset value, or price, can fluctuate significantly with changes in stock market levels, political developments, movements in currencies, global investment flows and other factors. Foreign Securities. Investing in foreign securities involves certain special considerations, including those set forth below, which are not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities and which may favorably or unfavorably affect the Funds' performance. As foreign companies are not generally subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to domestic companies, there may be less publicly available information about a foreign company than about a domestic company. Many foreign securities markets, while growing in volume of trading activity, have substantially less volume than the U.S. market, and securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and more volatile than securities of domestic issuers. Similarly, volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets is less than in the U.S. and, at times, volatility of price can be greater than in the U.S. Fixed commissions on some foreign securities exchanges and bid to asked spreads in foreign bond markets are generally higher than commissions or bid to asked spreads on U.S. markets, although the Advisor will endeavor to achieve the most favorable net results on its portfolio transactions. There is generally less governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers and listed companies in foreign countries than in the U.S. It may be more difficult for the Funds' agents to keep currently informed about corporate actions in foreign countries which may affect the prices of portfolio securities. Communications between the U.S. and foreign countries may be less reliable than within the U.S., thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Payment for securities without delivery may be required in certain foreign markets. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments which could affect U.S. investments in those countries. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. The management of the Funds seeks to mitigate the risks associated with the foregoing considerations through continuous professional management. High Yield/High Risk Bonds. The Funds may also purchase, to a limited extent, 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, which 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 of principal and income, and may be less liquid, than securities in the higher rating categories. The lower the ratings of such debt securities, the greater their risks render them like equity securities. International Fund will invest no more than 5% of its total assets in securities rated BB or lower by Moody's or Ba by S&P, and may invest in securities which are rated D by S&P. See the Appendix to this Statement of Additional Information for a more complete description of the ratings assigned by ratings organizations and their respective characteristics. High yield, high-risk securities are especially subject to adverse changes in general economic conditions, to changes in the financial condition of their issuers and to price fluctuations in response to changes in interest rates. An economic downturn could disrupt the high yield market and impair the ability of issuers to repay principal and interest. Also, an increase in interest rates would have a greater adverse impact on the value of such obligations than on higher quality debt securities. During an economic downturn or period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issues may experience financial stress which would adversely affect their ability to service their principal and interest payment obligations. 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 a 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. 10 The trading market for high yield securities may be thin to the extent that there is no established retail secondary market. A thin trading market may limit the ability of a Fund to accurately value high yield securities in its portfolio and to dispose of those securities. 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 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 a 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. Prices for below investment-grade securities may be affected by legislative and regulatory developments. For example, new federal rules require savings and loan institutions to gradually reduce their holdings of this type of security. Congress has from time to time considered legislation which would restrict or eliminate the corporate tax deduction for interest payments in these securities and regulate corporate restructurings. Such legislation may significantly depress the prices of outstanding securities of this type. Illiquid Securities and Restricted Securities. Each 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. 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. Each Fund'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, each Fund may be required to bear all or part of the registration expenses. Each Fund may be deemed to be an "underwriter" for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended when selling restricted securities to the public and, in such event, each Fund may be liable to purchasers of such securities if the registration statement prepared by the issuer is materially inaccurate or misleading. Each 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. Each 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 each Fund's decision to sell a restricted or illiquid security and the point at which each Fund is permitted or able to sell such security, each Fund might obtain a price less favorable than the price that prevailed when it decided to sell. This investment practice, therefore, could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity of each Fund. Interfund Borrowing and Lending Program. The Funds have received exemptive relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") that permits the Funds to participate in an interfund borrowing and 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 11 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, a 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 overnight, but could have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called on one day's notice. A 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 Boards of the participating funds. To the extent each Fund is actually engaged in borrowing through the interfund borrowing and lending program, the Fund, as a matter of non-fundamental policy, may not borrow for other than temporary or emergency purposes (and not for leveraging), except that the Fund may engage in reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls for any purpose. Investing in Emerging Markets. The Funds' investments in foreign securities may be in developed countries or in countries considered by the Funds' Advisor to have developing or "emerging" markets, which involves exposure to economic structures that are generally less diverse and mature than in the United States, and to political systems that may be less stable. A developing or emerging market country can be considered to be a country that is in the initial stages of its industrialization cycle. Currently, emerging markets generally include every country in the world other than the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and most Western European countries. Currently, investing in many emerging markets may not be desirable or feasible because of the lack of adequate custody arrangements for the Fund's assets, overly burdensome repatriation and similar restrictions, the lack of organized and liquid securities markets, unacceptable political risks or other reasons. As opportunities to invest in securities in emerging markets develop, the Funds may expand and further broaden the group of emerging markets in which it invests. In the past, markets of developing or emerging market countries have been more volatile than the markets of developed countries; however, such markets often have provided higher rates of return to investors. The Advisor believes that these characteristics may be expected to continue in the future. Most emerging securities markets may have substantially less volume and are subject to less governmental supervision than U.S. securities markets. Securities of many issuers in emerging markets may be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable domestic issuers. In addition, there is less regulation of securities exchanges, securities dealers, and listed and unlisted companies in emerging markets than in the U.S. Emerging markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have not kept pace with the volume of securities transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the Fund is uninvested and no cash is earned thereon. The inability of the Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the portfolio security or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the security, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. Costs associated with transactions in foreign securities are generally higher than costs associated with transactions in U.S. securities. Such transactions also involve additional costs for the purchase or sale of foreign currency. Certain emerging markets require prior governmental approval of investments by foreign persons, limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular company, limit the investment by foreign persons only to a specific class of securities of a company that may have less advantageous rights than the classes available for purchase by domiciliaries of the countries and/or impose additional taxes on foreign investors. Certain emerging markets may also restrict investment opportunities in issuers in industries deemed important to national interest. Certain emerging markets may require governmental approval for the repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of securities by foreign investors. In addition, if a deterioration occurs in an emerging market's balance of payments or for other reasons, a country could impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Fund of any restrictions on investments. In the course of investment in emerging markets, the Fund will be exposed to the direct or indirect consequences of political, social and economic changes in one or more emerging markets. While the Fund will manage its assets in a manner that will seek to minimize the exposure to such risks, there can be no assurance that adverse political, social or economic changes will not cause the Fund to suffer a loss of value in respect of the securities in the Fund's portfolio. 12 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 Corporation 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 Corporation's Board of Directors. Volume and liquidity in most foreign markets are less than in the U.S., and securities of many foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although the Fund endeavors to achieve the most favorable net results on its portfolio transactions. There is generally less governmental supervision and regulation of business and industry practices, securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the U.S. Mail service between the U.S. and foreign countries may be slower or less reliable than within the U.S., thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for certificated portfolio securities. In addition, with respect to certain emerging markets, there is the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments which could affect the Fund's investments in those countries. Moreover, individual emerging market economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. The Fund may have limited legal recourse in the event of a default with respect to certain debt obligations it holds. If the issuer of a fixed-income security owned by the Fund defaults, the Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. Debt obligations issued by emerging market country governments differ from debt obligations of private entities; remedies from defaults on debt obligations issued by emerging market governments, unlike those on private debt, must be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party itself. The Fund's ability to enforce its rights against private issuers may be limited. The ability to attach assets to enforce a judgment may be limited. Legal recourse is therefore somewhat diminished. Bankruptcy, moratorium and other similar laws applicable to private issuers of debt obligations may be substantially different from those of other countries. The political context, expressed as an emerging market governmental issuer's willingness to meet the terms of the debt obligation, for example, is of considerable importance. In addition, no assurance can be given that the holders of commercial bank debt may not contest payments to the holders of debt obligations in the event of default under commercial bank loan agreements. Income from securities held by the Fund could be reduced by a withholding tax at the source or other taxes imposed by the emerging market countries in which the Fund makes its investments. The Fund's net asset value may also be affected by changes in the rates or methods of taxation applicable to the Fund or to entities in which the Fund has invested. The Advisor will consider the cost of any taxes in determining whether to acquire any particular investments, but can provide no assurance that the taxes will not be subject to change. Many emerging markets have experienced substantial, and, in some periods, extremely high rates of inflation for many years. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had and may continue to have adverse effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging market countries. In an attempt to control inflation, wage and price controls have been imposed in certain countries. Of these countries, some, in recent years, have begun to control inflation through prudent economic policies. 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. Obligations arising from past restructuring agreements may affect the economic performance and political and social stability of those issuers. Governments of many emerging market 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 any given country. As a result, government actions in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions in emerging markets, which in turn, may adversely affect companies in the private sector, general market conditions and prices and yields of certain of the securities in the Fund's portfolio. Expropriation, confiscatory taxation, nationalization, political, economic or social instability or other similar developments have occurred frequently over the history of certain emerging markets and could adversely affect the Fund's assets should these conditions recur. 13 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. Investment Company Securities. Each 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. Each Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by such other investment companies. For example, a 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: 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. 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. 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. 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. 14 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. 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 correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specific Morgan Stanley Capital International Index. Investment-Grade Bonds. The Funds may purchase "investment-grade" bonds, which are those rated Aaa, Aa, A or Baa by Moody's or AAA, AA, A or BBB by S&P or, if unrated, judged to be of equivalent quality as determined by the Advisor. Moody's considers bonds it rates Baa to have speculative elements as well as investment-grade characteristics. To the extent that the Funds invest in higher-grade securities, each Fund will not be able to avail itself of opportunities for higher income which may be available at lower grades. Investment of Uninvested Cash Balances. Each 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 Zurich Scudder Cash Management QP Trust and Scudder Trust Company, or one or more future entities for which Zurich Scudder Investments 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. Each Fund will invest Uninvested Cash in Central Funds only to the extent that each Fund's aggregate investment in the Central Funds does not exceed 25% of its total assets in shares of the Central Funds. Purchase and sales of shares of Central Funds are made at net asset value. Lending of Portfolio Securities. Each Fund may seek to increase its income by lending portfolio securities. Such loans may be made to registered broker/dealers or other financial institutions, and are required to be secured continuously by collateral in cash or liquid assets, maintained on a current basis at an amount at least equal to the market value and accrued interest of the securities loaned. Each Fund has the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned on five days' notice or, in connection with securities trading on foreign markets, within such longer period of time which coincides with the normal settlement period for purchases and sales of such securities in such foreign markets. During the existence of a loan, each Fund continues to receive the equivalent of any distributions paid by the issuer on the securities loaned and also receives compensation based on investment of the collateral. The risks in lending securities, as with other extensions of secured credit, consist of a possible delay in recovery and a loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially. Loans may be made only to firms deemed by the Advisor to be of good standing and will not be made unless, in the judgment of the Advisor, the consideration to be earned from such loans would justify the risk. Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs"). Global Fund may invest in REITs. REITs are sometimes informally characterized as 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 15 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 Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and to maintain exemption from the registration requirements of the 1940 Act. By investing in REITs indirectly through a Fund, a shareholder will bear not only his or her proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund's, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of the REITs. In addition, REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders. Repurchase Agreements. Each Fund may invest in repurchase agreements pursuant to its investment guidelines. In a repurchase agreement, a Fund acquires ownership of a security and simultaneously commits to resell that security to the seller, typically a bank or broker/dealer. Some repurchase commitment transactions may not provide a Fund with collateral marked-to-market during the term of the commitment. A repurchase agreement provides a means for a Fund to earn income on funds for periods as short as overnight. It is an arrangement under which the purchaser (i.e., a 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 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 a 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 a 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 a Fund subject to a repurchase agreement as being owned by a Fund or as being collateral for a loan by a 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 a Fund has not perfected a security interest in the Obligation, a 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, a 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 a 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 a Fund may incur a loss if the proceeds to a Fund of the sale to a third party are less than the repurchase price. However, if the market value of the Obligation subject to the repurchase agreement becomes less than the repurchase price (including interest), a Fund will direct the seller of the Obligation to deliver additional securities so that the market value of all securities subject to the repurchase agreement will equal or exceed the repurchase price. It is possible that the Fund will be unsuccessful in seeking to enforce the seller's contractual obligation to deliver additional securities. Reverse Repurchase Agreements. Each Fund may enter into "reverse repurchase agreements," which are repurchase agreements in which a Fund, as the seller of the securities, agrees to repurchase them at an agreed upon time and price. Each Fund maintains a segregated account in connection with outstanding reverse repurchase agreements. Reverse repurchase agreements are deemed to be borrowings subject to each Fund's investment restrictions applicable to that activity. Each 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 fluctuation in the market value of fund assets and their yields. Trust Preferred Securities. Each Fund may invest in Trust Preferred Securities, which are hybrid instruments issued by a special purpose trust (the "Special Trust"), the entire equity interest of which is owned by a single issuer. The proceeds of the issuance to a Fund of Trust Preferred Securities are typically used to purchase a junior subordinated debenture, and distributions from the Special Trust are funded by the payments of principal and interest on the subordinated debenture. 16 If payments on the underlying junior subordinated debentures held by the Special Trust are deferred by the debenture issuer, the debentures would be treated as original issue discount ("OID") obligations for the remainder of their term. As a result, holders of Trust Preferred Securities, such as the Fund, would be required to accrue daily for Federal income tax purposes their share of the stated interest and the de minimis OID on the debentures (regardless of whether the Fund receives any cash distributions from the Special Trust), and the value of Trust Preferred Securities would likely be negatively affected. Interest payments on the underlying junior subordinated debentures typically may only be deferred if dividends are suspended on both common and preferred stock of the issuer. The underlying junior subordinated debentures generally rank slightly higher in terms of payment priority than both common and preferred securities of the issuer, but rank below other subordinated debentures and debt securities. Trust Preferred Securities may be subject to mandatory prepayment under certain circumstances. The market values of Trust Preferred Securities may be more volatile than those of conventional debt securities. Trust Preferred Securities may be issued in reliance on Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, and, unless and until registered, are restricted securities; there can be no assurance as to the liquidity of Trust Preferred Securities and the ability of holders of Trust Preferred Securities, such as the Fund, to sell their holdings. Warrants. International Fund may invest in warrants up to 5% of the value of its net 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 in tandem with the prices of the underlying securities, however, 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, the Fund would lose the entire purchase price of the warrant. When-Issued Securities. Each Fund may from time to time purchase equity and debt securities on a "when-issued" 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 when-issued or forward delivery 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. 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; however, it is each Fund's intention to be fully invested to the extent practicable and subject to the policies stated above. While when-issued or forward delivery securities may be sold prior to the settlement date, each Fund intends to purchase such securities with the purpose of actually acquiring them unless a sale appears desirable for investment reasons. At the time a Fund makes the commitment to purchase a security on a when-issued or forward delivery basis, it will record the transaction and reflect the value of the security in determining its net asset value. The market value of the when-issued or forward delivery securities may be more or less than the purchase price. Each Fund does not believe that its net asset value or income will be adversely affected by its purchase of securities on a when-issued or forward delivery basis. Zero Coupon Securities. Global 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 issue price and their value at maturity. Zero coupon securities are subject to greater market value fluctuations from changing interest rates than debt obligations of comparable maturities which make current distributions of interest (cash). Zero coupon securities which are convertible into common stock offer the opportunity for capital appreciation as increases (or decreases) in market value of such securities closely follows 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. Zero coupon securities include securities issued directly by the U.S. Treasury, and U.S. Treasury bonds or notes and their unmatured interest coupons and receipts for their underlying principal ("coupons") which have been separated by their holder, typically a custodian bank or investment brokerage firm. A holder will separate the interest coupons from the underlying principal (the "corpus") of the U.S. Treasury security. A number of securities firms and banks have stripped the interest coupons and receipts and then resold them in custodial receipt programs with a number of different names, including "Treasury Income Growth Receipts" (TIGRS(TM)) and Certificate of Accrual on Treasuries (CATS(TM)). The underlying U.S. Treasury bonds and notes themselves are held in book-entry form at the Federal Reserve Bank or, in the case of bearer securities (i.e., unregistered securities which are owned ostensibly by the bearer or holder thereof), in trust on behalf of the owners thereof. Counsel to the underwriters of these certificates or other evidences of ownership of the U.S. Treasury securities have stated that, for federal tax and securities purposes, in their opinion purchasers of such certificates, such as the Fund, most likely will be deemed the beneficial holder of the underlying U.S. Government 17 securities. The Fund understands that the staff of the Division of Investment Management of the SEC no longer considers such privately stripped obligations to be U.S. Government securities, as defined in the 1940 Act; therefore, the Fund intends to adhere to this staff position and will not treat such privately stripped obligations to be U.S. Government securities for the purpose of determining if the Fund is "diversified" under the 1940 Act. The U.S. Treasury has facilitated transfers of ownership of zero coupon securities by accounting separately for the beneficial ownership of particular interest coupon and corpus payments on Treasury securities through the Federal Reserve book-entry record keeping system. The Federal Reserve program as established by the Treasury Department is known as "STRIPS" or "Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities." Under the STRIPS program, the Fund will be able to have its beneficial ownership of zero coupon securities recorded directly in the book-entry record-keeping system in lieu of having to hold certificates or other evidences of ownership of the underlying U.S. Treasury securities. When U.S. Treasury obligations have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons by the holder, the principal or corpus is sold at a deep discount because the buyer receives only the right to receive a future fixed payment on the security and does not receive any rights to periodic interest (cash) payments. Once stripped or separated, the corpus and coupons may be sold separately. Typically, the coupons are sold separately or grouped with other coupons with like maturity dates and sold bundled in such form. Purchasers of stripped obligations acquire, in effect, discount obligations that are economically identical to the zero coupon securities that the Treasury sells itself. Strategic Transactions and Derivatives. Each 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 fixed-income securities in each 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 limitations 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 a Fund's portfolio resulting from securities markets or currency exchange rate fluctuations, to protect a 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 fixed-income securities in a 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 a Fund's assets will be committed to 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 a Fund to utilize these Strategic Transactions successfully will depend on the Advisor's ability to predict pertinent market movements, which cannot be assured. Each 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 a 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 a 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 a 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 a Fund can realize on its investments or cause a Fund to hold a security it might otherwise sell. The use of currency transactions can result in a 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 a Fund creates the possibility that losses on the hedging instrument may be greater than gains in the value of a Fund's position. In addition, futures and options markets may not be liquid in all circumstances and certain over-the-counter options may 18 have no markets. As a result, in certain markets, a 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, a 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 a 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. Each 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. A 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. Each Fund will only sell OTC options (other than OTC currency options) that are subject to a buy-back provision permitting the Fund to 19 require the Counterparty to sell the option back to a Fund at a formula price within seven days. Each Fund expects generally to enter into OTC options that have cash settlement provisions, although they are 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 a Fund or fails to make a cash settlement payment due in accordance with the terms of that option, a Fund will lose any premium they 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. Each Fund will engage in OTC option transactions only with U.S. 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 a 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 a Fund sells a call option, the premium that they receive 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 their portfolio or will increase the Fund's income. The sale of put options can also provide income. Each Fund may purchase and sell call options on securities including U.S. 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 U.S. 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 a Fund will receive the option premium to help protect them against loss, a call sold by a 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 they might otherwise have sold. Each Fund may purchase and sell put options on securities including U.S. Treasury and agency securities, mortgage-backed securities, foreign sovereign debt, corporate debt securities, equity securities (including convertible securities) and Eurodollar instruments (whether or not they hold the above securities in their portfolios), and on securities indices, currencies and futures contracts other than futures on individual corporate debt and individual equity securities. Each Fund will not sell put options if, as a result, more than 50% of a Fund's 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 a Fund may be required to buy the underlying security at a disadvantageous price above the market price. General Characteristics of Futures. Each 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 a 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. Each Fund's use of futures and options thereon will in all cases be consistent with applicable regulatory requirements and in particular the rules and regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and will be entered into for bona fide hedging, risk management (including duration management) or other portfolio and return enhancement management purposes. Typically, maintaining a futures contract or selling an option thereon requires a 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 mark to 20 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 they will be obligated to post initial margin (and potential subsequent variation margin) for the resulting futures position just as they 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. Each Fund will not enter into a futures contract or related option (except for closing transactions) if, immediately thereafter, the sum of the amount of its initial margin and premiums on open futures contracts and options thereon would exceed 5% of a Fund's total assets (taken at current value); however, in the case of an option that is in-the-money at the time of the purchase, the in-the-money amount may be excluded in calculating the 5% limitation. The segregation requirements with respect to futures contracts and options thereon are described below. Options on Securities Indices and Other Financial Indices. Each 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. Risks of Strategic Transactions outside the U.S. When conducted outside the U.S., Strategic Transactions may not be regulated as rigorously as in the U.S., 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 U.S. of data on which to make trading decisions, (iii) delays in a Fund's ability to act upon economic events occurring in foreign markets during non-business hours in the U.S., (iv) the imposition of different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and margin requirements than in the U.S., and (v) lower trading volume and liquidity. Combined Transactions. Each 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 that 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. Swaps, Caps, Floors and Collars. Among the Strategic Transactions into which the Funds 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 Funds anticipate purchasing at a later date. The Funds will not sell interest rate caps or floors where they do not own securities or other instruments providing the income stream the Fund may be obligated to pay. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by a 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 21 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. A Fund will usually enter into swaps on a net basis, i.e., the two payment streams are netted out in a cash settlement on the payment date or dates specified in the instrument, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Inasmuch as a Fund will segregate assets (or enter into offsetting positions) to cover their obligations under swaps, the Advisor and the Fund believes such obligations do not constitute senior securities under the 1940 Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to their borrowing restrictions. A Fund will not enter into any swap, cap, floor or collar transaction unless, at the time of entering into such transaction, the unsecured long-term debt of the Counterparty, combined with any credit enhancements, is rated at least A by S&P or Moody's or has an equivalent rating from a NRSRO or is determined to be of equivalent credit quality by the Advisor. If there is a default by the Counterparty, a Fund may have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid. Caps, floors and collars are more recent innovations for which standardized documentation has not yet been fully developed and, accordingly, they are less liquid than swaps. Use of Segregated and Other Special Accounts. Many Strategic Transactions, in addition to other requirements, require that a 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 a 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 a 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 a Fund requires the Fund to segregate cash or liquid assets equal to the exercise price. Except when a 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 a 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 a 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 a 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 a 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 a Fund sells a call option on an index at a time when the in-the-money amount exceeds the exercise price, a 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 a 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, a Fund must deposit initial margin and possible daily variation margin in addition to segregating cash or liquid assets sufficient to meet their 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, a Fund will accrue the net amount of the excess, if any, of their 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 a Fund's net obligation, if any. 22 Strategic Transactions may be covered by other means when consistent with applicable regulatory policies. A 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, a 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 a Fund. Moreover, instead of segregating cash or liquid assets if a 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. Each Fund's activities involving Strategic Transactions may be limited by the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") for qualification as a regulated investment company. Portfolio Turnover Each Fund's average annual portfolio turnover rate is the ratio of the lesser of sales or purchases to the monthly average value of the portfolio securities owned during the year, excluding all securities with maturities or expiration dates at the time of acquisition of one year or less. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2000 and August 31, 2001, Global Fund's portfolio turnover rates were 60% and 40%, respectively. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2000 and August 31, 2001, International Fund's portfolio turnover rates were 83% and 85%, respectively. Purchases and sales are made for a Fund's portfolio whenever necessary, in management's opinion, to meet that Fund's objective. MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS Investment Advisor Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc., Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts, an investment counsel firm, acts as investment advisor to each Fund. This organization, the predecessor of which is Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc., ("Scudder") is one of the most experienced investment counsel firms in the U. S. It was established as a partnership in 1919 and pioneered the practice of providing investment counsel to individual clients on a fee basis. In 1928 it introduced the first no-load mutual fund to the public. In 1953 the Advisor introduced Scudder International Fund, Inc., the first mutual fund available in the U.S. investing internationally in securities of issuers in several foreign countries. The predecessor firm reorganized from a partnership to a corporation on June 28, 1985. On June 26, 1997, Scudder entered into an agreement with Zurich Insurance Company ("Zurich") pursuant to which Scudder and Zurich agreed to form an alliance. On December 31, 1997, Zurich acquired a majority interest in Scudder, and Zurich Kemper Investments, Inc., a Zurich subsidiary, became part of Scudder. Shudder's name has been changed to Scudder Kemper Investments, Inc. On September 7, 1998, the businesses of Zurich (including Zurich's 70% interest in Scudder Kemper) and the financial services businesses of B.A.T Industries p.l.c. ("B.A.T") were combined to form a new global insurance and financial services company known as Zurich Financial Services Group. By way of a dual holding company structure, former Zurich shareholders initially owned approximately 57% of Zurich Financial Services Group, with the balance initially owned by former B.A.T shareholders. On October 17, 2000, the dual holding company structure of Zurich Financial Services Group, comprised of Allied Zurich p.l.c. in the United Kingdom and Zurich Allied A.G. in Switzerland, was unified into a single Swiss holding company, Zurich Financial Services. On January 1, 2001, the Advisor changed its name from Scudder Kemper Investments, Inc. to Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. Founded in 1872, Zurich is a multinational, public corporation organized under the laws of Switzerland. Its home office is located at Mythenquai 2, 8002 Zurich, Switzerland. Historically, Zurich's earnings have resulted from its operations as an insurer as well as from its ownership of its subsidiaries and affiliated companies (the "Zurich Insurance Group"). Zurich and the Zurich Insurance Group provide an extensive range of insurance products and services and have branch offices and subsidiaries in more than 40 countries throughout the world. The principal source of the Advisor's income is professional fees received from providing continuous investment advice, and the firm derives no income from brokerage or underwriting of securities. Today it provides investment counsel for 23 many individuals and institutions, including insurance companies, industrial corporations, and financial and banking organizations, as well as providing investment advice to over 280 open and closed-end mutual funds. The Advisor maintains a large research department, which conducts continuous studies of the factors that affect the position of various industries, companies and individual securities. The Advisor receives published reports and statistical compilations from issuers and other sources, as well as analyses from brokers and dealers who may execute portfolio transactions for the Advisor's clients. However, the Advisor regards this information and material as an adjunct to its own research activities. The Advisor's international investment management team travels the world researching hundreds of companies. In selecting securities in which the Fund may invest, the conclusions and investment decisions of the Advisor with respect to the Fund are based primarily on the analyses of its own research department. Certain investments may be appropriate for a Fund and also for other clients advised by the Advisor. Investment decisions for a 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 a Fund. Purchase and sale orders for a 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. In certain cases, the investments for a Fund are 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 Funds are likely to differ from these other mutual funds in size, cash flow pattern and tax matters. Accordingly, the holdings and performance of the Funds can be expected to vary from those of these other mutual funds. Upon consummation of the transaction between Zurich and B.A.T, each Fund's existing investment management agreement with Scudder Kemper was deemed to have been assigned and, therefore, terminated. The Board approved the new investment management agreement with Scudder Kemper, which was substantially identical to the prior investment management agreement, except for the date of execution and termination. An amended and restated investment management agreement (the "Agreement") became effective on September 11, 2000 was most recently approved by the Directors on August 13, 2001, and will continue in effect until September 30, 2002. The Agreement will continue in effect from year to year thereafter only if its continuance is approved annually by the vote of a majority of those Directors who are not parties to such Agreement or interested persons of the Advisor or the Fund, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and either by a vote of the Corporation's Directors or of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Agreement may be terminated at any time without payment of penalty by either party on sixty days' written notice and automatically terminates in the event of its assignment. Under the Agreement, the Advisor regularly provides the Fund with continuing investment management for the Fund's portfolio consistent with the Fund's investment objective, policies and restrictions and determines what securities shall be purchased, held or sold and what portion of the Fund's assets shall be held uninvested, subject to the Corporation's Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, the 1940 Act, the Code and to the Fund's investment objective, policies and restrictions, and subject, further, to such policies and instructions as the Board of Directors of the Corporation may from time to time establish. The Advisor also advises and assists the officers of the Corporation in taking such steps as are necessary or appropriate to carry out the decisions of its Directors and the appropriate committees of the Directors regarding the conduct of the business of the Fund. Under the Agreement, the Advisor renders significant administrative services (not otherwise provided by third parties) necessary for the Fund's operations as an open-end investment company including, but not limited to, preparing reports and notices to the Directors and shareholders; supervising, negotiating contractual arrangements with, and monitoring various third-party service providers to the Fund (such as the Fund's transfer agent, pricing agents, Custodian, accountants and others); preparing and making filings with the SEC and other regulatory agencies; assisting in the preparation and filing of the Fund's federal, state and local tax returns; preparing and filing the Fund's federal excise tax returns; assisting with investor and public relations matters; monitoring the valuation of securities and the calculation of 24 net asset value; monitoring the registration of shares of the Fund under applicable federal and state securities laws; maintaining the Fund's books and records to the extent not otherwise maintained by a third party; assisting in establishing accounting policies of the Fund; assisting in the resolution of accounting and legal issues; establishing and monitoring the Fund's operating budget; processing the payment of the Fund's bills; assisting the Fund in, and otherwise arranging for, the payment of distributions and dividends; and otherwise assisting the Fund in the conduct of its business, subject to the direction and control of the Directors. The Advisor pays the compensation and expenses of all Directors, officers and executive employees (except expenses incurred attending Board and committee meetings outside New York, New York; Boston, Massachusetts and Chicago, Illinois) of the Fund affiliated with the Advisor and makes available, without expense to the Corporation, the services of such Directors, officers and employees of the Advisor as may duly be elected officers or Directors of the Corporation, subject to their individual consent to serve and to any limitations imposed by law, and provides the Fund's office space and facilities. Scudder Global Fund For these services, under the current Agreement between Global Fund and the Advisor, effective September 11, 2000, the management fee payable under the Agreement is equal to an annual rate of 1.00% on the first $500 million of average daily net assets, 0.95% on such net assets in excess of $500 million, 0.90% on such net assets in excess of $1 billion, 0.85% on such net assets in excess of $1.5 billion and 0.80% on such net assets in excess of $2 billion. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2001, the Fund aggregated fees of $13,563,178, which was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.96% of the Fund's average daily net assets. For these advisory services, under the prior Agreement, effective September 7, 1998 until September 11, 2000, Global Fund paid the Advisor a fee equal to 1.00% on the first $500 million of average daily net assets, 0.95% on such net assets in excess of $500 million, 0.90% on such net assets in excess of $1 billion and 0.85% on such net assets in excess of $1.5 billion. The fee is payable monthly, provided the Fund will make such interim payments as may be requested by the Advisor not to exceed 75% of the amount of the fee then accrued on the books of the Fund and unpaid. Accordingly, under these agreements the investment advisory fee for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1999 was $14,936,557. For the two months ended August 31, 1999, the investment advisory fee pursuant to the Agreement amounted to $2,547,570. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2000, the investment advisory fees were $14,778,270. Scudder International Fund An amended and restated investment management agreement (the "Agreement") was most recently approved by the Directors on August 13, 2001 and at a shareholder meeting held on July 13, 2000 and became effective on August 14, 2000. The Agreement will continue in effect until September 30, 2002. The Agreement will continue in effect until from year to year thereafter only if its continuance is approved annually by the vote of a majority of those Directors who are not parties to such Agreement or interested persons of the Advisor or the Fund, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and either by a vote of the Corporation's Directors or of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Agreement may be terminated at any time without payment of penalty by either party on sixty days' written notice and automatically terminates in the event of its assignment. Under the Agreement, the Advisor regularly provides the Fund with continuing investment management for the Fund's portfolio consistent with the Fund's investment objective, policies and restrictions and determines what securities shall be purchased, held or sold and what portion of the Fund's assets shall be held uninvested, subject to the Corporation's Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, the 1940 Act, the Code and to the Fund's investment objective, policies and restrictions, and subject, further, to such policies and instructions as the Board of Directors of the Corporation may from time to time establish. The Advisor also advises and assists the officers of the Corporation in taking such steps as are necessary or appropriate to carry out the decisions of its Directors and the appropriate committees of the Directors regarding the conduct of the business of the Fund. Under the Agreement, the Advisor renders significant administrative services (not otherwise provided by third parties) necessary for the Fund's operations as an open-end investment company including, but not limited to, preparing reports and notices to the Directors and shareholders; supervising, negotiating contractual arrangements with, and monitoring various third-party service providers to the Fund (such as the Fund's transfer agent, pricing agents, Custodian, accountants and others); preparing and making filings with the SEC and other regulatory agencies; assisting in the preparation and filing of the Fund's federal, state and local tax returns; preparing and filing the Fund's federal excise tax 25 returns; assisting with investor and public relations matters; monitoring the valuation of securities and the calculation of net asset value; monitoring the registration of shares of the Fund under applicable federal and state securities laws; maintaining the Fund's books and records to the extent not otherwise maintained by a third party; assisting in establishing accounting policies of the Fund; assisting in the resolution of accounting and legal issues; establishing and monitoring the Fund's operating budget; processing the payment of the Fund's bills; assisting the Fund in, and otherwise arranging for, the payment of distributions and dividends; and otherwise assisting the Fund in the conduct of its business, subject to the direction and control of the Directors. The Advisor pays the compensation and expenses of all Directors, officers and executive employees (except expenses incurred attending Board and committee meetings outside New York, New York; Boston, Massachusetts and Chicago, Illinois) of the Fund affiliated with the Advisor and makes available, without expense to the Corporation, the services of such Directors, officers and employees of the Advisor as may duly be elected officers or Directors of the Corporation, subject to their individual consent to serve and to any limitations imposed by law, and provides the Fund's office space and facilities. For these services as of August 14, 2000, the management fee payable under the Agreement is equal to an annual rate of 0.675% on the first $6 billion of average daily net assets, 0.625% on the next $1 billion of such net assets, and 0.600% of such net assets in excess of $7 billion, computed and accrued daily and payable monthly. For the year ended August 31, 2001, the fees pursuant to the Management Agreement amounted to $28,435,700, which was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.675% of the Fund's average daily net assets. Under the Agreement between the Fund and the Advisor, effective September 7, 1998 until August 14, 2000, the management fee payable under the Agreement was equal to an annual rate of approximately 0.90% of the first $500,000,000 of average daily net assets, 0.85% of the next $500,000,000 of such net assets, 0.80% of the next $1,000,000,000 of such net assets, 0.75% of the next $1,000,000,000 of such net assets, and 0.70% of such net assets in excess of $3,000,000,000, computed and accrued daily and payable monthly. Accordingly, for the year ended August 31, 2000, the investment advisory fees amounted to $36,335,757. For the five months ended August 31, 1999, the net investment advisory fees were $11,269,103. The net investment advisory fees for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999 was $23,819,941. Under each Agreement each Fund is responsible for all of its other expenses including: organizational costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; brokers' commissions; legal, auditing and accounting expenses; taxes and governmental fees; the fees and expenses of the Transfer Agent; any other expenses of issue, sale, underwriting, distribution, redemption or repurchase of shares; the expenses of and the fees for registering or qualifying securities for sale; the fees and expenses of Directors, officers and employees of each Fund who are not affiliated with the Advisor; the cost of printing and distributing reports and notices to stockholders; and the fees and disbursements of custodians. Each Fund may arrange to have third parties assume all or part of the expenses of sale, underwriting and distribution of shares of the Fund. Each Fund is also responsible for its expenses of shareholders' meetings, the cost of responding to shareholders' inquiries, and its expenses incurred in connection with litigation, proceedings and claims and the legal obligation it may have to indemnify its officers and Directors of the Fund with respect thereto. Each Agreement identifies the Advisor as the exclusive licensee of the rights to use and sublicense the names "Scudder," "Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc." and "Scudder, Stevens and Clark, Inc." (together, the "Scudder Marks"). Under this license, each Corporation, with respect to each Fund, has the non-exclusive right to use and sublicense the Scudder name and marks as part of its name, and to use the Scudder Marks in each Corporation's investment products and services. In reviewing the terms of each Agreement and in discussions with the Advisor concerning such Agreement, the Directors of each Corporation who are not "interested persons" of the Advisor are represented by independent counsel at each Fund's expense. Each Agreement provides that the Advisor shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by each Fund in connection with matters to which each Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, 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 each Agreement. 26 Officers and employees of the Advisor from time to time may have transactions with various banks, including the Fund's custodian bank. It is the Advisor's opinion that the terms and conditions of those transactions which have occurred were not influenced by existing or potential custodial or other Fund relationships. The Advisor may serve as advisor to other funds with investment objectives and policies similar to those of the Funds that may have different distribution arrangements or expenses, which may affect performance. None of the officers or Directors of the Corporation may have dealings with the Funds as principals in the purchase or sale of securities, except as individual subscribers to or holders of Shares of the Funds. The term Scudder Investments is the designation given to the services provided by Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. and its affiliates to the Scudder Family of Funds. AMA InvestmentLink(SM) Program Pursuant to an Agreement between the Advisor and AMA Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of the American Medical Association (the "AMA"), dated May 9, 1997, the Advisor has agreed, subject to applicable state regulations, to pay AMA Solutions, Inc. royalties in an amount equal to 5% of the management fee received by the Advisor with respect to assets invested by AMA members in Scudder funds in connection with the AMA InvestmentLink(SM) Program. The Advisor will also pay AMA Solutions, Inc. a general monthly fee, currently in the amount of $833. The AMA and AMA Solutions, Inc. are not engaged in the business of providing investment advice and neither is registered as an investment advisor or broker/dealer under federal securities laws. Any person who participates in the AMA InvestmentLink(SM) Program will be a customer of the Advisor (or of a subsidiary thereof) and not the AMA or AMA Solutions, Inc. AMA InvestmentLink(SM) is a service mark of AMA Solutions, Inc. Code of Ethics The Funds, the Advisor and principal underwriter have each adopted codes of ethics under rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act. Board members, officers of the Corporations and employees of the Advisor and the principal underwriter are permitted to make personal securities transactions, including transactions in securities that may be purchased or held by each Fund, subject to 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 each 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. Brokerage Commissions Allocation of brokerage may be placed by the Advisor. The primary objective of the Advisor in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities for each Fund is to obtain the most favorable net results, taking into account such factors as price, commission where applicable, size of order, difficulty of execution and skill required of the executing broker/dealer. The Advisor seeks to evaluate the overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid (to the extent applicable) through the familiarity of the Distributor with commissions charged on comparable transactions, as well as by comparing commissions 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. Each Fund's purchases and sales of fixed-income securities are generally placed by the Advisor with primary market makers for these securities on a net basis, without any brokerage commission being paid by the Fund. Trading does, however, involve transaction costs. Transactions with dealers serving as primary market makers reflect the spread between the bid and asked prices. Purchases of underwritten issues may be made, which will include an underwriting fee paid to the underwriter. 27 When it can be done consistently with the policy of obtaining the most favorable net results, it is the Advisor's practice to place such orders with broker/dealers who supply research, market and statistical information to the Advisor or each Fund. The term "research services" includes advice as to the value of securities; the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities; the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; and analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy and the performance of accounts. The Advisor is authorized when placing portfolio transactions, if applicable, for each Fund to pay a brokerage commission in excess of that which another broker might charge for executing the same transaction on account of execution services and the receipt of research services. The Advisor has negotiated arrangements, which are not applicable to most fixed-income transactions, with certain broker/dealers pursuant to which a broker/dealer will provide research services, to the Advisor or each Fund in exchange for the direction by the Advisor of brokerage transactions to the broker/dealer. These arrangements regarding receipt of research services generally apply to equity security transactions. The Advisor may place orders with a broker/dealer on the basis that the broker/dealer has or has not sold shares of each Fund. In effecting transactions in over-the-counter securities, orders are placed with the principal market makers for the security being traded unless, after exercising care, it appears that more favorable results are available elsewhere. To the maximum extent feasible, it is expected that the Advisor will place orders for portfolio transactions through the Distributor, which is a corporation registered as a broker/dealer and a subsidiary of the Advisor; the Distributor will place orders on behalf of each Fund with issuers, underwriters or other brokers and dealers. The Distributor will not receive any commission, fee or other remuneration from each Fund for this service. Although certain research, market and statistical information from broker/dealers may be useful to each Fund and to the Advisor, it is the opinion of the Advisor that such information only supplements its own research effort since the information must still be analyzed, weighed and reviewed by the Advisor's staff. Such information may be useful to the Advisor in providing services to clients other than the Fund and not all such information is used by the Advisor in connection with the Fund. Conversely, such information provided to the Advisor by broker/dealers through whom other clients of the Advisor effect securities transactions may be useful to the Advisor in providing services to each Fund. The Directors of the Fund review from time to time whether the recapture for the benefit of the Fund of some portion of the brokerage commissions or similar fees paid by the Fund on portfolio transactions is legally permissible and advisable. Scudder Global Fund For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2000 and June 30, 1999, Global Fund paid brokerage commissions of $2,263,550 and $2,425,890, respectively. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2001, Global Fund paid brokerage commissions of $1,370,386. $752,878 (54.94% of the total brokerage paid by the Fund) resulted from orders placed, consistent with the policy of obtaining the most favorable results, with brokers and dealers who provided supplementary research, market and statistical information to the Fund or the Advisor. The total amount of brokerage transactions aggregated $1,585,305,267, of which $793,076,305 (50.03% of all brokerage transactions) were transactions which included research commissions. Scudder International Fund For the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999, International Fund paid brokerage commissions of $9,926,570. For the five months ended August 31, 1999 and the fiscal year ended August 31, 2000, the Fund paid brokerage commissions of $4,793,969 and $14,867,810, respectively. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2001, International Fund paid brokerage commissions of $11,244,046. $5,363,294 (47.70% of the total brokerage paid by the Fund) resulted from orders placed, consistent with the policy of obtaining the most favorable results, with brokers and dealers who provided supplementary research, market and statistical information to the Fund or the Advisor. The total amount of brokerage transactions aggregated $7,598,333,534, of which $3,228,079,085 (42.48% of all brokerage transactions) were transactions which included research commissions. Administrative Agreement Each Fund has entered into an administrative services agreement with the Advisor (the "Administrative Agreement"), pursuant to which the Advisor will provide or pay others to provide substantially all of the administrative services 28 required by the Fund (other than those provided by the Advisor under its investment management agreement with the Funds, as described above) in exchange for the payment by a Fund of an administrative services fee (the "Administrative Fee") of 0.400% for Class A, 0.450% for Class B and 0.425% for Class C. One effect of these arrangements is to make each Fund's future expense ratio more predictable. However, the Funds will not benefit from economies of scale derived from increases in assets. The Administrative Fee became effective August 14, 2000 for International Fund and September 11, 2000 for Global Fund. For the period August 14, 2000 through August 31, 2000, the Administrative Agreement expense charged to International Fund amounted to $921,739. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2001 the Administrative Fees paid by International Fund and Global Fund were $15,823,658 and $5,110,182, respectively. 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. Scudder Fund Accounting Corporation, a subsidiary of the Advisor, computes net asset value for the Fund and maintains its accounting records. Scudder Investments Service Company is the transfer, shareholder servicing and dividend-paying agent for the shares of the Fund. As custodian, Brown Brothers Harriman holds the portfolio securities of the Fund, pursuant to a custodian agreement. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP audits the financial statements of the Fund and provides other audit, tax, and related services. Dechert acts as general counsel for the Fund. The Advisor will pay the Service Providers for the provision of their services to the Fund and will pay other fund expenses, including insurance, registration, printing and postage fees. In return, the Fund will pay the Advisor an Administrative Fee. Each Administrative Agreement has an initial term of three years, subject to earlier termination by the Fund's Board. 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 Funds 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 Directors (including the fees and expenses of their independent counsel). In addition, each Fund will continue to pay the fees required by its investment management agreement with the Advisor. Underwriter Pursuant to separate underwriting and distribution services agreements ("distribution agreements"), Scudder Distributors, Inc. ("SDI"), 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606, an affiliate of the Advisor, is the principal underwriter and distributor for the Class A, B and C shares of each Fund and acts as agent of the Fund in the continuous offering of its Shares. 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 set in type and printed for existing shareholders, and SDI, as principal underwriter, pays for the printing and distribution of copies thereof used in connection with the offering of Shares to prospective investors. SDI also pays for supplementary sales literature and advertising costs. The distribution agreement continues in effect from year to year so long as such continuance is approved for each class at least annually by a vote of the Board of Directors of each Fund, including the Directors who are not interested persons of the Funds and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the agreement. The agreement automatically terminates in the event of its assignment and may be terminated for a class at any time without penalty by each Fund or by SDI upon 60 days' notice. Termination by the Fund with respect to a class may be by vote of a majority of the applicable Board of Directors or a majority of the Directors who are not interested persons of the Funds and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the distribution agreement or a "majority of the outstanding voting securities" of the class of the Fund, as defined under the 1940 Act. The distribution agreement may not be amended for a class to increase the fee to be paid by each Fund with respect to such class without approval by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such class of each Fund, and all material amendments must in any event be approved by the applicable Board of Directors in the manner described above with respect to the continuation of the distribution agreement. Class B Shares and Class C Shares. Each Fund has adopted a plan under Rule 12b-1 (the "Rule 12b-1 Plan") that provides for fees payable as an expense of the Class B shares and Class C shares that are used by SDI to pay for distribution and services for those classes. 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 cost more than other types of sales charges. 29 Rule 12b-1 Plan. Since the distribution agreement provides for fees payable as an expense of the Class B shares and the Class C shares of each Fund that are used by SDI to pay for distribution services for those classes, that agreement is approved and reviewed separately for the Class B shares and the Class C shares of each Fund 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. If a Rule 12b-1 Plan (the "Plan") is terminated in accordance with its terms, the obligation of a Fund to make payments to SDI pursuant to the Plan will cease and a 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 SDI in excess of its fees under a Plan, if for any reason the Plan is terminated in accordance with its terms. Future fees under the Plan may or may not be sufficient to reimburse SDI for its expenses incurred. For its services under the distribution agreement, SDI receives a fee from each Fund, payable monthly, at the annual rate of 0.75% of average daily net assets of each Fund attributable to Class B shares. This fee is accrued daily as an expense of Class B shares. SDI also receives any contingent deferred sales charges. SDI currently compensates firms for sales of Class B shares at a commission rate of 3.75%. For its services under the distribution agreement, SDI receives a fee from each Fund, payable monthly, at the annual rate of 0.75% of average daily net assets of each Fund attributable to Class C shares. This fee is accrued daily as an expense of Class C shares. SDI currently advances to firms the first year distribution fee at a rate of 0.75% of the purchase price of Class C shares. For periods after the first year, SDI currently pays firms for sales of Class C shares a distribution fee, payable quarterly, at an annual rate of 0.75% of net assets attributable to Class C shares maintained and serviced by the firm and the fee continues until terminated by SDI or the Fund. SDI also receives any contingent deferred sales charges. Shareholder Services. Pursuant to the Rule 12b-1 Plan, shareholder/administrative services are provided to each Fund on behalf of its Class A, B and C shareholders under a shareholder services agreement ("shareholder agreement") with SDI. SDI bears all its expenses of providing services pursuant to the shareholder agreement between SDI and the Funds, including the payment of service fees. Each Fund pays SDI a shareholder services fee, payable monthly, at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of each class. SDI enters into related arrangements with various broker-dealer firms and other service or administrative firms ("firms") that provide services and facilities for their customers or clients who are investors in each Fund. The firms 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 each Fund, 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. With respect to Class A Shares, SDI pays each firm a service fee, payable quarterly, at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the net assets in Fund accounts that it maintains and services attributable to Class A Shares, commencing with the month after investment. With respect to Class B and Class C Shares, SDI currently advances to firms the first-year service fee at a rate of up to 0.25% of the purchase price of such Shares. For periods after the first year, SDI currently intends to pay firms a service fee at a rate of up to 0.25% (calculated monthly and paid quarterly) of the net assets attributable to Class B and Class C Shares maintained and serviced by the firm. After the first year, a firm becomes eligible for the quarterly service fee and the fee continues until terminated by SDI or a Fund. Firms to which service fees may be paid include affiliates of SDI. In addition SDI may, from time to time, from its own resources pay certain firms additional amounts for ongoing administrative services and assistance provided to their customers and clients who are shareholders of the Fund. SDI also may provide some of the above services and may retain any portion of the fee under the shareholder agreement not paid to firms to compensate itself for administrative functions performed for each Fund. Currently, the shareholder services fee payable to SDI is payable at an annual rate of 0.25% based upon Fund assets in accounts for which a firm provides administrative services and at the annual rate of 0.15% based upon Fund assets in accounts for which there is no firm of record (other than SDI) listed on each Fund's records. The effective shareholder services fee rate to be charged against all assets of the Fund while this procedure is in effect will depend upon the proportion of Fund assets that is in accounts for which a firm of record provides shareholder services. The Board of Directors of each Fund, in its discretion, may approve basing the fee to SDI at the annual rate of 0.25% on all Fund assets in the future. 30 FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS Custodian, Transfer Agent and Shareholder Service Agent Brown Brothers Harriman & Company, 40 Water Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109 as custodian has custody of all securities and cash of each Fund held outside the United States. The Custodian attends to the collection of principal and income, and payment for and collection of proceeds of securities bought and sold by each Fund. Scudder Investments Service Company ("SISC"), 811 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105-2005, an affiliate of the Advisor, is each Fund's transfer agent, dividend-paying agent and shareholder service agent for each Fund's Class A, B and C shares. Prior to the implementation of the Administrative Agreement, SISC received as transfer agent, annual account fees of $5 per account, transaction and maintenance charges, annual fees associated with the contingent deferred sales charge (Class B shares only) and out-of-pocket expense reimbursement. Auditors The financial highlights of the Funds included in the prospectus and the Financial Statements incorporated by reference in this Statement of Additional Information have been so included or incorporated by reference in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 160 Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, independent accountants, and given on the authority of that firm as experts in accounting and auditing. PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP is responsible for performing annual and semiannual audits of the financial statements and financial highlights of each Fund in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, and the preparation of federal tax returns. Legal Counsel The law firm of Dechert is counsel to each Fund. Fund Accounting Agent Scudder Fund Accounting Corporation ("SFAC"), Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110-4103, a subsidiary of the Advisor, computes net asset value for each Fund. Prior to the implementation of the Administrative Agreement, each Fund paid SFAC an annual fee equal to 0.065% of the first $150 million of average daily net assets, 0.040% of such assets in excess of $150 million, 0.020% of such assets in excess of $1 billion, plus holding and transaction charges for this service. For the fiscal years ended June 30, 1998 and 1999, SFAC charged Global Fund aggregate fees of $601,315 and $585,537, respectively, and $97,186 for the two months ended August 31, 1999. For the year ended August 31, 2000, the amount charged to Global Fund by SFAC aggregated $577,424. Prior to September 11, 2000, the amount charged to Global Fund by SFAC aggregated $36,085. For the fiscal years ended March 31, 1998 and 1999, SFAC charged International Fund aggregate fees of $838,885 and $795,122, respectively, and $402,576 for the five months ended August 31, 1999. Prior to August 14, 2000, the amount charged by SFAC to International Fund aggregated $1,250,099. PERFORMANCE From time to time, quotations of each Fund's performance may be included in advertisements, sales literature or reports to shareholders or prospective investors. Performance information will be computed separately for each class. Class A, B and C shares are newly offered and therefore have no available performance information. Performance figures for Class A, B and C shares are derived from the historical performance of Class S shares, adjusted to reflect the higher gross total annual operating expenses applicable to Class A, B and C shares. The performance figures are also adjusted to reflect the maximum sales charge of 5.75% for Class A shares and the maximum current contingent deferred sales charge of 4% for Class B shares and 1% for Class C shares. The returns in the chart below assume reinvestment of distributions at net asset value and represent adjusted performance figures of the Class A, B and C shares of each Fund as described above; they do not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. 31 Average Annual Total Return Average annual total return is the average annual compound rate of return for the periods of one year, five years and ten years (or such shorter periods as may be applicable dating from the commencement of the Fund's operations), all ended on the last day of a recent calendar quarter. Average annual total return quotations reflect changes in the price of the Fund's shares and assume that all dividends and capital gains distributions during the respective periods were reinvested in Fund shares. Average annual total return is calculated by computing the average annual compound rates of return of a hypothetical investment over such periods, according to the following formula (average annual total return is then expressed as a percentage): T = (ERV/P)1/n - 1 Where: T = Average Annual Total Return P = a hypothetical initial investment of $1,000 n = number of years ERV = ending redeemable value: ERV is the value, at the end of the applicable period, of a hypothetical $1,000 investment made at the beginning of the applicable period. Average Annual Total Returns for the Period Ended August 31, 2001(1) 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years ------ ------- -------- Scudder Global Fund -- Class A -21.37% 6.47% 9.05% Scudder Global Fund -- Class B -19.43% 6.76% 8.82% Scudder Global Fund -- Class C -17.25% 6.89% 8.84% (1) As described above, average annual total return is based on historical earnings and is not intended to indicate future performance. Average annual total return for the Fund or class will vary based on changes in market conditions and the level of the Fund's and class' expenses. Average Annual Total Returns for the Period Ended August 31, 2001(1) 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years ------ ------- -------- Scudder International Fund -- Class A -30.85% 5.54% 7.58% Scudder International Fund -- Class B -29.29% 5.84% 7.37% Scudder International Fund -- Class C -27.23% 5.99% 7.39% (1) As described above, average annual total return is based on historical earnings and is not intended to indicate future performance. Average annual total return for the Fund or class will vary based on changes in market conditions and the level of the Fund's and class' expenses. In connection with communicating its average annual total return to current or prospective shareholders, each Fund also may compare these figures to the performance of other mutual funds tracked by mutual fund rating services or to unmanaged indices which may assume reinvestment of dividends but generally do not reflect deductions for administrative and management costs. Total Return Total return is the rate of return on an investment for a specified period of time calculated in the same manner as cumulative total return. From time to time, in advertisements, sales literature, and reports to shareholders or prospective investors, figures relating to the growth in the total net assets of each Fund apart from capital appreciation will be cited, as an update to the information in this section, including, but not limited to: net cash flow, net subscriptions, gross subscriptions, net asset 32 growth, net account growth, and subscription rates. Capital appreciation generally will be covered by marketing literature as part of the Funds' and classes' performance data. Quotations of a Fund's performance are based on historical earnings, show the performance of a hypothetical investment, and are not intended to indicate future performance of the Fund. An investor's shares when redeemed may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance of a Fund will vary based on changes in market conditions and the level of that Fund's expenses. Comparison of Fund Performance A comparison of the quoted non-standard performance offered for various investments is valid only if performance is calculated in the same manner. Since there are different methods of calculating performance, investors should consider the effects of the methods used to calculate performance when comparing performance of the Fund with performance quoted with respect to other investment companies or types of investments. In connection with communicating its performance to current or prospective shareholders, the Fund also may compare these figures to the performance of unmanaged indices which may assume reinvestment of dividends or interest but generally do not reflect deductions for administrative and management costs. Historical information on the value of the dollar versus foreign currencies may be used from time to time in advertisements concerning the Fund. Such historical information is not indicative of future fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar against these currencies. In addition, marketing materials may cite country and economic statistics and historical stock market performance for any of the countries in which the Fund invests. From time to time, in advertising and marketing literature, a Fund's performance may be compared to the performance of broad groups of mutual funds with similar investment goals, as tracked by independent organizations. From time to time, in marketing and other Fund literature, members of the Board and officers of the Fund, a Fund's portfolio manager, or members of the portfolio management team may be depicted and quoted to give prospective and current shareholders a better sense of the outlook and approach of those who manage the Fund. In addition, the amount of assets that the Advisor has under management in various geographical areas may be quoted in advertising and marketing materials. Marketing and other Fund literature may include a description of the potential risks and rewards associated with an investment in a Fund. The description may include a "risk/return spectrum" which compares a Fund to other Scudder Funds or broad categories of funds, such as money market, bond or equity funds, in terms of potential risks and returns. Money market funds are designed to maintain a constant $1.00 share price and have a fluctuating yield. Share price, yield and total return of a bond fund will fluctuate. The share price and return of an equity fund also will fluctuate. The description may also compare a Fund to bank products, such as certificates of deposit. Unlike mutual funds, certificates of deposit are insured up to $100,000 by the U.S. government and offer a fixed rate of return. Because bank products guarantee the principal value of an investment and money market funds seek stability of principal, these investments are considered to be less risky than investments in either bond or equity funds, which may involve the loss of principal. However, all long-term investments, including investments in bank products, may be subject to inflation risk, which is the risk of erosion of the value of an investment as prices increase over a long time period. The risks/returns associated with an investment in bond or equity funds depend upon many factors. For bond funds these factors include, but are not limited to, a fund's overall investment objective, the average portfolio maturity, credit quality of the securities held, and interest rate movements. For equity funds, factors include a fund's overall investment objective, the types of equity securities held and the financial position of the issuers of the securities. The risks/returns associated with an investment in international bond or equity funds also will depend upon currency exchange rate fluctuation. A risk/return spectrum generally will position the various investment categories in the following order: bank products, money market funds, bond funds and equity funds. Shorter-term bond funds generally are considered less risky and offer the potential for less return than longer-term bond funds. The same is true of domestic bond funds relative to international bond funds, and bond funds that purchase higher quality securities relative to bond funds that purchase lower quality securities. Growth and income equity funds are generally considered to be less risky and offer the potential for less return than growth funds. In addition, international equity funds usually are considered more risky than domestic equity funds but generally offer the potential for greater return. 33 Evaluation of Fund performance or other relevant statistical information made by independent sources may also be used in advertisements concerning a Fund, including reprints of, or selections from, editorials or articles about a Fund. PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES Fund shares are sold at their public offering price, which is the net asset value per such shares next determined after an order is received in proper form plus, with respect to Class A Shares, an initial sales charge. The minimum initial investment for Class A, B or C is $1,000 and the minimum subsequent investment is $50 but such minimum amounts may be changed at any time. Each Fund may waive the minimum for purchases by trustees, directors, officers or employees of a Fund or the Advisor and its affiliates. Purchase of Shares Alternative Purchase Arrangements. Class A shares of each Fund are sold to investors subject to an initial sales charge. Class B shares are sold without an initial sales charge but are subject to higher ongoing expenses than Class A shares and a contingent deferred sales charge payable upon certain redemptions. Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares six years after issuance. Class C shares are sold without an initial sales charge but are subject to higher ongoing expenses than Class A shares, are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge payable upon certain redemptions within the first year following purchase, and do not convert into another class. When placing purchase orders, investors must specify whether the order is for Class A, Class B or Class C shares. The primary distinctions among the classes of each Fund's shares lie in their initial and contingent deferred sales charge structures and in their ongoing expenses, including asset-based sales charges in the form of Rule 12b-1 distribution/services fees. These differences are summarized in the table below. Each class has distinct advantages and disadvantages for different investors, and investors may choose the class that best suits their circumstances and objectives.
Annual 12b-1 Fees(1) (as a % of average Sales Charge daily net assets) Other Information ------------ ----------------- ----------------- Class A Maximum initial sales charge of 0.25% Initial sales charge waived or 5.75% of the public offering reduced for certain purchases price(2) Class B Maximum contingent deferred sales 1.00% Shares convert to Class A shares charge of 4% of redemption six years after issuance proceeds; declines to zero after six years Class C Contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% No conversion feature 1% of redemption proceeds for redemptions made during first year after purchase
(1) There is a service fee of 0.25% for each class. (2) Class A shares purchased at net asset value under the "Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege" may be subject to a 1% contingent deferred sales charge if redeemed within one year of purchase and a 0.50% contingent deferred sales charge if redeemed within the second year of purchase. The minimum initial investment for each of Class A, B and C of each Fund is $1,000 and the minimum subsequent investment is $50. The minimum initial investment for an Individual Retirement Account is $500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $50. Under an automatic investment plan, such as Bank Direct Deposit, Payroll Direct Deposit or Government Direct Deposit, the minimum initial and subsequent investment is $50. These minimum amounts may be changed at any time in management's discretion. 34 Share certificates will not be issued. You cannot redeem shares by telephone or wire transfer or use the telephone exchange privilege if share certificates have been issued. A lost or destroyed certificate is difficult to replace and can be expensive to the shareholder (a bond worth 1.5% or more of the certificate value is normally required). Initial Sales Charge Alternative -- Class A Shares. 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 of As a Percentage of As a Percentage of Amount of Purchase 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 .00** .00** ***
* Rounded to the nearest one-hundredth percent. ** Redemption of shares may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge as discussed below. *** Commission is payable by SDI as discussed below. Each Fund receives the entire net asset value of all its shares sold. SDI, each Fund's principal underwriter, retains the sales charge on sales of Class A shares from which it allows discounts from the applicable public offering price to investment dealers, which discounts are uniform for all dealers in the United States and its territories. The normal discount allowed to dealers is set forth in the above table. Upon notice to all dealers with whom it has sales agreements, SDI may re-allow to dealers up to the full applicable sales charge, as shown in the above table, 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 Securities Act of 1933. Class A shares of each Fund may be purchased at net asset value by: (a) any purchaser, provided that the amount invested in such Fund or other Scudder Fund listed under "Special Features -- Class A Shares -- Combined Purchases" totals at least $1,000,000 including purchases of Class A shares pursuant to the "Combined Purchases," "Letter of Intent" and "Cumulative Discount" features described under "Special Features"; or (b) 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, provided in each case that such plan has not less than 200 eligible employees (the "Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege"). Redemption within two years of the purchase of shares purchased under the Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge. See "Redemption or Repurchase of Shares -- Contingent Deferred Sales Charge -- Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege." SDI may in its discretion compensate investment dealers or other financial services firms in connection with the sale of Class A shares of a Fund at net asset value in accordance with the Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege and one of the three following compensation schedules up to the following amounts: 35
Compensation Schedule #1^(1) Compensation Schedule #2^(2) Compensation Schedule #3^(2) ---------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------- As a As a As a Amount of Percentage of Amount of Percentage of Amount of Percentage of Shares Sold Net Asset Value Shares Sold Net Asset Value Shares Sold Net Asset Value ----------- --------------- ----------- --------------- ----------- --------------- $1 million to $5 million 1.00% Under $15 million 0.50% Over $15 million 0.25% Over $5 million to $50 0.50% -- -- -- -- million Over $50 million 0.25% -- -- -- --
(1) The commission schedule will be reset on a calendar year basis for sales of shares pursuant to the Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege to employer-sponsored employee benefit plans using the proprietary subaccount record keeping system, made available through Scudder Investments Service Company. For purposes of determining the appropriate commission percentage to be applied to a particular sale under the foregoing schedule, SDI will consider the cumulative amount invested by the purchaser in a 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 above. (2) Compensation Schedules 2 and 3 apply to employer sponsored employee benefit plans using the OmniPlus subaccount record keeping system. The Compensation Schedule will be determined based on the value of the conversion assets. Conversion from "Compensation Schedule #2" to "Compensation Schedule #3" is not an automatic process. Plans whose assets grow beyond $15 million will convert to Compensation Schedule 3 after being re-underwritten. When a plan's assets grow to exceeding exceed $15 million, the Plan Sponsor may request to be re-underwritten by contacting must contact their Client Relationship Manager to discuss a conversion to Compensation Schedule #3. The underwriting process will consider the additional features and services to be provided by Scudder Investments. The change to the compensation schedule will commence when the Plan Sponsor signs a new Recordkeeping Services Agreement. The privilege of purchasing Class A shares of a Fund at net asset value under the Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege is not available if another net asset value purchase privilege also applies. Class A shares of each Fund or of any other Scudder Fund listed under "Special Features -- Class A Shares -- Combined Purchases" 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 shares purchased under this privilege. For more details concerning this privilege, class members should refer to the Notice of (1) Proposed Settlement with Defendants; and (2) 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, 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 SDI. The privilege of purchasing Class A shares of each Fund at net asset value under this privilege is not available if another net asset value purchase privilege also applies. Class A shares of a Fund may be purchased at net asset value by 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. Class A shares of each Fund may be purchased at net asset value in any amount by certain professionals who assist in the promotion of Scudder Funds pursuant to personal services contracts with SDI, for themselves or members of their families. 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. 36 Class A shares of a Fund may be purchased at net asset value by persons who purchase shares of each Fund through SDI as part of an automated billing and wage deduction program administered by RewardsPlus of America for the benefit of employees of participating employer groups. Class A shares may be sold at net asset value in any amount to: (a) officers, trustees, employees (including retirees) and sales representatives of each Fund, its investment manager, its principal underwriter or certain affiliated companies, for themselves or members of their families; (b) registered representatives and employees of broker-dealers having selling group agreements with SDI and officers, directors and employees of service agents of each Fund, for themselves or their spouses or dependent children; (c) any trust, pension, profit-sharing or other benefit plan for only such persons; (d) 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; and (e) persons who purchase shares of each Fund through SDI as part of an automated billing and wage deduction program administered by RewardsPlus of America for the benefit of employees of participating employer groups. Class A shares may be sold at net asset value in any amount to selected employees (including their spouses and dependent children) of banks and other financial services firms that provide administrative services related to order placement and payment to facilitate transactions in shares of each Fund for their clients pursuant to an agreement with 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 may purchase Fund Class A shares at net asset value hereunder. Class A shares may be sold at net asset value in any amount to unit investment trusts sponsored by Ranson & Associates, Inc. In addition, unitholders of unit investment trusts sponsored by Ranson & Associates, Inc. or its predecessors may purchase each Fund's Class A shares at net asset value through reinvestment programs described in the prospectuses of such trusts that have such programs. Class A shares of each Fund may be sold at net asset value through certain investment advisors registered under the 1940 Act and other financial services firms acting solely as agent for their clients, that adhere to certain standards established by 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 each Fund. Each Fund may also issue Class A shares at net asset value 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. The sales charge scale is applicable to purchases made at one time by any "purchaser" which includes: an individual; or an individual, his or her spouse and children under the age of 21; or a trustee or other fiduciary of a single trust estate or single fiduciary account; or an organization exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) or (13) of the Code; or a pension, profit-sharing or other employee benefit plan whether or not qualified under Section 401 of the Code; or other organized group of persons whether incorporated or not, provided the organization has been in existence for at least six months and has some purpose other than the purchase of redeemable securities of a registered investment company at a discount. 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. Deferred Sales Charge Alternative -- Class B Shares. Investors choosing the deferred sales charge alternative may purchase Class B shares at net asset value per share without any sales charge at the time of purchase. Since Class B shares are being sold without an initial sales charge, the full amount of the investor's purchase payment will be invested in Class B shares for his or her account. A contingent deferred sales charge may be imposed upon redemption of Class B shares. See "Redemption or Repurchase of Shares -- Contingent Deferred Sales Charge -- Class B Shares." SDI compensates firms for sales of Class B shares at the time of sale at a commission rate of up to 3.75% of the amount of Class B shares purchased. SDI is compensated by each Fund for services as distributor and principal underwriter for Class B shares. See "Underwriter." Class B shares of each Fund will automatically convert to Class A shares of the Fund six years after issuance on the basis of the relative net asset value per share of the Class B shares. The purpose of the conversion feature is to relieve holders of Class B shares from the distribution services fee when they have been outstanding long enough for SDI to have been compensated for distribution related expenses. For purposes of conversion to Class A shares, shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends and other distributions paid with respect to Class B shares in a shareholder's Fund account will be converted to Class A shares on a pro rata basis. Purchase of Class C Shares. The public offering price of the Class C shares of each Fund is the next determined net asset value. No initial sales charge is imposed. Since Class C shares are sold without an initial sales charge, the full 37 amount of the investor's purchase payment will be invested in Class C shares for his or her account. A contingent deferred sales charge may be imposed upon the redemption of Class C shares if they are redeemed within one year of purchase. See "Redemption or Repurchase of Shares -- Contingent Deferred Sales Charge -- Class C Shares." SDI currently advances to firms the first year distribution fee at a rate of 0.75% of the purchase price of such shares. For periods after the first year, SDI currently intends to pay firms for sales of Class C shares a distribution fee, payable quarterly, at an annual rate of 0.75% of net assets attributable to Class C shares maintained and serviced by the firm. SDI is compensated by the Fund for services as distributor and principal underwriter for Class C shares. See "Underwriter." Purchase of Class I Shares. Scudder International Fund only -- Class I shares are offered at net asset value without an initial sales charge and are not subject to a contingent deferred sales charge or a Rule 12b-1 distribution fee. Also, there is no administration services fee charged to Class I shares. As a result of the relatively lower expenses for Class I shares, the level of income dividends per share (as a percentage of net asset value) and, therefore, the overall investment value, will typically be higher for Class I shares than for Class A, Class B, or Class C shares. Class I shares are available for purchase exclusively by the following categories of institutional investors: (1) tax-exempt retirement plans (Profit Sharing, 401(k), Money Purchase Pension and Defined Benefit Plans) of Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. and its affiliates and rollover accounts from those plans; (2) the following investment advisory clients of Zurich Scudder and its investment advisory affiliates that invest at least $1 million in a Fund: unaffiliated benefit plans, such as qualified retirement plans (other than individual retirement accounts and self-directed retirement plans); unaffiliated banks and insurance companies purchasing for their own accounts; and endowment funds of unaffiliated non-profit organizations; (3) investment-only accounts for large qualified plans, with at least $50 million in total plan assets or at least 1,000 participants; (4) trust and fiduciary accounts of trust companies and bank trust departments providing fee based advisory services that invest at least $1 million in a Fund on behalf of each trust; (5) policy holders under Zurich-American Insurance Group's collateral investment program investing at least $200,000 in a Fund; and (6) investment companies managed by Zurich Scudder that invest primarily in other investment companies. Class I shares currently are available for purchase only from SDI, principal underwriter for the Fund, and, in the case of category (4) above, selected dealers authorized by SDI. Share certificates are not available for Class I shares. Which Arrangement is Better for You? The decision as to which class of shares provides a more suitable investment for an investor depends on a number of factors, including the amount and intended length of the investment. In making this decision, investors should review their particular circumstances carefully with their financial representative. Investors making investments that qualify for reduced sales charges might consider Class A shares. Investors who prefer not to pay an initial sales charge and who plan to hold their investment for more than six years might consider Class B shares. Investors who prefer not to pay an initial sales charge but who plan to redeem their shares within six years might consider Class C shares. SDI has established the following procedures regarding the purchase of Class A, Class B and Class C shares. These procedures 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. That determination must be made by investors with the assistance of their financial representative. Orders for Class B shares or Class C shares for $500,000 or more will be declined. Orders for Class B shares or Class C shares by employer sponsored employee benefit plans (not including plans under Code Section 403 (b)(7) sponsored by a K-12 school district) using the subaccount record keeping system made available through the Shareholder Service Agent ("Flex Plans") will be invested instead in Class A shares at net asset value where the combined subaccount value in a Fund or other Scudder Funds listed under "Special Features -- Class A Shares -- Combined Purchases" is in excess of $1 million for Class B shares or $5 million for Class C shares including purchases pursuant to the "Combined Purchases," "Letter of Intent" and "Cumulative Discount" features described under "Special Features." Flex Plans that on May 1, 2000 have in excess of $1 million invested in Class B shares of Scudder Funds, or have in excess of $850,000 invested in Class B shares of Scudder Funds and are able to qualify for the purchase of Class A shares at net asset value (e.g., pursuant to a Letter of Intent), will have future investments made in Class A shares and will have the option to covert their holdings in Class B shares to Class A shares free of any contingent deferred sales charge on May 1, 2002. For more information about the three sales arrangements, consult your financial representative or the Shareholder Service Agent. Financial services firms may receive different compensation depending upon which class of shares they sell. General. Banks and other financial services firms may provide administrative services related to order placement and payment to facilitate transactions in shares of each Fund for their clients, and SDI may pay them a transaction fee up to the level of the discount or commission allowable or payable to dealers, as described above. Banks or other financial services firms may be subject to various state laws regarding the services described above and may be required to register as dealers pursuant to state law. If banking firms were prohibited from acting in any capacity or providing any of the described services, management would consider what action, if any, would be appropriate. SDI does not believe that termination of a relationship with a bank would result in any material adverse consequences to the Fund. 38 SDI may, from time to time, pay or allow to firms a 1% commission on the amount of shares of each Fund sold under the following conditions: (i) the purchased shares are held in a Scudder IRA account, (ii) the shares are purchased as a direct "roll over" of a distribution from a qualified retirement plan account maintained on a participant subaccount record keeping system provided by Scudder Investments Service Company, (iii) the registered representative placing the trade is a member of ProStar, a group of persons designated by 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 above, SDI will, from time to tome, pay or allow additional discounts, commissions or promotional incentives, in the form of cash, to firms that sell shares of each Fund. In some instances, such discounts, commissions or other incentives will be offered only to certain firms that sell or are expected to sell during specified time periods certain minimum amounts of shares of each Fund, or other Funds underwritten by SDI. Orders for the purchase of shares of each Fund will be confirmed at a price based on the net asset value of each Fund next determined after receipt in good order by 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 (see "Net Asset Value") and received in good order by 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"). Each Fund reserves the right to determine the net asset value more frequently than once a day if deemed desirable. Dealers and other financial services firms are obligated to transmit orders promptly. Collection may take significantly longer for a check drawn on a foreign bank than for a check drawn on a domestic bank. Therefore, if an order is accompanied by a check drawn on a foreign bank, funds must normally be collected before shares will be purchased. See "Purchase and Redemption of Shares." Investment dealers and other firms provide varying arrangements for their clients to purchase and redeem each Fund's shares. Some may establish higher minimum investment requirements than set forth above. 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, which charges would reduce the clients' return. 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, each Fund's 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 each Fund through the Shareholder Service Agent for recordkeeping 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 SDI, may receive compensation from each Fund through the Shareholder Service Agent for these services. This prospectus should be read in connection with such firms' material regarding their fees and services. Each Fund reserves the right to withdraw all or any part of the offering made by this prospectus and to reject purchase orders for any reason. Also, from time to time, each 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 such class of such Fund normally are permitted to continue to purchase additional shares of such class and to have dividends reinvested. Tax Identification Number. Be sure to complete the Tax Identification Number section of each Fund's application when you open an account. Federal tax law requires the Fund to withhold 30% of taxable dividends, capital gains distributions and redemption and exchange proceeds from accounts (other than those of certain exempt payees) without a correct certified Social Security or tax identification number and certain other certified information or upon notification from the IRS or a broker that withholding is required. Each Fund reserves the right to reject new account applications without a correct certified Social Security or tax identification number. Each Fund also reserves the right, following 30 days' notice, to redeem all shares in accounts without a correct certified Social Security or tax identification number. A shareholder may avoid involuntary redemption by providing the applicable Fund with a tax identification number during the 30-day notice period. Shareholders should direct their inquiries to Scudder Investments Service Company, 811 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105-2005 or to the firm from which they received this prospectus. 39 Redemption or Repurchase of Shares General. Any shareholder may require a Fund to redeem his or her shares. When shares are held for the account of a shareholder by the Fund's transfer agent, the shareholder may redeem such shares by sending a written request with signatures guaranteed to Scudder Funds, Attention: Redemption Department, P.O. Box 219557, Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9557. When certificates for shares have been issued, they must be mailed to or deposited with the Shareholder Service Agent, along with a duly endorsed stock power and accompanied by a written request for redemption. Redemption requests and a stock power must be endorsed by the account holder with signatures guaranteed by a commercial bank, trust company, savings and loan association, federal savings bank, member firm of a national securities exchange or other eligible financial institution. The redemption request and stock power must be signed exactly as the account is registered including any special capacity of the registered owner. Additional documentation may be requested, and a signature guarantee is normally required, from institutional and fiduciary account holders, such as corporations, custodians (e.g., under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act), executors, administrators, trustees or guardians. The redemption price for shares of a class of each Fund will be the net asset value per share of that class of the Fund next determined following receipt by the Shareholder Service Agent of a properly executed request with any required documents as described above. Payment for shares redeemed will be made in cash as promptly as practicable but in no event later than seven days after receipt of a properly executed request accompanied by any outstanding share certificates in proper form for transfer. When each Fund is asked to redeem shares for which it may not have yet received good payment (i.e., purchases by check, QuickBuy or Bank Direct Deposit), it may delay transmittal of redemption proceeds until it has determined that collected funds have been received for the purchase of such shares, which will be up to 10 days from receipt by each Fund of the purchase amount. The redemption within two years of Class A shares purchased at net asset value under the Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (see "Purchase of Shares -- Initial Sales Charge Alternative -- Class A Shares"), the redemption of Class B shares within six years may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (see "Contingent Deferred Sales Charge -- Class B Shares" below), and the redemption of Class C shares within the first year following purchase may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge (see "Contingent Deferred Sales Charge -- Class C Shares" below). Because of the high cost of maintaining small accounts, each Fund may assess a quarterly fee of $9 on any account with a balance below $800 for the quarter. The fee will not apply to accounts enrolled in an automatic investment program, Individual Retirement Accounts or employer-sponsored employee benefit plans using the subaccount record-keeping system made available through the Shareholder Service Agent. Shareholders can request the following telephone privileges: expedited wire transfer redemptions and QuickSell transactions (see "Special Features") and exchange transactions for individual and institutional accounts and pre-authorized telephone redemption transactions for certain institutional accounts. Shareholders may choose these privileges on the account application or by contacting the Shareholder Service Agent for appropriate instructions. Please note that the telephone exchange privilege is automatic unless the shareholder refuses it on the account application. Each Fund or its agents may be liable for any losses, expenses or costs arising out of fraudulent or unauthorized telephone requests pursuant to these privileges unless the Fund or its agents reasonably believe, based upon reasonable verification procedures, that the telephonic instructions are genuine. The shareholder will bear the risk of loss, including loss resulting from fraudulent or unauthorized transactions, so long as reasonable verification procedures are followed. Verification procedures include recording instructions, requiring certain identifying information before acting upon instructions and sending written confirmations. Telephone Redemptions. 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 (excluding custodial accounts for gifts and transfers to minors), provided the trustee, executor or guardian is named in the account registration. Other institutional account holders and guardian account holders of custodial accounts for gifts and transfers to minors 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 and subject to the limitations on liability described under "General" above, provided that this privilege has been pre-authorized by the institutional account holder or guardian account holder by written instruction to the Shareholder Service Agent with signatures guaranteed. Telephone requests may be made by calling 1-800-621-1048. Shares purchased by check or through QuickSell or Bank Direct Deposit may not be redeemed under this privilege of redeeming shares by telephone request until such shares have been owned for at least 10 days. This privilege of redeeming shares by telephone request or by written request without a 40 signature guarantee 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. During periods when it is difficult to contact the Shareholder Service Agent by telephone, it may be difficult to use the telephone redemption privilege, although investors can still redeem by mail. Each Fund reserves the right to terminate or modify this privilege at any time. Repurchases (Confirmed Redemptions). A request for repurchase may be communicated by a shareholder through a securities dealer or other financial services firm to SDI, which each Fund has authorized to act as its agent. There is no charge by SDI with respect to repurchases; however, dealers or other firms may charge customary commissions for their services. Dealers and other financial services firms are obligated to transmit orders promptly. The repurchase price will be the net asset value of each Fund next determined after receipt of a request by SDI. However, requests for repurchases received by dealers or other firms prior to the determination of net asset value (see "Net Asset Value") and received by SDI prior to the close of SDI's business day will be confirmed at the net asset value effective on that day. The offer to repurchase may be suspended at any time. Requirements as to stock powers, certificates, payments and delay of payments are the same as for redemptions. Expedited Wire Transfer Redemptions. If the account holder has given authorization for expedited wire redemption to the account holder's brokerage or bank account, shares of each Fund can be redeemed and proceeds sent by federal wire transfer to a single previously designated account. Requests received by the Shareholder Service Agent prior to the determination of net asset value will result in shares being redeemed that day at the net asset value per Share Fund effective on that day and normally the proceeds will be sent to the designated account the following business day. Delivery of the proceeds of a wire redemption of $250,000 or more may be delayed by each Fund for up to seven days if the Fund or the Shareholder Service Agent deems it appropriate under then-current market conditions. Once authorization is on file, the Shareholder Service Agent will honor requests by telephone at 1-800-621-1048 or in writing, subject to the limitations on liability described under "General" above. Each Fund is not responsible for the efficiency of the federal wire system or the account holder's financial services firm or bank. Each Fund currently does not charge the account holder for wire transfers. The account holder is responsible for any charges imposed by the account holder's firm or bank. There is a $1,000 wire redemption minimum (including any contingent deferred sales charge). To change the designated account to receive wire redemption proceeds, send a written request to the Shareholder Service Agent with signatures guaranteed as described above or contact the firm through which shares of each Fund were purchased. Shares purchased by check or through EXPRESS-Transfer or Bank Direct Deposit may not be redeemed by wire transfer until such shares have been owned for at least 10 days. Account holders may not use this privilege to redeem shares held in certificated form. During periods when it is difficult to contact the Shareholder Service Agent by telephone, it may be difficult to use the expedited wire transfer redemption privilege, although investors can still redeem by mail. Each Fund reserves the right to terminate or modify this privilege at any time. Contingent Deferred Sales Charge -- Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege. A contingent deferred sales charge may be imposed upon redemption of Class A shares that are purchased under the Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege as follows: 1% if they are redeemed within one year of purchase and 0.50% if they are redeemed during the second year after purchase. The charge will not be imposed upon redemption of reinvested dividends or share appreciation. The charge is applied to the value of the shares redeemed, excluding amounts not subject to the charge. The contingent deferred sales charge 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 the Shareholder Service Agent; (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 each Fund's Systematic Withdrawal Plan at a maximum of 10% 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 SDI that the dealer waives the discretionary commission applicable to such Large Order NAV Purchase. Contingent Deferred Sales Charge -- Class B Shares. A contingent deferred sales charge may be imposed upon redemption of Class B shares. There is no such charge upon redemption of any share appreciation or reinvested dividends on Class B shares. The charge is computed at the following rates applied to the value of the shares redeemed, excluding amounts not subject to the charge. 41 Year of Redemption Contingent Deferred After Purchase Sales Charge -------------- ------------ First 4% Second 3% Third 3% Fourth 2% Fifth 2% Sixth 1% The contingent deferred sales charge will be waived: (a) in the event of the total disability (as evidenced by a determination by the federal Social Security Administration) of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner) occurring after the purchase of the shares being redeemed, (b) in the event of the death of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner), (c) for redemptions made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan (see "Special Features -- Systematic Withdrawal Plan" below), (d) 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 and (e) 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 Scudder IRA accounts). The contingent deferred sales charge will also be waived in connection with the following redemptions of shares held by employer sponsored employee benefit plans maintained on the subaccount record keeping system made available by the Shareholder Service Agent: (a) redemptions to satisfy participant loan advances (note that loan repayments constitute new purchases for purposes of the contingent deferred sales charge and the conversion privilege), (b) redemptions in connection with retirement distributions (limited at any one time to 10% of the total value of plan assets invested in each Fund), (c) redemptions in connection with distributions qualifying under the hardship provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and (d) redemptions representing returns of excess contributions to such plans. Contingent Deferred Sales Charge -- Class C Shares. A contingent deferred sales charge of 1% may be imposed upon redemption of Class C shares if they are redeemed within one year of purchase. The charge will not be imposed upon redemption of reinvested dividends or share appreciation. The charge is applied to the value of the shares redeemed excluding amounts not subject to the charge. The contingent deferred sales charge will be waived: (a) in the event of the total disability (as evidenced by a determination by the federal Social Security Administration) of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner) occurring after the purchase of the shares being redeemed, (b) in the event of the death of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner), (c) for redemptions made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan (limited to 10% of the net asset value of the account during the first year, see "Special Features -- Systematic Withdrawal Plan"), (d) 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, (e) 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 Scudder IRA accounts), (f) for any participant-directed redemption of shares held by employer sponsored employee benefit plans maintained on the subaccount record keeping system made available by the Shareholder Service Agent (g) redemption of shares by an employer sponsored employee benefit plan that offers funds in addition to Scudder 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 (g) 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. Contingent Deferred Sales Charge -- General. The following example will illustrate the operation of the contingent deferred sales charge. Assume that an investor makes a single purchase of $10,000 of each Fund's Class B 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 redeem the entire $12,000 in share value, the contingent deferred sales charge 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% ($300) because it was in the second year after the purchase was made. The rate of the contingent deferred sales charge 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 1998 will be eligible for the second year's 42 charge if redeemed on or after March 1, 1999. In the event no specific order is requested when redeeming shares subject to a contingent deferred sales charge, the redemption will be made first from shares representing reinvested dividends and then from the earliest purchase of shares. SDI receives any contingent deferred sales charge directly. Reinvestment Privilege. A shareholder who has redeemed Class A shares of each Fund or any other Scudder Fund listed under "Special Features -- Class A Shares -- Combined Purchases" (other than shares of the Scudder Cash Reserves Fund purchased directly at net asset value) may reinvest up to the full amount redeemed at net asset value at the time of the reinvestment in Class A shares of each Fund or of the other listed Scudder Funds. A shareholder of each Fund or other Scudder Funds who redeems Class A shares purchased under the Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege (see "Purchase of Shares -- Initial Sales Charge Alternative -- Class A Shares") or Class B shares or Class C shares and incurs a contingent deferred sales charge may reinvest up to the full amount redeemed at net asset value at the time of the reinvestment, in the same class of shares as the case may be, of each Fund or of other Scudder Funds. The amount of any contingent deferred sales charge also will be reinvested. These reinvested shares will retain their original cost and purchase date for purposes of the contingent deferred sales charge schedule. Also, a holder of Class B shares who has redeemed shares may reinvest up to the full amount redeemed, less any applicable contingent deferred sales charge that may have been imposed upon the redemption of such shares, at net asset value in Class A shares of each Fund or of the other Scudder Funds listed under "Special Features -- Class A Shares -- Combined Purchases." Purchases through the reinvestment privilege are subject to the minimum investment requirements applicable to the shares being purchased and may only be made for Scudder Funds available for sale in the shareholder's state of residence as listed under "Special Features -- Exchange Privilege." The reinvestment privilege can be used only once as to any specific shares and reinvestment must be effected within six months of the redemption. If a loss is realized on the redemption of shares of the Fund, the reinvestment in shares of each Fund may be subject to the "wash sale" rules if made within 30 days of the redemption, resulting in a postponement of the recognition of such loss for federal income tax purposes. The reinvestment privilege may be terminated or modified at any time. Redemption in Kind. Although it is each Fund's present policy to redeem in cash, if the Board of Directors determines that a material adverse effect would be experienced by the remaining shareholders if payment were made wholly in cash, each Fund will satisfy the redemption request in whole or in part by a distribution of portfolio securities in lieu of cash, in conformity with the applicable rules of the SEC, taking such securities at the same value used to determine net asset value, and selecting the securities in such manner as the Board of Directors may deem fair and equitable. If such a distribution occurred, shareholders receiving securities and selling them could receive less than the redemption value of such securities and in addition would incur certain transaction costs. Such a redemption would not be as liquid as a redemption entirely in cash. The Corporation has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, as a result of which each Fund is obligated to redeem shares, with respect to any one shareholder during any 90-day period, solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net asset value of a Share at the beginning of the period. Special Features Class A Shares -- Combined Purchases. Each Fund's Class A shares (or the equivalent) may be purchased at the rate applicable to the discount bracket attained by combining concurrent investments in Class A shares of any of the following Funds: Scudder 21st Century Growth Fund, Scudder Aggressive Growth Fund, Scudder Blue Chip Fund, Scudder California Tax-Free Income Fund, Scudder Capital Growth Fund, Scudder Cash Reserves Fund (available only upon exchange or conversion from Class A shares of another Scudder Fund), Scudder Contrarian Fund, Scudder Dividend & Growth Fund, Scudder-Dreman Financial Services Fund, Scudder Global Discovery Fund, Scudder-Dreman High Return Equity Fund, Scudder Dynamic Growth Fund, Scudder Emerging Markets Income Fund, Scudder Florida Tax-Free Income Fund, Scudder Focus Growth Fund, Scudder Focus Value Plus Growth Fund, Scudder Global Fund, Scudder Global Bond Fund, Scudder Gold Fund, Scudder Growth Fund, Scudder Growth and Income Fund, Scudder Health Care Fund, Scudder High-Yield Fund, Scudder High-Yield Opportunity Fund, Scudder High-Yield Tax-Free Fund, Scudder Income Fund, Scudder International Fund, Scudder International Research Fund, Scudder Large Company Growth Fund, Scudder Large Company Value Fund, Scudder Managed Municipal Bonds, Scudder Massachusetts Tax-Free Fund, Scudder Medium-Term Tax-Free Fund, Scudder New Europe Fund, Inc., Scudder New York Tax-Free Income Fund, Scudder Pathway Series -- Conservative Portfolio, Scudder Pathway Series -- Growth Portfolio, Scudder Pathway Series -- Moderate Portfolio, Scudder Research Fund, Inc., Scudder S&P 500 Stock Fund, Scudder Small Cap Value Fund, Scudder Small Company Stock Fund, Scudder Strategic Income Fund, Scudder Target Equity Fund (series are subject to a limited offering period), Scudder Technology Fund, Scudder Technology Innovation Fund, Scudder Total Return Fund, Scudder U.S. Government Securities Fund, The Japan Fund, Inc., ("Scudder Funds"). Except as noted below, there is no combined purchase credit for direct purchases of shares of Zurich Money Funds, Cash Equivalent Fund, Tax-Exempt California Money Market Fund, Cash Account Trust, Investor's Municipal Cash Fund or Investors Cash Trust ("Money Market Funds"), which are not considered a "Scudder Fund" for purposes hereof. For 43 purposes of the Combined Purchases feature described above as well as for the Letter of Intent and Cumulative Discount features described below, employer sponsored employee benefit plans using the subaccount record keeping system made available through the Shareholder Service Agent may include: (a) Money Market Funds as "Scudder Funds," (b) all classes of shares of any Scudder 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. Class A Shares -- Letter of Intent. The same reduced sales charges for Class A shares, as shown in the applicable prospectus, also apply to the aggregate amount of purchases of such Scudder Funds listed above made by any purchaser within a 24-month period under a written Letter of Intent ("Letter") provided by 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 the Shareholder Service Agent 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) of all shares of such Scudder 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. Only investments in Class A shares are included for this privilege. Class A Shares -- Cumulative Discount. Class A shares of each Fund may also be purchased at the rate applicable to the discount bracket attained by adding to the cost of shares of each Fund being purchased, the value of all Class A shares of the above mentioned Scudder Funds (computed at the maximum offering price at the time of the purchase for which the discount is applicable) already owned by the investor. Class A Shares -- Availability of Quantity Discounts. An investor or the investor's dealer or other financial services firm must notify the Shareholder Service Agent or SDI whenever a quantity discount or reduced sales charge is applicable to a purchase. Upon such notification, the investor will receive the lowest applicable sales charge. Quantity discounts described above may be modified or terminated at any time. Exchange Privilege. Shareholders of Class A, Class B and Class C shares may exchange their shares for shares of the corresponding class of other Scudder Funds in accordance with the provisions below. Class A Shares. Class A shares of the Scudder Funds and shares of the Money Market Funds listed under "Special Features -- Class A Shares -- Combined Scudder" above may be exchanged for each other at their relative net asset values. Shares of Money Market Funds and the Scudder Cash Reserves Fund that were acquired by purchase (not including shares acquired by dividend reinvestment) are subject to the applicable sales charge on exchange. Series of Scudder Target Equity Fund are available on exchange only during the Offering Period for such series as described in the applicable prospectus. Cash Equivalent Fund, 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 SDI. Class A shares of each Fund purchased under the Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege may be exchanged for Class A shares of another Scudder Fund or a Money Market Fund under the exchange privilege described above without paying any contingent deferred sales charge at the time of exchange. If the Class A shares received on exchange are redeemed thereafter, a contingent deferred sales charge may be imposed in accordance with the foregoing requirements provided that the shares redeemed will retain their original cost and purchase date for purposes of calculating the contingent deferred sales charge. Class B Shares. Class B shares of each Fund and Class B shares of any other Scudder Fund listed under "Special Features -- Class A Shares -- Combined Purchases" may be exchanged for each other at their relative net asset values. Class B shares may be exchanged without a contingent deferred sales charge being imposed at the time of exchange. For purposes of calculating the contingent deferred sales charge that may be imposed upon the redemption of the Class B shares received on exchange, amounts exchanged retain their original cost and purchase date. Class C Shares. Class C shares of each Fund and Class C shares of any other Scudder Fund listed under "Special Features -- Class A Shares -- Combined Purchases" may be exchanged for each other at their relative net asset values. 44 Class C shares may be exchanged without a contingent deferred sales charge being imposed at the time of exchange. For purposes of determining whether there is a contingent deferred sales charge that may be imposed upon the redemption of the Class C shares received by exchange, they retain the cost and purchase date of the shares that were originally purchased and exchanged. General. Shares of a Scudder Fund with a value in excess of $1,000,000 (except Scudder Cash Reserves Fund) acquired by exchange through another Scudder Fund, or from a Money Market Fund, may not be exchanged thereafter until they have been owned for 15 days (the "15-Day Hold Policy"). In addition, shares of a Scudder Fund with a value of $1,000,000 or less (except Scudder Cash Reserves Fund) acquired by exchange from another Scudder Fund, or from a money market fund, may not be exchanged thereafter until they have been owned for 15 days, if, in the Advisor's judgment, the exchange activity may have an adverse effect on the fund. In particular, a pattern of exchanges that coincides with a "market timing" strategy may be disruptive to the Scudder Fund and therefore may be subject to the 15-Day Hold Policy. For purposes of determining whether the 15-Day Hold Policy applies to a particular exchange, the value of the shares to be exchanged shall be computed by aggregating the value of shares being exchanged for all accounts under common control, discretion or advice, including, without limitation, accounts administered by a financial services firm offering market timing, asset allocation or similar services. The total value of shares being exchanged must at least equal the minimum investment requirement of the Scudder Fund into which they are being exchanged. Exchanges are made based on relative dollar values of the shares involved in the exchange. There is no service fee for an exchange; however, dealers or other firms may charge for their services in effecting exchange transactions. Exchanges will be effected by redemption of shares of the fund held and purchase of shares of the other fund. For federal income tax purposes, any such exchange constitutes a sale upon which a gain or loss may be realized, depending upon whether the value of the shares being exchanged is more or less than the shareholder's adjusted cost basis of such shares. Shareholders interested in exercising the exchange privilege may obtain prospectuses of the other Funds from dealers, other firms or SDI. Exchanges may be accomplished by a written request to Scudder Investments Service Company, Attention: Exchange Department, P.O. Box 219557, Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9557, or by telephone if the shareholder has given authorization. Once the authorization is on file, the Shareholder Service Agent will honor requests by telephone at 1-800-621-1048, subject to the limitations on liability under "Redemption or Repurchase of Shares -- General." Any share certificates must be deposited prior to any exchange of such shares. During periods when it is difficult to contact the Shareholder Service Agent by telephone, it may be difficult to use the telephone exchange privilege. The exchange privilege is not a right and may be suspended, terminated or modified at any time. 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 Investors Municipal Cash Fund is available for sale only in certain states. Except as otherwise permitted by applicable regulations, 60 days' prior written notice of any termination or material change will be provided. Systematic Exchange Privilege. The owner of $1,000 or more of any class of the shares of a Scudder Fund or Money Market Fund may authorize the automatic exchange of a specified amount ($50 minimum) of such shares for shares of the same class of another such Scudder Fund. If selected, exchanges will be made automatically until the shareholder or the Scudder Fund terminates the privilege. Exchanges are subject to the terms and conditions described above under "Exchange Privilege," except that the $1,000 minimum investment requirement for the Scudder Fund acquired on exchange is not applicable. This privilege may not be used for the exchange of shares held in certificated form. QuickBuy and QuickSell. QuickBuy and QuickSell permits the transfer of money via the Automated ClearingHouse System (minimum $50 and maximum $250,000) from a shareholder's bank, savings and loan, or credit union account to purchase shares in the Fund. Shareholders can also redeem Shares (minimum $50 and maximum $250,000) from their Fund account and transfer the proceeds to their bank, savings and loan, or credit union checking account. Shares purchased by check or through QuickBuy or Bank Direct Deposit may not be redeemed under this privilege until such Shares have been owned for at least 10 days. By enrolling in QuickBuy, the shareholder authorizes the Shareholder Service Agent to rely upon telephone instructions from any person to transfer the specified amounts between the shareholder's Fund account and the predesignated bank, savings and loan or credit union account, subject to the limitations on liability under "Redemption or Repurchase of Shares -- General." Once enrolled in QuickBuy, a shareholder can initiate a transaction by calling Scudder Shareholder Services toll free at 1-800-621-1048, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Chicago time. Shareholders may terminate this privilege by sending written notice to Scudder Investments Service Company, P.O. Box 219415, Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9415. Termination will become effective as soon as the Shareholder Service Agent has had a reasonable amount of time to act upon the request. QuickBuy and QuickSell cannot be used with passbook savings accounts or for tax-deferred plans such as Individual Retirement Accounts ("IRAs"). 45 Bank Direct Deposit. A shareholder may purchase additional shares of each Fund through an automatic investment program. With the Bank Direct Deposit Purchase Plan ("Bank Direct Deposit"), investments are made automatically (maximum $250,000) from the shareholder's account at a bank, savings and loan or credit union into the shareholder's Fund account. By enrolling in Bank Direct Deposit, the shareholder authorizes each Fund and its agents to either draw checks or initiate Automated ClearingHouse debits against the designated account at a bank or other financial institution. This privilege may be selected by completing the appropriate section on the Account Application or by contacting the Shareholder Service Agent for appropriate forms. A shareholder may terminate his or her Plan by sending written notice to Scudder Investments Service Company, P.O. Box 219415, Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9415. Termination by a shareholder will become effective within thirty days after the Shareholder Service Agent has received the request. Each Fund may immediately terminate a shareholder's Plan in the event that any item is unpaid by the shareholder's financial institution. Each Fund may terminate or modify this privilege at any time. Payroll Direct Deposit and Government Direct Deposit. A shareholder may invest in each Fund 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 automatically invested in the Fund account 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.) Each Fund is not responsible for the efficiency of the employer or government agency making the payment or any financial institutions transmitting payments. Systematic Withdrawal Plan. The owner of $5,000 or more of a class of each 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 Individual Retirement Accounts. The minimum periodic payment is $50. The maximum annual rate at which Class B shares may be redeemed (and Class A shares purchased under the Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege and Class C shares in their first year following the purchase) under a systematic withdrawal plan is 10% of the net asset value of the account. Shares are redeemed so that the payee will receive payment approximately the first of the month. Any income and capital gain dividends will be automatically reinvested at net asset value. A sufficient number of full and fractional shares will be redeemed to make the designated payment. Depending upon the size of the payments requested and fluctuations in the net asset value of the shares redeemed, redemptions for the purpose of making such payments may reduce or even exhaust the account. 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, each Fund will not knowingly permit additional investments of less than $2,000 if the investor is at the same time making systematic withdrawals. SDI will waive the contingent deferred sales charge on redemptions of Class A shares purchased under the Large Order NAV Purchase Privilege, Class B shares and Class C shares made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan. The right is reserved to amend the systematic withdrawal plan on 30 days' notice. The plan may be terminated at any time by the investor or each Fund. Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans. The Shareholder Service Agent provides retirement plan services and documents and SDI can establish investor accounts in any of the following types of retirement plans: o Traditional, Roth and Education Individual Retirement Accounts ("IRAs"). This includes Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees of Small Employers ("SIMPLE"), Simplified Employee Pension Plan ("SEP") IRA accounts and prototype documents. o 403(b)(7) Custodial Accounts. This type of plan is available to employees of most non-profit organizations. o Prototype money purchase pension and profit-sharing plans may be adopted by employers. The maximum annual contribution per participant is the lesser of 25% of compensation or $30,000. Brochures describing the above plans as well as model defined benefit plans, target benefit plans, 457 plans, 401(k) plans, simple 401(k) plans and materials for establishing them are available from the Shareholder Service Agent upon request. Investors should consult with their own tax advisors before establishing a retirement plan. Each 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 46 investments is not reasonably practicable, or (ii) it is not reasonably practicable for each 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. The conversion of Class B Shares to Class A Shares may be subject to the continuing availability of an opinion of counsel, ruling by the Internal Revenue Service or other assurance acceptable to each Fund to the effect that (a) the assessment of the distribution services fee with respect to Class B Shares and not Class A Shares does not result in each Fund's dividends constituting "preferential dividends" under the Internal Revenue Code, and (b) that the conversion of Class B Shares to Class A Shares does not constitute a taxable event under the Internal Revenue Code. The conversion of Class B Shares to Class A Shares may be suspended if such assurance is not available. In that event, no further conversions of Class B Shares would occur, and Shares might continue to be subject to the distribution services fee for an indefinite period that may extend beyond the proposed conversion date as described in the prospectus. DIVIDENDS, CAPITAL GAINS AND TAXES Each Fund intends to follow the practice of distributing 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. Each 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, each Fund may retain all or part of such gain for reinvestment after paying the related federal income taxes for which the shareholders may then be asked to claim a credit against their federal income tax liability. (See "Taxes" hereafter.) 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, each Fund may determine that it is in the interest of shareholders to distribute less than the required amount. Earnings and profits distributed to shareholders on redemptions of Fund shares may be utilized by the Fund, to the extent permissible, as part of each Fund's dividends paid deduction on its federal tax return. Each Fund intends to distribute its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains in November or December to avoid federal excise tax, although an additional distribution may be made if necessary. Both types of distributions will be made in shares of each Fund and confirmations will be mailed to each shareholder unless a shareholder has elected to receive cash, in which case 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 each Fund issues to each shareholder a statement of the federal income tax status of all distributions in the prior calendar year. Dividends paid by each 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 B and Class C shares than for Class A shares primarily as a result of the distribution services fee applicable to Class B and Class C shares. Distributions of capital gains, if any, will be paid in the same proportion for each class. Income and capital gain dividends, if any, of each 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: o To receive income and short-term capital gain dividends in cash and long-term capital gain dividends in shares of the same class at net asset value; or o To receive income and capital gain dividends in cash. Dividends will be reinvested in Shares of the same class of each Fund unless shareholders indicate in writing that they wish to receive them in cash or in shares of other Scudder Funds with multiple classes of shares as provided in the prospectus. See "Special Features -- Class A Shares -- Combined Purchases" for a list of such other Funds. To use this privilege of investing dividends of the Fund in shares of another Scudder, shareholders must maintain a minimum 47 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 each 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. Taxes. Each Fund has elected to be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, or a predecessor statute and has qualified as such since its inception. Such qualification does not involve governmental supervision or management of investment practices or policy. A regulated investment company qualifying under Subchapter M of the Code is required to distribute to its shareholders at least 90 percent of its investment company taxable income (including net short-term capital gain) and generally is not subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes annually its investment company taxable income and net realized capital gains in the manner required under the Code. If for any taxable year a Fund does not qualify for 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). In such an event, dividend distributions would be taxable to shareholders to the extent of the Fund's earnings and profits, and would be eligible for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Each Fund is subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on amounts required to be but 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 ordinary income for the calendar year, at least 98% of the excess of its capital gains over capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) realized during the one-year period ending October 31 during such year, and all ordinary income and capital gains for prior years that were not previously distributed. Investment company taxable income generally is made up of dividends, interest and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, less expenses. Net realized capital gains for a fiscal year are computed by taking into account any capital loss carryforward of a Fund. From November 1, 2000 through August 31, 2001, Global Fund incurred approximately $13,879,000 of net realized capital losses. As permitted by tax regulations, the Fund intends to elect to defer these losses and treat them as arising in the fiscal year ending August 31, 2002. From November 1, 2000 through August 31, 2001, International Fund incurred approximately $626,984,000 of net realized capital losses. As permitted by tax regulations, the Fund intends to elect to defer these losses and treat them as arising in the fiscal year ending August 31, 2002. If any net realized long-term capital gains in excess of net realized short-term capital losses are retained by a Fund for reinvestment, requiring federal income taxes to be paid thereon by the Fund, the Fund intends to elect to treat such capital gains as having been distributed to shareholders. As a result, each shareholder will report such capital gains as long-term capital gains, will be able to claim a proportionate share of federal income taxes paid by the Fund on such gains as a credit against the shareholder's federal income tax liability, and will be entitled to increase the adjusted tax basis of the shareholder's Fund shares by the difference between such reported gains and the shareholder's tax credit. Distributions of investment company taxable income are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Dividends from domestic corporations are not expected to comprise a substantial part of each Fund's gross income. If any such dividends constitute a portion of a 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 a 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 shareholders, as the case may be, for less than 46 days during the 90-day period beginning 45 days before the shares become ex-dividend. Properly designated distributions of the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss are taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains, regardless of the length of time the shares of the Fund have been held by such shareholders. Such distributions are not eligible for the dividends-received deduction. Any loss realized upon the 48 redemption of shares held at the time of redemption for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions of long-term capital gain during such six-month period. Distributions of investment company taxable income and net realized capital gains will be taxable as described above, whether received in shares or in cash. Shareholders electing to receive distributions in the form of additional Shares will have a cost basis for federal income tax purposes in each Share so received equal to the net asset value of a Share on the reinvestment date. All distributions of investment company taxable income and net realized capital gain, whether received in shares or in cash, must be reported by each shareholder on his or her federal income tax return. Dividends declared in October, November or December with a record date in such a month will be deemed to have been received by shareholders on December 31, if paid during January of the following year. Redemptions of shares, including exchanges for shares of another Scudder Fund, may result in tax consequences (gain or loss) to the shareholder and are also subject to these reporting requirements. A qualifying individual may make a deductible IRA contribution for any taxable year only if (i) neither the individual nor his or her spouse (unless filing separate returns) is an active participant in an employer's retirement plan, or (ii) the individual (and his or her spouse, if applicable) has an adjusted gross income below a certain level in 2001 ($53,000 for married individuals filing a joint return, with a phase-out of the deduction for adjusted gross income between $53,000 and $63,000; $33,000 for a single individual, with a phase-out for adjusted gross income between $33,000 and $43,000). However, an individual not permitted to make a deductible contribution to an IRA for any such taxable year may nonetheless make nondeductible contributions up to $2,000 to an IRA (up to $2,000 per individual for married couples if only one spouse has earned income) for that year. The $2000 limit on contributions (whether deductible or nondeductible) is increased to $3,000 for 2002 through 2004. In addition, for 2002 through 2005, individuals who are age 50 or older will be permitted to make additional "catch-up" contributions of $500 in each of those years. In addition, a temporary nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $1,000 may be available for certain individuals with low and middle incomes for 2002 through 2006. There are special rules for determining how withdrawals are to be taxed if an IRA contains both deductible and nondeductible amounts. In general, a proportionate amount of each withdrawal will be deemed to be made from nondeductible contributions; amounts treated as a return of nondeductible contributions will not be taxable. Also, annual contributions may be made to a spousal IRA even if the spouse has earnings in a given year if the spouse elects to be treated as having no earnings (for IRA contribution purposes) for the year. Distributions by a 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 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 then receive a partial return of capital upon the distribution, which will nevertheless be taxable to them. In some cases, shareholders of a Fund will not be permitted to take all or a portion of their sales loads into account for purposes of determining the amount of gain or loss realized on the disposition of their shares. This prohibition generally applies where (1) the shareholder incurs a sales load in acquiring the shares of the Fund, (2) the shares are disposed of before the 91st day after the date on which they were acquired, and (3) the shareholder subsequently acquires shares in the Fund or another regulated investment company and the otherwise applicable sales charge is reduced under a "reinvestment right" received upon the initial purchase of Fund shares. The term " reinvestment right" means any right to acquire shares of one or more regulated investment companies without the payment of a sales load or with the payment of a reduced sales charge. Sales charges affected by this rule are treated as if they were incurred with respect to the shares acquired under the reinvestment right. This provision may be applied to successive acquisitions of fund shares. Dividend and interest income received by the Funds from sources outside the U.S. may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such foreign jurisdictions. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate these foreign taxes, however, and foreign countries generally do not impose taxes on capital gains respecting investments by foreign investors. Each Fund intends to qualify for and may make the election permitted under Section 853 of the Code so that shareholders may (subject to limitations) be able to claim a credit or deduction on their federal income tax returns for, and will be required to treat as part of the amounts distributed to them, their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by each Fund to foreign countries (which taxes relate primarily to investment income). Each Fund may make an election under Section 853 of the Code, provided that more than 50% of the value of the total assets of the Fund at the close of the taxable year consists of securities in foreign corporations. The foreign tax credit available to 49 shareholders is subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, except in the case of certain electing individual taxpayers who have limited creditable foreign taxes and no foreign source income other than passive investment-type income. Furthermore, the foreign tax credit is eliminated with respect to foreign taxes withheld on dividends if the dividend-paying shares or the shares of the Fund are held by the Fund or the shareholder, as the case may be, for less than 16 days (46 days in the case of preferred shares) during the 30-day period (90-day period for preferred shares) beginning 15 days (45 days for preferred shares) before the shares become ex-dividend. In addition, if each Fund fails to satisfy these holding period requirements, it cannot elect under Section 853 to pass through to shareholders the ability to claim a deduction for the related foreign taxes. If a Fund does not make the election permitted under section 853 any foreign taxes paid or accrued will represent an expense to the Fund which will reduce its investment company taxable income. Absent this election, shareholders will not be able to claim either a credit or a deduction for their pro rata portion of such taxes paid by the Fund, nor will shareholders be required to treat as part of the amounts distributed to them their pro rata portion of such taxes paid. Equity options (including covered call options written on portfolio stock) and over-the-counter options on debt securities written or purchased by a Fund will be subject to tax under Section 1234 of the Code. In general, no loss will be recognized by a Fund upon payment of a premium in connection with the purchase of a put or call option. The character of any gain or loss recognized (i.e. long-term or short-term) will generally depend, in the case of a lapse or sale of the option, on the Fund's holding period for the option, and in the case of the exercise of a put option, on the Fund's holding period for the underlying property. The purchase of a put option may constitute a short sale for federal income tax purposes, causing an adjustment in the holding period of any stock in a Fund's portfolio similar to the stocks on which the index is based. If a Fund writes an option, no gain is recognized upon its receipt of a premium. If the option lapses or is closed out, any gain or loss is treated as short-term capital gain or loss. If a call option is exercised, the character of the gain or loss depends on the holding period of the underlying stock. Positions of a Fund which consist of at least one stock and at least one stock option or other position with respect to a related security which substantially diminishes the Fund's risk of loss with respect to such stock could be treated as a "straddle" which is governed by Section 1092 of the Code, the operation of which may cause deferral of losses, adjustments in the holding periods of stocks or securities and conversion of short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. An exception to these straddle rules exists for certain "qualified covered call options" on stock written by a Fund. Many futures and forward contracts entered into by a Fund and listed nonequity options written or purchased by the Fund (including options on debt securities, options on futures contracts, options on securities indices and options on currencies), will be governed by Section 1256 of the Code. Absent a tax election to the contrary, gain or loss attributable to the lapse, exercise or closing out of any such position generally will be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term, and on the last trading day of the Fund's fiscal year, all outstanding Section 1256 positions will be marked to market (i.e., treated as if such positions were closed out at their closing price on such day), with any resulting gain or loss recognized as 60% long-term and 40% short-term. Under Section 988 of the Code, discussed below, foreign currency gain or loss from foreign currency-related forward contracts, certain futures and options and similar financial instruments entered into or acquired by each Fund will be treated as ordinary income or loss. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, each Fund may recognize gain (but not loss) from a constructive sale of certain "appreciated financial positions" if the Fund enters into a short sale, offsetting notional principal contract, futures or forward contract transaction with respect to the appreciated position or substantially identical property. Appreciated financial positions subject to this constructive sale treatment are interests (including options, futures and forward contracts and short sales) in stock, partnership interests, certain actively traded trust instruments and certain debt instruments. A transaction during the tax year that would otherwise be a constructive sale may be disregarded if 1) the transaction is closed by the 30th day after the close of the tax year, and 2) the taxpayer holds the appreciated financial position (without reduction of risk of loss) throughout the 60-day period following the date of closing of the transaction. Similarly, if a Fund enters into a short sale of property that becomes substantially worthless, the Fund will recognize gain at that time as though it had closed the short sale. Future regulations may apply similar treatment to other transactions with respect to property that becomes substantially worthless. Under the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates which occur between the time a Fund accrues receivables or liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such receivables or pays such liabilities generally are treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss. Similarly, on disposition of debt securities denominated in a foreign currency and on disposition of certain options, futures and forward contracts, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in the value of foreign currency between the date of acquisition of the security 50 or contract and the date of disposition are also treated as ordinary gain or loss. These gains or losses, referred to under the Code as "Section 988" gains or losses, may increase or decrease the amount of the Fund's investment company taxable income to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income. If a Fund invests in stock of certain foreign investment companies, the Fund may be subject to U.S. federal income taxation on a portion of any "excess distribution" with respect to, or gain from the disposition of, such stock. The tax would be determined by allocating such distribution or gain ratably to each day of the Fund's holding period for the stock. The distribution or gain so allocated to any taxable year of the Fund, other than the taxable year of the excess distribution or disposition, would be taxed to the Fund at the highest ordinary income rate in effect for such year, and the tax would be further increased by an interest charge to reflect the value of the tax deferral deemed to have resulted from the ownership of the foreign company's stock. Any amount of distribution or gain allocated to the taxable year of the distribution or disposition would be included in the Fund's investment company taxable income and, accordingly, would not be taxable to the Fund to the extent distributed by the Fund as a dividend to its shareholders. Each Fund may make an election to mark to market its shares of these foreign investment companies in lieu of being subject to U.S. federal income taxation. At the end of each taxable year to which the election applies, the Fund would report as ordinary income the amount by which the fair market value of the foreign company's stock exceeds the Fund's adjusted basis in these shares; any mark-to-market losses and any loss from an actual disposition of shares would be reported as ordinary loss to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains included in income in prior years. The effect of the election would be to treat excess distributions and gain on dispositions as ordinary income which is not subject to a fund level tax when distributed to shareholders as a dividend. Alternatively, each Fund may elect to include as income and gain its share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gain of certain foreign investment companies in lieu of being taxed in the manner described above. A portion of the difference between the issue price of zero coupon securities and their face value ("original issue discount") is considered to be income to a Fund each year, even though the Fund will not receive cash interest payments from these securities. This original issue discount imputed income will comprise a part of the investment company taxable income of the Fund, which must be distributed to shareholders in order to maintain the qualification of the Fund, as a regulated investment company and to avoid federal income tax at each Fund's level. In addition, each Fund invests in certain high yield original issue discount obligations issued by corporations, a portion of the original issue discount accruing on the obligation may be eligible for the deduction for dividends received by corporations. In such event, dividends of investment company taxable income received from the Fund by its corporate shareholders, to the extent attributable to such portion of accrued original issue discount, may be eligible for this deduction for dividends received by corporations if so designated by the Fund in a written notice to shareholders. Each Fund will be required to report to the IRS all distributions of investment company taxable income and capital gains as well as gross proceeds from the redemption or exchange of Fund shares, except in the case of certain exempt shareholders. Under the backup withholding provisions of Section 3406 of the Code, distributions of investment company taxable income and capital gains and proceeds from the redemption or exchange of the shares of a regulated investment company may be subject to withholding of federal income tax at the rate of 30% in the case of non-exempt shareholders who fail to furnish the investment company with their taxpayer identification numbers and with required certifications regarding their status under the federal income tax law. Withholding may also be required if the Fund is notified by the IRS or a broker that the taxpayer identification number furnished by the shareholder is incorrect or that the shareholder has previously failed to report interest or dividend income. If the withholding provisions are applicable, any such distributions and proceeds, whether taken in cash or reinvested in additional shares, will be reduced by the amounts required to be withheld. Shareholders of a Fund may be subject to state and local taxes on distributions received from the Fund and on redemptions of the Fund's shares. The foregoing discussion of U.S. federal income tax law relates solely to the application of that law to U.S. persons, i.e., U.S. citizens and residents and U.S. corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates. Each shareholder who is not a U.S. person should consider the U.S. and foreign tax consequences of ownership of shares of a Fund, including the possibility that such a shareholder may be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or at a lower rate under an applicable income tax treaty) on amounts constituting ordinary income received by him or her, where such amounts are treated as income from U.S. sources under the Code. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors about the application of the provisions of tax law described in this statement of additional information in light of their particular tax situations. 51 NET ASSET VALUE The net asset value of shares of each 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 each Fund because of higher expenses borne by these classes. An exchange-traded equity security is valued at its most recent sale price on the relevant exchange 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 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 as of the Value Time. An equity security which is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. ("Nasdaq") system or another over-the-counter ("OTC") market is valued at its most recent sale price on Nasdaq or such other OTC market as of the Value Time. Lacking any sales, the security is valued at the Calculated Mean on Nasdaq or such other 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 Nasdaq or such other OTC market as of the Value Time. In the case of certain foreign exchanges, the closing price reported by the exchange (which may sometimes be referred to by the exchange or one or more pricing agents as the "official close" or the "official closing price" or other similar term) will be considered the most recent sale price. If a security is traded on more than one exchange, or upon one or more exchanges and in the OTC market, quotations are taken from the market in which the security is traded most extensively. 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. An exchange-traded option contract on securities, currencies and other financial instruments is valued at its most recent sale price on such 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 with less than 180 days remaining until expiration is valued at the evaluated price provided by the broker-dealer with which it was traded. An option contract on securities, currencies and other financial instruments traded in the OTC market with 180 days or more remaining until expiration is valued at the average of the evaluated prices provided by two broker-dealers. Futures contracts (and options thereon) are valued at the most recent settlement price as of the Value Time on such exchange. Foreign currency forward contracts are valued at the value of the underlying currency at the prevailing currency exchange rate, which shall be determined not more than one hour before the Value Time based on information obtained from sources determined by the Advisor to be appropriate. Following the valuations of securities or other portfolio assets in terms of the currency in which the market quotation used is expressed ("Local Currency"), the value of these portfolio assets in terms of U.S. dollars is calculated by converting the Local Currency into U.S. dollars at the prevailing currency exchange rate on the valuation date. 52 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 each 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. DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS The officers and directors of the Corporations, their ages, their principal occupations and their affiliations, if any, with the Advisor, and Scudder Distributors, Inc., are as follows:
Position with Underwriter, Name, Age, and Address Position with Fund Principal Occupation** Scudder Distributors, Inc. ---------------------- ------------------ -------------------- -------------------------- Henry P. Becton, Jr. (58) Director President, WGBH Educational -- WGBH Foundation 125 Western Avenue Allston, MA 02134 Linda C. Coughlin (50)+* Chairperson, Director Managing Director of Zurich Director and Vice Chairman and President Scudder Investments, Inc. Dawn-Marie Driscoll (55) Director Executive Fellow, Center for -- 4909 SW 9th Place Business Ethics, Bentley Cape Coral, FL 33914 College; President, Driscoll Associates (consulting firm) Edgar R. Fiedler (72) Director Senior Fellow and Economic -- 50023 Brogden Counselor, The Conference Chapel Hill, NC Board, Inc. (not-for-profit business research organization) Keith R. Fox (47) Director General Partner, The Exeter -- 10 East 53rd Street Group of Funds New York, NY 10022 Jean Gleason Stromberg (58) Director Consultant; Director, -- 3816 Military Road, NW Financial Institutions Washington, D.C. Issues, U.S. General Accounting Office (1996-1997); Partner, Fulbright & Jaworski (law firm) (1978-1996) Jean C. Tempel (58) Director Managing Director, First -- One Boston Place 23rd Floor Light Capital, LLC (venture Boston, MA 02108 capital firm) Steven Zaleznick (47)* Director President and CEO, AARP -- 601 E Street N.W. Services, Inc. Washington, D.C. 20004 Thomas V. Bruns (44)# Vice President Managing Director of Zurich -- Scudder Investments, Inc. William F. Glavin, Jr. (43)# Vice President Managing Director of Zurich Managing Director Scudder Investments, Inc. 53 Position with Underwriter, Name, Age, and Address Position with Fund Principal Occupation** Scudder Distributors, Inc. ---------------------- ------------------ -------------------- -------------------------- James E. Masur (41)+ Vice President Managing Director of Zurich -- Scudder Investments, Inc. Kathryn L. Quirk (49)+ Vice President and Managing Director of Zurich -- Assistant Secretary Scudder Investments, Inc. Howard S. Schneider (44)# Vice President Managing Director of Zurich -- Scudder Investments, Inc. John R. Hebble (43)+ Treasurer Senior Vice President of -- Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. Brenda Lyons (38)+ Assistant Treasurer Senior Vice President of -- Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. Caroline Pearson (39)+ Assistant Secretary Managing Director of Zurich Assistant Secretary Scudder Investments, Inc.; Associate, Dechert Price & Rhoads (law firm) 1989-1997 John Millette (39)+ Vice President and Vice President of Zurich -- Secretary Scudder Investments, Inc. Irene T. Cheng (47)++ Vice President of Managing Director of Zurich -- Scudder International Scudder Investments Fund, Inc. Joyce E. Cornell (57)++ Vice President of Managing Director of Zurich -- Scudder International Scudder Investments, Inc. Fund, Inc. Jan C. Faller (35)+ Vice President of Managing Director of Zurich -- Global / Scudder Investments, Inc. International Fund, Inc. Carol L. Franklin (49)++ Vice President of Managing Director of Zurich -- Scudder International Scudder Investments, Inc. Fund, Inc. Joan Gregory (56)++ Vice President of Senior Vice President of -- Scudder International Zurich Scudder Investments, Fund, Inc. Inc. Paul Rogers (45)+ Vice President of Senior Vice President of -- Scudder International Zurich Scudder Investments, Fund, Inc. Inc. William E. Holzer (51)++ Vice President of Managing Director of Zurich -- Global / Scudder Investments, Inc. International Fund, Inc. Gerald J. Moran (61)++ Vice President of Managing Director of Zurich -- Global / Scudder Investments, Inc. International Fund, Inc.
54 * Ms. Coughlin and Mr. Zaleznick are considered by the Fund and its counsel to be persons who are "interested persons" of the Advisor or of the Corporation, within the meaning of the 1940 Act. ** Unless otherwise stated, all of the Directors and officers have been associated with their respective companies for more than five years, but not necessarily in the same capacity. + Address: Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts ++ Address: 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York # 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois @ 101 California Street, San Francisco, California The Directors and Officers of the Corporations also serve in similar capacities with respect to other Scudder Funds. Beneficial Ownership As of November 30, 2001, 4,601,297 shares in the aggregate, or 10.13% of the outstanding shares of Scudder Global Fund, Class S were held in the name of Charles Schwab, 101 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94101 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 30,648 shares in the aggregate, or 5.63% of the outstanding shares of Scudder Global Fund, Class B were held in the name of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities, P.O. Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 12,310 shares in the aggregate, or 5.76% of the outstanding shares of Scudder Global Fund, Class C were held in the name of Sterling Trust Company, custodian, for the benefit of Joseph and Jennifer Simon, P.O. Box 2518, Waco, TX 76702 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 11,202,365 shares in the aggregate, or 14.80% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class S were held in the name of Charles Schwab, 101 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94101 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 875,333 shares in the aggregate, or 10.73% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class A were held in the name of Bear Stearns & Company, 245 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10167 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 120,019 shares in the aggregate, or 22.62% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class I were held in the name of Scudder Trust Company, for the benefit of Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. Supplemental Profit Sharing Plan, P.O. Box 957, Salem, NH 03079 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 398,028 shares in the aggregate, or 75.04% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class I were held in the name of Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. Profit Sharing Plan, 345 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10154 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 41,111 shares in the aggregate, or 5.31% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class C were held in the name of National Financial Services Corp., for the benefit of George Thomas Wiley, 200 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10281 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 56,157 shares in the aggregate, or 7.26% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class C were held in the name of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities, P.O. Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 64,212 shares in the aggregate, or 8.30% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class C were held in the name of Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith, for the benefit of customers, 4800 Deer Lake Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32246 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. 55 As of November 30, 2001, 55,925 shares in the aggregate, or 7.23% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class C were held in the name of Banc One Securities Corp., for the benefit of The One Select Portfolio, 1111 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, OH 43240 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. Responsibilities of the Board -- Board and Committee Meetings The Board of Directors of each Corporation is responsible for the general oversight of each Fund's business. A majority of the Board's members are not affiliated with the Advisor. These "Independent Directors" have primary responsibility for assuring that the Fund is managed in the best interests of its shareholders. Each Board of Directors meets at least quarterly to review the investment performance of each Fund and other operational matters, including policies and procedures designated to assure compliance with various regulatory requirements. At least annually, the Independent Directors review the fees paid to Scudder and its affiliates for investment advisory services and other administrative and shareholder services. In this regard, they evaluate, among other things, the quality and efficiency of the various other services provided, costs incurred by Scudder and its affiliates, and comparative information regarding fees and expenses of competitive funds. They are assisted in this process by each Fund's independent public accountants and by independent legal counsel selected by the Independent Directors. All of the Independent Directors serve on the Committee of Independent Directors, which nominates Independent Directors and considers other related matters, and the Audit Committee, which selects each Fund's independent public accountants and reviews accounting policies and controls. In addition, Independent Directors from time to time have established and served on task forces and subcommittees focusing on particular matters such as investment, accounting and shareholder service issues. Compensation of Officers and Directors of Each Fund Each Independent Director receives compensation for his or her services, which includes an annual retainer and an attendance fee for each meeting attended. The Independent Director who serves as lead trustee receives additional compensation for his or her service. No additional compensation is paid to any Independent Director for travel time to meetings, attendance at directors' educational seminars or conferences, service on industry or association committees, participation as speakers at directors' conferences or service on special trustee task forces or subcommittees. Independent Directors do not receive any employee benefits such as pension or retirement benefits or health insurance. Notwithstanding the schedule of fees, the Independent Directors have in the past and may in the future waive a portion of their compensation. The Independent Directors also serve in the same capacity for other funds managed by the Advisor. These funds differ broadly in type and complexity and in some cases have substantially different Director fee schedules. The following table shows the aggregate compensation received by each Independent Director during 2000 from each Corporation and from all of the Scudder funds as a group.
Scudder International Name Global/International Fund, Inc.* Fund, Inc.** All Scudder Funds+ ---- ------------------------------- ---------- ----------------- Henry P. Becton, Jr.*** $3,387 $9,697 $159,094 (73 funds) Dawn-Marie Driscoll*** $16,734 $10,815 $157,162 (73 funds) Edgar R. Fiedler*** $3,461 $10,561 $303,975++ (74 funds) Keith R. Fox $21,683 $33,167 $181,914 (72 funds) Jean Gleason Stromberg*** $3,387 $9,697 $100,372 (70 funds) Jean C. Tempel*** $3,387 $9,697 $152,488 (74 funds)
* Global/International Fund, Inc. consists of four funds: Scudder Global Fund, Scudder Global Bond Fund, Scudder Global Discovery Fund and Scudder Emerging Markets Income Fund. ** Scudder International Fund, Inc. consists of five funds: Scudder International Fund, Scudder Latin America Fund, Scudder Pacific Opportunities Fund, Scudder Greater Europe Growth Fund and Scudder Emerging Markets Growth Fund. *** Newly elected Director. On July 13, 2000, shareholders of the fund elected a new Board of Directors. See the "Directors and Officers" section for the newly constituted Board of Directors. 56 + Total compensation includes certain payments made by the Advisor as compensation for meetings held to discuss the reorganization of the Scudder and Kemper Funds. ++ Mr. Fiedler's total compensation includes $174,060.91 received through the deferred compensation program, $2,003 accrued, but not received, and certain payments made by the Advisor as compensation for the retainer fee for Farmers Investment Trust and meetings held to discuss the reorganization of the Scudder and Kemper Funds. Members of each Board of Directors who are employees of the Advisor or its affiliates receive no direct compensation from each Corporation, although they are compensated as employees of the Advisor, or its affiliates, as a result of which they may be deemed to participate in fees paid by each Fund. FUND ORGANIZATION AND SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS Scudder Global Fund is a series of Global/International Fund, Inc., a Maryland corporation organized on May 15, 1986. The name of this Corporation was changed, effective May 29, 1998, from Scudder Global Fund, Inc. This Corporation currently consists of four series: Scudder Global Fund, Scudder Global Bond Fund, Scudder Global Discovery Fund and Scudder Emerging Markets Income Fund. Each Fund is further divided into five classes of shares, Class AARP, Class S Class A, Class B and Class C shares. The authorized capital stock of Global/International Fund, Inc. consists of 1,559,993,796 shares with $0.01 par value, 200 million shares of which are allocated to Scudder Global Discovery Fund, 529,154,575 shares of which are allocated to Scudder Global Bond Fund, and 320 million shares of which are allocated to each of Scudder Emerging Markets Income Fund and Scudder Global Fund. The Directors have the authority to issue additional series of shares and to designate the relative rights and preferences as between the different series. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and non-assessable, transferable and redeemable at net asset value, subject to such charges as may be applicable, at the option of the shareholder. Shares have no pre-emptive or conversion rights. To the extent that the Fund offers additional share classes, these classes will be offered in a separate prospectus and have different fees, requirements and services. The Directors of each Corporation, in their discretion, may authorize the additional division of shares of a series into different classes permitting shares of different classes to be distributed by different methods. Although shareholders of different classes of a series would have an interest in the same portfolio of assets, shareholders of different classes may bear different expenses in connection with different methods of distribution. Shares of each Corporation have non-cumulative voting rights, which means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of Directors can elect 100% of the Directors if they choose to do so, and, in such event, the holders of the remaining less than 50% of the shares voting for the election of Directors will not be able to elect any person or persons to each Board of Directors. The assets of each Corporation received for the issue or sale of the shares of each series and all income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, subject only to the rights of creditors, are specifically allocated to such series and constitute the underlying assets of such series. The underlying assets of each series are segregated on the books of account, and are charged with the liabilities in respect to such series and with a share of the general liabilities of each Corporation. If a series were unable to meet its obligations, the assets of all other series may in some circumstances be available to creditors for that purpose, in which case the assets of such other series could be used to meet liabilities which are not otherwise properly chargeable to them. Expenses with respect to any two or more series are to be allocated in proportion to the asset value of the respective series except where allocations of direct expenses can otherwise be fairly made. The officers of each Corporation, subject to the general supervision of the Directors, have the power to determine which liabilities are allocable to a given series, or which are general or allocable to two or more series. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of each Corporation or any series, the holders of the shares of any series are entitled to receive as a class the underlying assets of such shares available for distribution to shareholders. Shares of each Corporation entitle their holders to one vote per share; however, separate votes are taken by each series on matters affecting an individual series and by class on matters affecting an individual class. For example, a change in investment policy for a series would be voted upon only by shareholders of the series involved. Additionally, approval of the investment advisory agreement is a matter to be determined separately by each series. Approval by the shareholders of one series is effective as to that series whether or not enough votes are received from the shareholders of the other series to approve such agreement as to the other series. 57 Pursuant to the approval of a majority of stockholders, each Corporation's Directors have the discretion to retain the current distribution arrangement while investing in a master fund in a master/feeder fund structure if the Board determines that the objectives of the Fund would be achieved more efficiently thereby. Each Corporation's Board of Directors supervises each Fund's activities. Each Corporation adopted a plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act (the "Plan") to permit each Corporation to establish a multiple class distribution system for the Funds. Each class of shares will represent interests in the same portfolio of investments of the Series, and be identical in all respects to each other class, except as set forth below. The only differences among the various classes of shares of the Series will relate solely to: (a) different distribution fee payments or service fee payments associated with any Rule 12b-1 Plan for a particular class of shares and any other costs relating to implementing or amending such Rule 12b-1 Plan (including obtaining shareholder approval of such Rule 12b-1 Plan or any amendment thereto) which will be borne solely by shareholders of such class; (b) different service fees; (c) different account minimums; (d) the bearing by each class of its "Class Expenses," (e) the voting rights related to any Rule 12b-1 Plan affecting a specific class of shares; (f) separate exchange privileges; (g) different conversion features and (h) different class names and designations. Expenses currently designated as "Class Expenses" by each Corporation's Board of Directors under the Plan include, for example, transfer agency fees attributable to a specific class, and certain securities registration fees. Each Corporation's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (the "Articles") provide that the Directors of the Corporation, to the fullest extent permitted by Maryland General Corporation Law and the 1940 Act, shall not be liable to the Corporation or its shareholders for damages. Maryland law currently provides that Directors shall not be liable for actions taken by them in good faith, in a manner reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Corporation and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. In so acting, a Director shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the Corporation and upon reports made to the Corporation by persons selected in good faith by the Directors as qualified to make such reports. The Articles and the By-Laws of the Corporation provide that the Corporation will indemnify its Directors, officers, employees or agents against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with litigation in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Corporation consistent with applicable law. Scudder International Fund, Inc. was organized as Scudder Fund of Canada Ltd. in Canada in 1953 by the investment management firm of Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc. On March 16, 1964, the name of the Corporation was changed to Scudder International Investments Ltd. On July 31, 1975, the corporate domicile of the Corporation was changed to the U.S. through the transfer of its net assets to a newly formed Maryland corporation, Scudder International Fund, Inc., in exchange for shares of the Corporation which then were distributed to the shareholders of the Corporation. The authorized capital stock of the Corporation consists of 2,247,923,888 shares of a par value of $.01 each, which capital stock has been divided into five series: Scudder International Fund, the original series; Scudder Latin America Fund and Scudder Pacific Opportunities Fund, both organized in December 1992, Scudder Greater Europe Growth Fund, organized in October 1994, and Scudder Emerging Markets Growth Fund, organized in May 1996. Each series consists of 320 million shares except for International Fund which consists of 620,595,597 shares and Scudder Latin America Fund which consists of 340 million shares. Scudder International Fund is further divided into seven classes of shares, Class AARP, Class S, Barrett International Shares, Class A (formerly known as Class R Shares), Class B, Class C, and Class I shares. Scudder Pacific Opportunities Fund, Scudder Greater Europe Growth Fund and Scudder Emerging Markets Growth Fund are each further divided into five classes of shares, Class AARP, Class S, Class A, Class B and Class C. Scudder Latin America Fund is divided into six classes of shares, Class S, Class AARP, Class A, Class B, Class C and Class M. The Directors have the authority to issue additional series of shares and to designate the relative rights and preferences as between the different series. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and non-assessable, transferable, and redeemable at net asset value, subject to such charges as may be applicable, at the option of the shareholder. Shares have no pre-emptive or conversion rights. To the extent that the Funds offer additional share classes, these classes will be offered in a separate prospectus and have different fees, requirements and services. Scudder Global Fund is a series of Global/International Fund, Inc., a Maryland corporation organized on May 15, 1986. The name of this Corporation was changed, effective May 29, 1998, from Scudder Global Fund, Inc. This Corporation currently consists of four series: Scudder Global Fund, Scudder Global Bond Fund, Scudder Global Discovery Fund and Scudder Emerging Markets Income Fund. Each Fund is further divided into two classes of shares, Class AARP and Class S shares, except Global Fund and Global Discovery Fund whose shares are divided into five classes of shares, Class AARP, Class S, Class A, Class B and Class C shares. 58 The authorized capital stock of Global/International Fund, Inc. consists of 1,559,993,796 billion shares with $0.01 par value, 200 million shares of which are allocated to Scudder Global Discovery Fund, 529,154,575 million shares of which are allocated to Scudder Global Bond Fund, and 320 million shares of which are allocated to each of, Scudder Emerging Markets Income Fund and Scudder Global Fund. The Directors have the authority to issue additional series of shares and to designate the relative rights and preferences as between the different series. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and non-assessable, transferable and redeemable at net asset value, subject to such charges as may be applicable, at the option of the shareholder. Shares have no pre-emptive or conversion rights. To the extent that the Funds offer additional share classes, these classes will be offered in a separate prospectus and have different fees, requirements and services. The Directors of each Corporation, in their discretion, may authorize the additional division of shares of a series into different classes permitting shares of different classes to be distributed by different methods. Although shareholders of different classes of a series would have an interest in the same portfolio of assets, shareholders of different classes may bear different expenses in connection with different methods of distribution. The assets of each Corporation received for the issue or sale of the shares of each series and all income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, subject only to the rights of creditors, are specifically allocated to such series and constitute the underlying assets of such series. The underlying assets of each series are segregated on the books of account, and are to be charged with the liabilities in respect to such series and with such a share of the general liabilities of the Corporation. If a series were unable to meet its obligations, the assets of all other series may in some circumstances be available to creditors for that purpose, in which case the assets of such other series could be used to meet liabilities which are not otherwise properly chargeable to them. Expenses with respect to any two or more series are to be allocated in proportion to the asset value of the respective series except where allocations of direct expenses can otherwise be fairly made. The officers of each Corporation, subject to the general supervision of the Directors, have the power to determine which liabilities are allocable to a given series, or which are general or allocable to two or more series. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of the Corporation or any series, the holders of the shares of any series are entitled to receive as a class the underlying assets of such shares available for distribution to shareholders. Shares of each Corporation entitle their holders to one vote per share; however, separate votes are taken by each series on matters affecting an individual series and by class on matters affecting an individual class. For example, a change in investment policy for a series would be voted upon only by shareholders of the series involved. Additionally, approval of the investment advisory agreement is a matter to be determined separately by each series. Approval by the shareholders of one series is effective as to that series whether or not enough votes are received from the shareholders of the other series to approve such agreement as to the other series. Pursuant to the approval of a majority of stockholders, each Corporation's Directors have the discretion to retain the current distribution arrangement while investing in a master fund in a master/feeder fund structure if the Board determines that the objectives of a Fund would be achieved more efficiently thereby. Each Corporation's Board of Directors supervises each Fund's activities. The Corporation adopted a plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act (the "Plan") to permit each Corporation to establish a multiple class distribution system for the Fund. Under the Plan, each class of shares will represent interests in the same portfolio of investments of the Series, and be identical in all respects to each other class, except as set forth below. The only differences among the various classes of shares of the Series will relate solely to: (a) different distribution fee payments or service fee payments associated with any Rule 12b-1 Plan for a particular class of shares and any other costs relating to implementing or amending such Rule 12b-1 Plan (including obtaining shareholder approval of such Rule 12b-1 Plan or any amendment thereto) which will be borne solely by shareholders of such class; (b) different service fees; (c) different account minimums; (d) the bearing by each class of its "Class Expenses," (e) the voting rights related to any Rule 12b-1 Plan affecting a specific class of shares; (f) separate exchange privileges; (g) different conversion features and (h) different class names and designations. Expenses currently designated as "Class Expenses" by each Corporation's Board of Directors under the Plan include, for example, transfer agency fees attributable to a specific class, and certain securities registration fees. Each Corporation's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (the "Articles") provide that the Directors of the Corporations, to the fullest extent permitted by Maryland General Corporation Law and the 1940 Act, shall not be liable to the Corporations or their shareholders for damages. Maryland law currently provides that Directors shall not be liable for actions taken by them in good faith, in a manner reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Corporations and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. In so 59 acting, a Director shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the Corporations and upon reports made to the Corporations by persons selected in good faith by the Directors as qualified to make such reports. The Articles and the By-Laws of each Corporation provide that each Corporation will indemnify its Directors, officers, employees or agents against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with litigation in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Corporations consistent with applicable law. Additional Information Other Information The CUSIP numbers of the classes are: Scudder Global Fund -- Class A: 378947-857 Scudder Global Fund -- Class B: 378947-840 Scudder Global Fund -- Class C: 378947-832 Scudder International Fund -- Class A: 811165-810 Scudder International Fund -- Class B: 811165-794 Scudder International Fund -- Class C: 811165-786 Scudder International Fund -- Class I: 811165-778 The Funds have a fiscal year ending August 31. On September 16, 1998, the Board of Global Fund changed the fiscal year end from June 30 to August 31. On June 7, 1999, the Board of International Fund changed the fiscal year end from March 31 to August 31. This Statement of Additional Information contains the information of International Fund and Global Fund. Each Fund, through its combined prospectus, offers only its own share classes, yet it is possible that one Fund might become liable for a misstatement regarding the other Fund. The Trustees of each Fund have considered this, and have approved the use of this Statement of Additional Information. Many of the investment changes in the Funds 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 Funds' investment objectives and policies, its other portfolio holdings and tax considerations, and should not be construed as recommendations for similar action by other investors. The Funds' Shares prospectuses and these Statements of Additional Information omit certain information contained in the Registration Statement and its amendments 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 Funds and the securities offered hereby. The Registration Statements and their amendments are available for inspection by the public at the SEC in Washington, D.C. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The financial statements, including the investment portfolio of the Funds, together with the Report of Independent Accountants, Financial Highlights and notes to financial statements in the Annual Reports to the Shareholders of the Funds dated August 31, 2001, are incorporated herein by reference and are hereby deemed to be a part of this Statement of Additional Information. 60 APPENDIX The following is a description of the ratings given by Moody's and S&P to corporate bonds. Ratings of Corporate Bonds S&P: Debt rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong. Debt rated AA has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from the highest rated issues only in small degree. 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. 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. Debt rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C is regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions. Debt rated BB has less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The BB rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BBB- rating. Debt rated B has a greater vulnerability to default but currently has the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The B rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BB or BB- rating. Debt rated CCC has a currently identifiable vulnerability to default, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet timely payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, it is not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The CCC rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied B or B- rating. The rating CC typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied CCC rating. The rating C typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt which is assigned an actual or implied CCC- debt rating. The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments are continued. The rating C1 is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid. Debt rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period had not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are jeopardized. Moody's: 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. 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. 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. 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. Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have 61 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 62 Barrett International Shares of SCUDDER INTERNATIONAL FUND A series of Scudder International Fund, Inc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION January 1, 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Statement of Additional Information is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the prospectus for the Barrett International Shares, a class of Scudder International Fund, dated January 1, 2002, as amended from time to time, a copy of which may be obtained without charge by writing to Scudder Investor Services, Inc., Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-4103. The Annual Report to Shareholders dated August 31, 2001 for Scudder International Fund -- Barrett International Shares is incorporated by reference and is hereby deemed to be a part of this Statement of Additional Information. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS..................................................1 INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES.......................................2 MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND..................................................20 Investment Advisor.............................................20 Administrative Agreement.......................................23 Brokerage Commissions..........................................24 Distributor....................................................25 FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS..................................................26 Transfer Agent.................................................26 Custodian......................................................26 Legal Counsel..................................................26 Fund Accounting Agent..........................................26 Auditors.......................................................26 Retirement Service Provider....................................26 PERFORMANCE.............................................................27 PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES.......................................29 FEATURES AND SERVICES OFFERED BY THE FUND...............................30 DIVIDENDS, CAPITAL GAINS AND TAXES......................................30 NET ASSET VALUE.........................................................35 DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS..................................................36 FUND ORGANIZATION AND SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS................................40 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION..................................................41 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS....................................................41 APPENDIX................................................................42 i INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS The fundamental policies of Scudder International Fund (the "Fund") set forth below may not be changed without the approval of a majority of the Fund's outstanding shares. As used in this Statement of Additional Information, a "majority of the Fund's outstanding shares" 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 or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Fund has elected to be classified as a diversified series of an open-end investment company. If a percentage restriction on investment or utilization of assets as set forth under "Investment Restrictions" and "Other Investment Policies" below is adhered to at the time an investment is made, a later change in percentage resulting from changes in the value or the total cost of the Fund's assets will not be considered a violation of the restriction. In addition, as a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund may not: (1) borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time; (2) issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time; (3) concentrate its investments in a particular industry, as that term is used in the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time; (4) 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; (5) 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; (6) purchase physical commodities or contracts relating to physical commodities; or (7) make loans to other persons, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time. With respect to fundamental policy number five above, the Fund has no current intention to hold and sell real estate acquired as a result of the Fund's ownership of securities. The Directors of the Corporation have voluntarily adopted certain non-fundamental policies and restrictions which are observed in the conduct of the Fund's affairs. These represent intentions of the Directors based upon current circumstances. They differ from fundamental investment policies in that they may be changed or amended by action of the Directors without requiring prior notice to or approval of the shareholders. As a matter of non-fundamental policy, the Fund does not currently intend to: (1) borrow money in an amount greater than 5% of its total assets, except (i) for temporary or emergency purposes and (ii) by engaging in reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, or other investments or transactions described in the Fund's registration statement which may be deemed to be borrowings; (2) enter into either of reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls in an amount greater than 5% of its total assets; (3) purchase securities on margin or make short sales, except (i) short sales against the box, (ii) in connection with arbitrage transactions, (iii) for margin deposits in connection with futures contracts, options or other permitted investments, (iv) that transactions in futures contracts and options shall not be deemed to constitute selling securities short, and (v) that the Fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of securities transactions; (4) purchase options, unless the aggregate premiums paid on all such options held by the Fund at any time do not exceed 20% of its total assets; or sell put options, if as a result, the aggregate value of the obligations underlying such put options would exceed 50% of its total assets; (5) enter into futures contracts or purchase options thereon unless immediately after the purchase, the value of the aggregate initial margin with respect to such futures contracts entered into on behalf of the Fund and the premiums paid for such options on futures contracts does not exceed 5% of the fair market value of the Fund's total assets; provided that in the case of an option that is in-the-money at the time of purchase, the in-the-money amount may be excluded in computing the 5% limit; (6) purchase warrants if as a result, such securities, taken at the lower of cost or market value, would represent more than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets (for this purpose, warrants acquired in units or attached to securities will be deemed to have no value); and (7) lend portfolio securities in an amount greater than 5% of its total assets. The foregoing nonfundamental policies are in addition to policies otherwise stated in the Prospectus or in this Statement of Additional Information. INVESTMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES The Fund is a diversified series of Scudder International Fund, Inc. (the "Corporation"), an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") which continuously offers and redeems its shares at net asset value. It is a company of the type commonly known as a mutual fund. The Fund currently offers seven classes of shares: Barrett International Shares, Class S shares (formerly known as International Shares), Class AARP shares, Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class I shares. This Statement of Additional Information applies only to the Barrett International Shares (the "Shares"). Except as otherwise indicated, the Fund's objectives and policies are not fundamental and may be changed without a shareholder vote. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its objective. 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 current financial position and needs. 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 Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. (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. General Investment Objective and Policies The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital by investing at least 65% of its total assets in foreign equities (equities issued by foreign-based companies and listed on foreign exchanges). These securities are selected primarily to permit the Fund to participate in non-U.S. companies and economies that are believed to have prospects for growth. The Fund invests in companies, wherever organized, which do business primarily outside the United States. The Fund generally invests in equity securities of established companies, listed on foreign exchanges (although the Fund may invest in securities traded over the counter), which the Advisor believes have favorable characteristics. The Fund's 2 equity investments include common stock, convertible and non-convertible preferred stock, sponsored and unsponsored depository receipts, and warrants. When the Advisor believes that it is appropriate to do so in order to achieve the Fund's investment objective of long-term capital growth, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in debt securities. Such debt securities include debt securities of governments, governmental agencies, supranational organizations and private issuers, including bonds denominated in the European Currency Unit (the "Euro"). Portfolio debt investments will be selected on the basis of, among other things, yield, credit quality, and the fundamental outlooks for currency and interest rate trends in different parts of the globe, taking into account the ability to hedge a degree of currency or local bond price risk. The value of fixed-income investments will fluctuate with changes in interest rates and bond market conditions, tending to rise as interest rates decline and decline as interest rates rise. The Fund will predominantly purchase "investment-grade" bonds, which are those rated Aaa, Aa, A or Baa by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or AAA, AA, A or BBB by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., ("S&P") or, if unrated, judged by the Advisor to be of equivalent quality. The Fund may also invest up to 5% of its total assets in debt securities which are rated below investment-grade (see "Risk factors"). The Fund intends to diversify investments among several countries and normally to have investments in securities of at least three different countries other than the U.S. The Fund will invest primarily in securities of issuers in the developed foreign countries included in the Morgan Stanley Capital International ("MSCI") Europe, Australia, Far East ("EAFE") and Canada Index, but may invest in "emerging markets." The Fund considers "emerging markets" to include any country that is defined as an emerging or developing economy by any of the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (i.e., the World Bank), the International Finance Corporation or the United Nations or its authorities. It is expected that the Fund's investments will include companies of varying size as measured by assets, sales or market capitalization. The major portion of the Fund's assets consists of equity securities of established companies listed on recognized exchanges; the Advisor expects this condition to continue, although the Fund may invest in other securities. In selecting securities for the Fund's portfolio, the Advisor applies a disciplined, multi-part investment approach for selecting stocks for the Fund. In analyzing companies for investment, the Advisor ordinarily looks for one or more of the following characteristics: strong competitive positioning, above-average earnings growth per share, high return on invested capital, healthy balance sheets and overall financial strength, strength of management and general operating characteristics which will enable the companies to compete successfully in the marketplace. The Advisor will further seek to have broad country representation, favoring those countries that it believes have sound economic conditions and open markets. The Advisor will also look for opportunities on a macro-economic level, seeking to identify major changes in the business environment and companies that are poised to benefit from these changes. Investment decisions are made without regard to arbitrary criteria as to minimum asset size, debt-equity ratios or dividend history of portfolio companies. The Advisor will typically sell an investment when certain criteria are met, including but not limited to: the price of the security reaches the Advisor's assessment of its fair value; the underlying investment theme is judged by the Advisor to have matured; or if the original reason for investing in the security no longer applies or is no longer valid. In applying the disciplined, multi-part investment approach for selecting stocks for the Fund, the Advisor first analyzes the pool of foreign dividend-paying securities, primarily from the world's more mature markets, and targeting stocks that have high relative yields compared to the average for their markets. In the Advisor's opinion, this group of higher-yielding stocks offers the potential for returns that is greater than or equal to the average market return, with price volatility that is lower than the overall market volatility. The Advisor believes that these potentially favorable risk and return characteristics exist because the higher dividends offered by these stocks act as a "cushion" when markets are volatile and because the stocks with higher yields tend to have more attractive valuations (e.g., lower price-to-earning ratios and lower price-to-book ratios). The second stage of portfolio construction involves a fundamental analysis of each company's financial strength, profitability, projected earnings, competitive positioning, and ability of management. During this step, the Advisor's research team identifies what it believes are the most promising stocks for the Fund's portfolio. The third stage of the investment process involves diversifying the portfolio among different industry sectors. The key element of this stage is evaluating how the stocks in different sectors react to economic factors such as interest rates, inflation, Gross Domestic Product, and consumer spending, and then attaining a proper balance of stocks in these sectors based on the Advisor's economic forecast. The fourth and final stage of this ongoing process is diversifying the portfolio among different countries. The Advisor will seek to have broad country representation, favoring those countries that it believes have sound economic conditions and open markets. The Fund's strategy is to manage risk and create opportunity at each of the four stages in its investment process, starting with the focus on stocks with high relative yields. 3 The Fund may hold up to 20% of its net assets in U.S. and foreign fixed income securities for temporary defensive purposes when the Advisor believes that market conditions so warrant. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets under normal conditions, and without limit for temporary defensive purposes, in cash or cash equivalents including domestic and foreign money market instruments, short-term government and corporate obligations and repurchase agreements, when the Advisor deems such a position advisable in light of economic or market conditions. It is impossible to accurately predict how long such alternative strategies may be utilized. In addition, the Fund may engage in reverse repurchase agreements, illiquid securities and strategic transactions, which may include derivatives. Foreign securities such as those purchased by the Fund may be subject to foreign governmental taxes which could reduce the yield on such securities, although a shareholder of the Fund may, subject to certain limitations, be entitled to claim a credit or deduction for U.S. federal income tax purposes for his or her proportionate share of such foreign taxes paid by the Fund. From time to time, the Fund may be a purchaser of illiquid securities, such as restricted debt or equity securities (i.e., securities which may require registration under the Securities Act of 1933, or an exemption therefrom, in order to be sold in the ordinary course of business) in a private placement. (See "Illiquid Securities and Restricted Securities.") The Fund cannot guarantee a gain or eliminate the risk of loss. The net asset value of the Fund's shares will increase or decrease with changes in the market price of the Fund's investments, and there is no assurance that the Fund's objectives will be achieved. Master/feeder structure The Board of Directors of the Fund (the "Board" or the "Directors") has the discretion to retain the current distribution arrangement for the Fund while investing in a master fund in a master/feeder fund structure as described below. A master/feeder fund structure is one in which a fund (a "feeder fund"), instead of investing directly in a portfolio of securities, invests most or all of its investment assets in a separate registered investment company (the "master fund") with substantially the same investment objective and policies as the feeder fund. Such a structure permits the pooling of assets of two or more feeder funds, preserving separate identities or distribution channels at the feeder fund level. Based on the premise that certain of the expenses of operating an investment portfolio are relatively fixed, a larger investment portfolio may eventually achieve a lower ratio of operating expenses to average net assets. An existing investment company is able to convert to a feeder fund by selling all of its investments, which involves brokerage and other transaction costs and realization of a taxable gain or loss, or by contributing its assets to the master fund and avoiding transaction costs and, if proper procedures are followed, the realization of taxable gain or loss. Borrowing. The Fund will borrow only when the Advisor believes that borrowing will benefit the Fund after taking into account considerations such as the costs of the borrowing. Borrowing by the Fund will involve special risk considerations. Although the principal of the Fund's borrowings will be fixed, the Fund's assets may change in value during the time a borrowing is outstanding, proportionately increasing exposure to capital risk. Common Stocks. Common stock is issued by companies to raise cash for business purposes and represents a proportionate interest in the issuing companies. Therefore, the Fund participates in the success or failure of any company in which it holds stock. The market values of common stock can fluctuate significantly, reflecting the business performance of the issuing company, investor perception and general economic and financial market movements. Despite the risk of price volatility, however, common stocks have historically offered a greater potential for long-term gain on investment, compared to other classes of financial assets such as bonds or cash equivalents, although there can be no assurance that this will be true in the future. Convertible Securities. The Fund may invest in convertible securities, that is, bonds, notes, debentures, preferred stocks and other securities which are convertible into common stock. Investments in convertible securities can provide an opportunity for capital appreciation and/or income through interest and dividend payments by virtue of their conversion or exchange features. The convertible securities in which the Fund may invest are either fixed income or zero coupon debt securities which may be converted or exchanged at a stated or determinable exchange ratio into underlying shares of common stock. The exchange ratio for any particular convertible security may be adjusted from time to time due to stock splits, dividends, 4 spin-offs, other corporate distributions or scheduled changes in the exchange ratio. Convertible debt securities and convertible preferred stocks, until converted, have general characteristics similar to both debt and equity securities. Although to a lesser extent than with debt securities generally, the market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, tends to increase as interest rates decline. In addition, because of the conversion or exchange feature, the market value of convertible securities typically changes as the market value of the underlying common stocks changes, and, therefore, also tends to follow movements in the general market for equity securities. A unique feature of convertible securities is that as the market price of the underlying common stock declines, convertible securities tend to trade increasingly on a yield basis, and so may not experience market value declines to the same extent as the underlying common stock. When the market price of the underlying common stock increases, the prices of the convertible securities tend to rise as a reflection of the value of the underlying common stock, although typically not as much as the underlying common stock. While no securities investments are without risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than investments in common stock of the same issuer. As debt securities, convertible securities are investments which provide for a stream of income (or in the case of zero coupon securities, accretion of income) with generally higher yields than common stocks. Convertible securities generally offer lower yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality because of their conversion or exchange features. Of course, like all debt securities, there can be no assurance of income or principal payments because the issuers of the convertible securities may default on their obligations. Convertible securities generally are subordinated to other similar but non-convertible securities of the same issuer, although convertible bonds, as corporate debt obligations, enjoy seniority in right of payment to all equity securities, and convertible preferred stock is senior to common stock, of the same issuer. However, because of the subordination feature, convertible bonds and convertible preferred stock typically have lower ratings than similar non-convertible securities. Convertible securities may be issued as fixed income obligations that pay current income or as zero coupon notes and bonds, including Liquid Yield Option Notes ("LYONs"(TM)). 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. 5 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 a Fund is engaging in proxy hedging. If a Fund enters into a currency hedging transaction, that 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. Depositary Receipts. The Fund may invest in sponsored or unsponsored American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs"), Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), International Depositary Receipts ("IDRs") and other types of Depositary Receipts (which, together with ADRs, GDRs and IDRs are hereinafter referred to as "Depositary Receipts"). Depositary receipts provide indirect investment in securities of foreign issuers. Prices of unsponsored Depositary Receipts may be more volatile than if they were sponsored by the issuer of the underlying securities. Depositary Receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. In addition, the issuers of the stock of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States and, therefore, there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts. ADRs are Depositary Receipts which are bought and sold in the United States and are typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company which evidence ownership of underlying securities by a foreign corporation. GDRs, IDRs and other types of Depositary Receipts are typically issued by foreign banks or trust companies, although they may also be issued by United States banks or trust companies, and evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by either a foreign or a United States corporation. Generally, Depositary Receipts in registered form are designed for use in the United States securities markets and Depositary Receipts in bearer form are designed for use in securities markets outside the United States. For purposes of the Fund's investment policies, the Fund's investments in ADRs, GDRs and other types of Depositary Receipts will be deemed to be investments in the underlying securities. Depositary Receipts, including those denominated in U.S. dollars will be subject to foreign currency exchange rate risk. However, by investing in U.S. dollar-denominated ADRs rather than directly in foreign issuers' stock, the Fund avoids currency risks during the settlement period. In general, there is a large, liquid market in the United States for most ADRs. However, certain Depositary Receipts may not be listed on an exchange and therefore may be illiquid securities. Dollar Roll Transactions. Dollar roll transactions consist of the sale by the Fund to a bank or broker/dealer (the "counterparty") of GNMA certificates or other mortgage-backed securities together with a commitment to purchase from the counterparty similar, but not identical, securities at a future date, at the same price. The counterparty receives all principal and interest payments, including prepayments, made on the security while it is the holder. The Fund receives a fee from the counterparty as consideration for entering into the commitment to purchase. Dollar rolls may be renewed over a period of several months with a different purchase and repurchase price fixed and a cash settlement made at each renewal without physical delivery of securities. Moreover, the transaction may be preceded by a firm commitment agreement pursuant to which the Fund agrees to buy a security on a future date. 6 The Fund will segregate cash, U.S. Government securities or other liquid assets in an amount sufficient to meet their purchase obligations under the transactions. The Fund will also maintain asset coverage of at least 300% for all outstanding firm commitments, dollar rolls and other borrowings. Dollar rolls may be treated for purposes of the 1940 Act as borrowings of the Fund because they involve the sale of a security coupled with an agreement to repurchase. A dollar roll involves costs to the Fund. For example, while the Fund receives a fee as consideration for agreeing to repurchase the security, the Fund forgoes the right to receive all principal and interest payments while the counterparty holds the security. These payments to the counterparty may exceed the fee received by the Fund, thereby effectively charging the Fund interest on its borrowing. Further, although the Fund can estimate the amount of expected principal prepayment over the term of the dollar roll, a variation in the actual amount of prepayment could increase or decrease the cost of the Fund's borrowing. The entry into dollar rolls involves potential risks of loss that are different from those related to the securities underlying the transactions. For example, if the counterparty becomes insolvent, the Fund's right to purchase from the counterparty might be restricted. Additionally, the value of such securities may change adversely before the Fund is able to purchase them. Similarly, the Fund may be required to purchase securities in connection with a dollar roll at a higher price than may otherwise be available on the open market. Since, as noted above, the counterparty is required to deliver a similar, but not identical security to the Fund, the security that the Fund is required to buy under the dollar roll may be worth less than an identical security. Finally, there can be no assurance that the Fund's use of the cash that it receives from a dollar roll will provide a return that exceeds borrowing costs. Euro. The implementation of the Euro may result in uncertainties for European securities and the operation of the Fund. The Euro was introduced on January 1, 1999 by eleven members countries of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Implementation of the Euro requires the redenomination of European debt and equity securities over a period of time, which may result in various accounting differences and/or tax treatments which would not otherwise occur. Additional questions are raised by the fact that certain other European Community members, including the United Kingdom, did not officially implement the Euro on January 1, 1999. 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 Investment Risk. While the Fund offers the potential for substantial appreciation over time, it also involves above-average investment risk in comparison to a mutual fund investing in a broad range of U.S. equity securities. The Fund is designed as a long-term investment and not for short-term trading purposes. The Fund should not be considered a complete investment program, although it could serve as a core international holding for an individual's portfolio. The Fund's net asset value, or price, can fluctuate significantly with changes in stock market levels, political developments, movements in currencies, global investment flows and other factors. 7 Foreign Securities. Investing in foreign securities involves certain special considerations, including those set forth below, which are not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities and which may favorably or unfavorably affect the Fund's performance. As foreign companies are not generally subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to domestic companies, there may be less publicly available information about a foreign company than about a domestic company. Many foreign securities markets, while growing in volume of trading activity, have substantially less volume than the U.S. market, and securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and more volatile than securities of domestic issuers. Similarly, volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets is less than in the U.S. and, at times, volatility of price can be greater than in the U.S. Fixed commissions on some foreign securities exchanges and bid to asked spreads in foreign bond markets are generally higher than commissions or bid to asked spreads on U.S. markets, although the Advisor will endeavor to achieve the most favorable net results on its portfolio transactions. There is generally less governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers and listed companies in foreign countries than in the U.S. It may be more difficult for the Fund's agents to keep currently informed about corporate actions in foreign countries which may affect the prices of portfolio securities. Communications between the U.S. and foreign countries may be less reliable than within the U.S., thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Payment for securities without delivery may be required in certain foreign markets. In addition, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments which could affect U.S. investments in those countries. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. The management of the Fund seeks to mitigate the risks associated with the foregoing considerations through continuous professional management. 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. The Fund will invest no more than 5% of its total assets in securities rated BB or lower by Moody's or Ba by S&P, and may invest in securities which are rated D by S&P. Securities rated D may be in default with respect to payment of principal or interest. [See the Appendix to this Statement of Additional Information for a more complete description of the ratings assigned by ratings organizations and their respective characteristics]. 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. 8 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. Prices for below investment-grade securities may be affected by legislative and regulatory developments. Also, Congress has from time to time considered legislation which would restrict or eliminate the corporate tax deduction for interest payments in these securities and regulate corporate restructurings. Such legislation may significantly depress the prices of outstanding securities of this type. 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. 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 Fund'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 Securities Act of 1933, as amended 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. This investment practice, therefore, could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity of the Fund. Interfund Lending Program. The Fund has received exemptive relief with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") that permits the Fund to participate in an interfund lending program among certain investment companies advised by the Advisor. The requested relief, the interfund lending program would allow 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, a fund would 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 would extend 9 overnight, but could have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans could be called on one day's notice. A 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 Boards of the participating funds. To the extent the Fund is actually engaged in borrowing through the interfund lending program, the Fund, as a matter of non-fundamental policy, may not borrow for other than temporary or emergency purposes (and not for leveraging) except that the Fund may engage in reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls for any purpose. 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. 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 correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specific Morgan Stanley Capital International Index. Investment-Grade Bonds. The Fund may purchase "investment-grade" bonds, which are those rated Aaa, Aa, A or Baa by Moody's or AAA, AA, A or BBB by S&P or, if unrated, judged to be of equivalent quality as determined by the Advisor. Moody's considers bonds it rates Baa to have speculative elements as well as investment-grade characteristics. 10 To the extent that the Fund invests in higher-grade securities, the Fund will not be able to avail itself of opportunities for higher income which may be available at lower grades. 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 Scudder Cash Management Investment Trust, or one or more future entities for which Zurich Scudder Investments 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 Investment Company 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 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 in shares of the Central Funds. Purchase and sales of shares of Central Funds are made at net asset value. Investing in Emerging Markets. The Fund's investments in foreign securities may be in developed countries or in countries considered by the Fund's Advisor to have developing or "emerging" markets, which involves exposure to economic structures that are generally less diverse and mature than in the United States, and to political systems that may be less stable. A developing or emerging market country can be considered to be a country that is in the initial stages of its industrialization cycle. Currently, emerging markets generally include every country in the world other than the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and most Western European countries. Currently, investing in many emerging markets may not be desirable or feasible because of the lack of adequate custody arrangements for the Fund's assets, overly burdensome repatriation and similar restrictions, the lack of organized and liquid securities markets, unacceptable political risks or other reasons. As opportunities to invest in securities in emerging markets develop, the Fund may expand and further broaden the group of emerging markets in which it invests. In the past, markets of developing or emerging market countries have been more volatile than the markets of developed countries; however, such markets often have provided higher rates of return to investors. The Advisor believes that these characteristics may be expected to continue in the future. Most emerging securities markets have substantially less volume and are subject to less governmental supervision than U.S. securities markets. Securities of many issuers in emerging markets may be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable domestic issuers. In addition, there is less regulation of securities exchanges, securities dealers, and listed and unlisted companies in emerging markets than in the U.S. Emerging markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have not kept pace with the volume of securities transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the Fund is uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of the Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the portfolio security or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the security, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. Costs associated with transactions in foreign securities are generally higher than costs associated with transactions in U.S. securities. Such transactions also involve additional costs for the purchase or sale of foreign currency. Certain emerging markets require prior governmental approval of investments by foreign persons, limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular company, limit the investment by foreign persons only to a specific class 11 of securities of a company that may have less advantageous rights than the classes available for purchase by domiciliaries of the countries and/or impose additional taxes on foreign investors. Certain emerging markets may also restrict investment opportunities in issuers in industries deemed important to national interest. Certain emerging markets may require governmental approval for the repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of securities by foreign investors. In addition, if a deterioration occurs in an emerging market's balance of payments or for other reasons, a country could impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Fund of any restrictions on investments. In the course of investment in emerging markets, the Fund will be exposed to the direct or indirect consequences of political, social and economic changes in one or more emerging markets. While the Fund will manage its assets in a manner that will seek to minimize the exposure to such risks, there can be no assurance that adverse political, social or economic changes will not cause the Fund to suffer a loss of value in respect of the securities in the Fund's portfolio. 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 Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly if the Fund believes that appropriate circumstances exist, it will promptly apply to the Securities and Exchange Commission 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 Securities and Exchange Commission 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. Volume and liquidity in most foreign markets are less than in the U.S., and securities of many foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although the Fund endeavors to achieve the most favorable net results on its portfolio transactions. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of business and industry practices, securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the U.S. Mail service between the U.S. and foreign countries may be slower or less reliable than within the U.S., thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for certificated portfolio securities. In addition, with respect to certain emerging markets, there is the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments which could affect the Fund's investments in those countries. Moreover, individual emerging market economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. The Fund may have limited legal recourse in the event of a default with respect to certain debt obligations it holds. If the issuer of a fixed-income security owned by the Fund defaults, the Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. Debt obligations issued by emerging market country governments differ from debt obligations of private entities; remedies from defaults on debt obligations issued by emerging market governments, unlike those on private debt, must be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party itself. The Fund's ability to enforce its rights against private issuers may be limited. The ability to attach assets to enforce a judgment may be limited. Legal recourse is therefore somewhat diminished. Bankruptcy, moratorium and other similar laws applicable to private issuers of debt obligations may be substantially different from those of other countries. The political context, expressed as an emerging market governmental issuer's willingness to meet the terms of the debt obligation, for example, is of considerable importance. In addition, no assurance can be given that the holders of commercial bank debt may not contest payments to the holders of debt obligations in the event of default under commercial bank loan agreements. Income from securities held by the Fund could be reduced by a withholding tax at the source or other taxes imposed by the emerging market countries in which the Fund makes its investments. The Fund's net asset value may also be affected by changes in the rates or methods of taxation applicable to the Fund or to entities in which the Fund has invested. The Advisor will consider the cost of any taxes in determining whether to acquire any particular investments, but can provide no assurance that the taxes will not be subject to change. Many emerging markets have experienced substantial, and, in some periods, extremely high rates of inflation for many years. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had and may continue to have adverse effects on the economies and securities markets of certain emerging market countries. In an attempt to control inflation, wage and price controls have 12 been imposed in certain countries. Of these countries, some, in recent years, have begun to control inflation through prudent economic policies. 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. Obligations arising from past restructuring agreements may affect the economic performance and political and social stability of those issuers. Governments of many emerging market 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 any given country. As a result, government actions in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions in emerging markets, which in turn, may adversely affect companies in the private sector, general market conditions and prices and yields of certain of the securities in the Fund's portfolio. Expropriation, confiscatory taxation, nationalization, political, economic or social instability or other similar developments have occurred frequently over the history of certain emerging markets and could adversely affect the Fund's assets should these conditions recur. 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. Lending of Portfolio Securities. The Fund may seek to increase its income by lending portfolio securities. Such loans may be made to registered broker/dealers or other financial institutions, and are required to be secured continuously by collateral in cash or liquid assets, maintained on a current basis at an amount at least equal to the market value and accrued interest of the securities loaned. The Fund has the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned on five days' notice or, in connection with securities trading on foreign markets, within such longer period of time which coincides with the normal settlement period for purchases and sales of such securities in such foreign markets. During the existence of a loan, the Fund continues to receive the equivalent of any distributions paid by the issuer on the securities loaned and also receives compensation based on investment of the collateral. The risks in lending securities, as with other extensions of secured credit, consist of a possible delay in recovery and a loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially. Loans may be made only to firms deemed by the Advisor to be of good standing and will not be made unless, in the judgment of the Advisor, the consideration to be earned from such loans would justify the risk. Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may invest 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 13 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, the value of such securities is 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 Obligation purchased for the Fund, the Advisor seeks to reduce 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. 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 such securities 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. Trust Preferred Securities. The Fund may invest in Trust Preferred Securities, which are hybrid instruments issued by a special purpose trust (the "Special Trust"), the entire equity interest of which is owned by a single issuer. The proceeds of the issuance to the Fund of Trust Preferred Securities are typically used to purchase a junior subordinated debenture, and distributions from the Special Trust are funded by the payments of principal and interest on the subordinated debenture. If payments on the underlying junior subordinated debentures held by the Special Trust are deferred by the debenture issuer, the debentures would be treated as original issue discount ("OID") obligations for the remainder of their term. As a result, holders of Trust Preferred Securities, such as the Fund, would be required to accrue daily for Federal income tax purposes their share of the stated interest and the de minimis OID on the debentures (regardless of whether the Fund receives any cash distributions from the Special Trust), and the value of Trust Preferred Securities would likely be negatively affected. Interest payments on the underlying junior subordinated debentures typically may only be deferred if dividends are suspended on both common and preferred stock of the issuer. The underlying junior subordinated debentures generally rank slightly higher in terms of payment priority than both common and preferred securities of the issuer, but rank below other subordinated debentures and debt securities. Trust Preferred Securities may be subject to mandatory prepayment under certain circumstances. The market values of Trust Preferred Securities may be more volatile than those of conventional debt securities. Trust Preferred Securities may be issued in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, and, unless and until registered, are restricted securities; there can be no assurance as to the liquidity of Trust Preferred Securities and the ability of holders of Trust Preferred Securities, such as the Fund, to sell their holdings. Warrants. The Fund may invest in warrants up to 5% of the value of its net 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 14 option. Thus, if a warrant held by the Fund were not exercised by the date of its expiration, the Fund would lose the entire purchase price of the warrant. 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. 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 fixed-income securities in the Fund's portfolio, or enhancing potential gain. These strategies may be executed through the use of derivative contracts. Such strategies are generally accepted as a part of modern portfolio management and are regularly utilized by many mutual funds and other institutional investors. 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 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 fixed-income securities in 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 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 15 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." 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 agreements with the Counterparties. 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 16 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 U.S. 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 U.S. Treasury and agency securities, mortgage-backed securities, corporate debt securities, equity securities (including convertible securities) and Eurodollar instruments that are traded on U.S. 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 U.S. 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 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, for 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 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's use of futures and options thereon will in all cases be consistent with applicable regulatory requirements and in particular the rules and regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and will be entered into for bona fide hedging, risk management (including duration management) or other portfolio management and return enhancement 17 purposes. 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 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. The Fund will not enter into a futures contract or related option (except for closing transactions) if, immediately thereafter, the sum of the amount of its initial margin and premiums on open futures contracts and options thereon would exceed 5% of the Fund's total assets (taken at current value); however, in the case of an option that is in-the-money at the time of the purchase, the in-the-money amount may be excluded in calculating the 5% limitation. The segregation requirements with respect to futures contracts and options thereon are described below. 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. 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. 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. 18 The Fund will usually enter into swaps on a net basis, i.e., the two payment streams are netted out in a cash settlement on the payment date or dates specified in the instrument, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Inasmuch as the Fund will segregate assets (or enter into any offsetting position) to cover its obligations under swaps, the Advisor and the Fund believe such obligations do not constitute senior securities under the 1940 Act, and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to its borrowing restrictions. The Fund will not enter into any swap, cap, floor or collar transaction unless, at the time of entering into such transaction, the unsecured long-term debt of the Counterparty, combined with any credit enhancements, is rated at least A by S&P or Moody's or has an equivalent rating from a NRSRO or is determined to be of equivalent credit quality by the Advisor. If there is a default by the Counterparty, the Fund may have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid. Caps, floors and collars are more recent innovations for which standardized documentation has not yet been fully developed and, accordingly, they are less liquid than swaps. Eurodollar Instruments. The Fund may make investments in Eurodollar instruments. Eurodollar instruments are U.S. dollar-denominated futures contracts or options thereon which are linked to the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"), although foreign currency-denominated instruments are available from time to time. Eurodollar futures contracts enable purchasers to obtain a fixed rate for the lending of funds and sellers to obtain a fixed rate for borrowings. The Fund might use Eurodollar futures contracts and options thereon to hedge against changes in LIBOR, to which many interest rate swaps and fixed income instruments are linked. Risks of Strategic Transactions Outside the U.S. When conducted outside the U.S., Strategic Transactions may not be regulated as rigorously as in the U.S., 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 U.S. 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 U.S., (iv) the imposition of different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and margin requirements than in the U.S., and (v) lower trading volume and liquidity. 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 securities 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 securities 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 securities 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 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 19 election of either physical delivery or cash settlement and the Fund will segregate an amount of 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, possibly, daily variation margin in addition to segregating 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 assets may consist of cash, cash equivalents, short-term 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 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, assets equal to any remaining obligation would need to be segregated. Portfolio Turnover The Fund's average annual portfolio turnover rate is the ratio of the lesser of sales or purchases to the monthly average value of the portfolio securities owned during the year, excluding all securities with maturities or expiration dates at the time of acquisition of one year or less. The Fund's portfolio turnover rates for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2000 and August 31, 2001 were 83% and 85%, respectively. Purchases and sales are made for the Fund's portfolio whenever necessary, in management's opinion, to meet the Fund's objective. MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND Investment Advisor Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. (the "Advisor"), an investment counsel firm, acts as investment advisor to the Fund. This organization, the predecessor of which is Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc., is one of the most experienced investment counsel firms in the U. S. It was established as a partnership in 1919 and pioneered the practice of providing investment counsel to individual clients on a fee basis. In 1928 it introduced the first no-load mutual fund to the public. In 1953 the Advisor introduced Scudder International Fund, Inc., the first mutual fund available in the U.S. investing internationally in securities of issuers in several foreign countries. The predecessor firm reorganized from a partnership to a corporation on June 28, 1985. On December 31, 1997, Zurich Insurance Company ("Zurich") acquired a majority interest in Scudder, and Zurich Kemper Investments, Inc., a Zurich subsidiary, became part of Scudder. Scudder's name changed to Scudder Kemper Investments, Inc. On September 7, 1998, the businesses of Zurich (including Zurich's 70% interest in Scudder Kemper) and the financial services businesses of B.A.T. Industries p.l.c. ("B.A.T.") were combined to form a new global insurance and financial services company known as Zurich Financial Services Group. By way of a dual holding company structure, former Zurich shareholders initially owned approximately 57% of Zurich Financial Services Group, with the balance initially owned by former B.A.T. shareholders. On October 17, 2000, the dual holding company structure of Zurich Financial Services Group, comprised of Allied Zurich p.l.c. in the United Kingdom and Zurich Allied A.G. in Switzerland, was unified into a single Swiss holding company, Zurich Financial Services. On January 1, 2001, the Advisor changed its name from Scudder Kemper Investments, Inc. to Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. Founded in 1872, Zurich is a multinational, public corporation organized under the laws of Switzerland. Its home office is located at Mythenquai 2, 8002 Zurich, Switzerland. Historically, Zurich's earnings have resulted from its operations as an insurer as well as from its ownership of its subsidiaries and affiliated companies (the "Zurich Insurance Group"). 20 Zurich and the Zurich Insurance Group provide an extensive range of insurance products and services and have branch offices and subsidiaries in more than 40 countries throughout the world. The principal source of the Advisor's income is professional fees received from providing continuous investment advice. Today, it provides investment counsel for many individuals and institutions, including insurance companies, colleges, industrial corporations, and financial and banking organizations as well as providing investment advice to over 280 open and closed-end mutual funds. The Advisor maintains a large research department, which conducts continuous studies of the factors that affect the position of various industries, companies and individual securities. The Advisor receives published reports and statistical compilations from issuers and other sources, as well as analyses from brokers and dealers who may execute portfolio transactions for the Advisor's clients. However, the Advisor regards this information and material as an adjunct to its own research activities. The Advisor's international investment management team travels the world, researching hundreds of companies. In selecting the securities in which the Fund may invest, the conclusions and investment decisions of the Advisor with respect to the Fund are based primarily on the analyses of its own research department. 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. In certain cases, the investments for the Fund are 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 the Fund can be expected to vary from those of other mutual funds. Upon consummation of the B.A.T. transaction, the Fund's existing investment management agreement with Scudder Kemper was deemed to have been assigned and, therefore, terminated. The Board approved a new investment management agreement with the Advisor, which is substantially identical to the prior investment management agreement, except for the dates of execution and termination. The new investment management agreement became effective September 7, 1998, upon the termination of the then current investment management agreement and was approved at a shareholder meeting held on December 15, 1998. An Amended and Restated investment management agreement (the "Agreement") for the Fund was approved by the Directors on July 10, 2000 and at a shareholder meeting held on July 13, 2000 and became effective on August 14, 2000. The Agreement will continue in effect until September 30, 2002 and from year to year thereafter only if its continuance is approved annually by the vote of a majority of those Directors who are not parties to such Agreement or interested persons of the Advisor or the Corporation, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and either by a vote of the Corporation's Directors or of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Agreement may be terminated at any time without payment of penalty by either party on sixty days' written notice and automatically terminates in the event of its assignment. Under the Agreement, the Advisor regularly provides the Fund with continuing investment management for the Fund's portfolio consistent with the Fund's investment objectives, policies and restrictions and determines which securities shall be purchased, held or sold and what portion of the Fund's assets shall be held uninvested, subject always to the Corporation's Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, of the 1940 Act and the Code and to the Fund's investment objective, policies and restrictions, and subject, further, to such policies and instructions as the Board of the Corporation may from time to time establish. The Advisor also advises and assists the officers of the Corporation in taking such 21 steps as are necessary or appropriate to carry out the decisions of its Directors and the appropriate committees of the Directors regarding the conduct of the business of the Corporation. Under the Agreement, the Advisor also renders significant administrative services (not otherwise provided by third parties) necessary for the Corporation's operations as an open-end investment company including, but not limited to, preparing reports and notices to the Directors and shareholders; supervising, negotiating contractual arrangements with, and monitoring various third-party service providers to the Fund (such as the Fund's transfer agent, pricing agents, custodian, accountants and others); preparing and making filings with the SEC and other regulatory agencies; assisting in the preparation and filing of the Fund's federal, state and local tax returns; preparing and filing the Fund's federal excise tax returns; assisting with investor and public relations matters; monitoring the valuation of securities and the calculation of net asset value; monitoring the registration of shares of the Fund under applicable federal and state securities laws; maintaining the Fund's books and records to the extent not otherwise maintained by a third party; assisting in establishing accounting policies of the Fund; assisting in the resolution of accounting and legal issues; establishing and monitoring the Fund's operating budget; processing the payment of the Fund's bills; assisting the Fund in, and otherwise arranging for, the payment of distributions and dividends and otherwise assisting the Fund in the conduct of its business, subject to the direction and control of the Directors. The Advisor pays the compensation and expenses (except those of attending Board and committee meetings outside New York, New York or Boston, Massachusetts) of all Directors, officers and executive employees of the Fund affiliated with the Advisor and makes available, without expense to the Fund, the services of such Directors, officers and employees of the Advisor as may duly be elected officers of the Fund, subject to their individual consent to serve and to any limitations imposed by law, and provides the Fund's office space and facilities. For these services, the Fund pays the Advisor a fee equal to 0.675% of average daily net assets on such assets up to $6 billion, 0.625% of average daily net assets on the next $1 billion, and 0.600% of average daily net assets on such assets exceeding $7 billion, computed and accrued daily and payable monthly. Under the Agreement between the Fund and the Advisor, effective September 7, 1998 until August 14, 2000, the management fee payable under the Agreement was equal to an annual rate of approximately 0.90% of the first $500 million of average daily net assets, 0.85% of the next $500 million of such net assets, 0.80% of the next $1 billion of such net assets, 0.75% of the next $1 billion of such net assets, and 0.70% of such net assets in excess of $3 billion, computed and accrued daily and payable monthly. The investment advisory fee for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999 was $23,819,941. For the five months ended August 31, 1999, the investment advisory fees pursuant to the Agreement amounted to $11,269,103. For the years ended August 31, 2000 and 2001, the investment advisory fees amounted to $36,335,757 and $28,435,700. The investment advisory fee for 2001 was was equivalent to an annual effective rate of 0.675% of the Fund's average daily net assets. Under the Agreement the Fund is responsible for all of its other expenses including: fees and expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; brokers' commissions; legal, auditing and accounting expenses; the calculation of net asset value; taxes and governmental fees; the fees and expenses of the Transfer Agent; the cost of preparing share certificates or any other expenses of issue, sale, underwriting, distribution, redemption or repurchase of shares; the expenses of and the fees for registering or qualifying securities for sale; the fees and expenses of Directors, officers and employees of the Fund who are not affiliated with the Advisor; the cost of printing and distributing reports and notices to stockholders; and the fees and disbursements of custodians. The Fund may arrange to have third parties assume all or part of the expenses of sale, underwriting and distribution of shares of the Fund. The Fund is also responsible for its expenses of shareholders' meetings, the cost of responding to shareholders' inquiries, and its expenses incurred in connection with litigation, proceedings and claims and the legal obligation it may have to indemnify its officers and Directors of the Corporation with respect thereto. The Agreement expressly provides that the Advisor shall not be required to pay a pricing agent of the Fund for portfolio pricing services, if any. The Agreement identifies the Advisor as the exclusive licensee of the rights to use and sublicense the names "Scudder," "Scudder Kemper Investments, Inc." and "Scudder Stevens and Clark, Inc." (together, the "Scudder Marks"). Under this license, the Corporation, with respect to the Fund, has the non-exclusive right to use and sublicense the Scudder name and marks as part of its name, and to use the Scudder Marks in the Corporation's investment products and services. 22 In reviewing the terms of the Agreement and in discussions with the Advisor concerning such Agreement, the Directors of the Corporation who are not "interested persons" of the Advisor are represented by independent counsel at the Fund's expense. 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 misfeasance, 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. Officers and employees of the Advisor from time to time may have transactions with various banks, including the Fund's custodian bank. It is the Advisor's opinion that the terms and conditions of those transactions which have occurred were not influenced by existing or potential custodial or other Fund relationships. The Advisor may serve as advisor to other funds with investment objectives and policies similar to those of the Fund that may have different distribution arrangements or expenses, which may affect performance. None of the officers or Directors of the Corporation may have dealings with the Fund as principals in the purchase or sale of securities, except as individual subscribers to or holders of shares of the Fund. AMA InvestmentLink(SM) Program Pursuant to an Agreement between the Advisor and AMA Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of the American Medical Association (the "AMA"), dated May 9, 1997, the Advisor has agreed, subject to applicable state regulations, to pay AMA Solutions, Inc. royalties in an amount equal to 5% of the management fee received by the Advisor with respect to assets invested by AMA members in Scudder funds in connection with the AMA InvestmentLink(SM) Program. The Advisor will also pay AMA Solutions, Inc. a general monthly fee, currently in the amount of $833. The AMA and AMA Solutions, Inc. are not engaged in the business of providing investment advice and neither is registered as an investment advisor or broker/dealer under federal securities laws. Any person who participates in the AMA InvestmentLink(SM) Program will be a customer of the Advisor (or of a subsidiary thereof) and not the AMA or AMA Solutions, Inc. AMA InvestmentLink(SM) is a service mark of AMA Solutions, Inc. Code of Ethics The Fund, the Advisor and principal underwriter have each adopted codes of ethics under rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act. Board members, officers of the Fund and employees of the Advisor and principal underwriter are permitted to make personal securities transactions, including transactions in securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds, subject to 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. Administrative Agreement The Fund has an administrative services agreement with the Advisor (the "Administrative Agreement"), pursuant to which the Advisor will provide or pay others to provide substantially all of the administrative services required by the Fund (other than those provided by the Advisor under its investment management agreement with the Fund, as described above) in exchange for the payment by the Fund of an administrative services fee (the "Administrative Fee") of 0.375% of its average daily net assets. One effect of these arrangements is to make the Fund's future expense ratio more predictable. However, the Fund will not benefit from economies of scale derived from increases in assets. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2001, the Administrative Fee charged to the Fund amounted to $15,823,658, of which $1,173,785 was unpaid at August 31, 2001. For the period August 14, 2000 through August 31, 2000, the Administrative Fee charged to the Fund amounted to $921,739. 23 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. Scudder Fund Accounting Corporation, a subsidiary of the Advisor, computes net asset value for the Fund and maintains its accounting records. Scudder Service Corporation, also a subsidiary of the Advisor, is the transfer, shareholder servicing and dividend-paying agent for the shares of the Fund. Scudder Trust Company, an affiliate of the Advisor, provides subaccounting and recordkeeping services for shareholders in certain retirement and employee benefit plans. As custodian, Brown Brothers Harriman holds the portfolio securities of the Fund, pursuant to a custodian agreement. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP audits the financial statements of the Fund and provides other audit, tax, and related services. Dechert acts as general counsel for the Fund. The Advisor will pay the Service Providers for the provision of their services to the Fund and will pay other fund expenses, including insurance, registration, printing and postage fees. In return, the Fund will pay the Advisor an Administrative Fee. The Administrative Agreement has an initial term of three years, subject to earlier termination by the Fund's Board. 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 Directors (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. Brokerage Commissions Allocation of brokerage is supervised by the Advisor. The primary objective of the Advisor in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities for the Fund is to obtain the most favorable net results, taking into account such factors as price, commission where applicable, size of order, difficulty of execution and skill required of the executing broker/dealer. The Advisor seeks to evaluate the overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid (to the extent applicable) through the familiarity of the Distributor with commissions charged on comparable transactions, as well as by comparing commissions 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. The Fund's purchases and sales of fixed-income securities are generally placed by the Advisor with primary market makers for these securities on a net basis, without any brokerage commission being paid by the Fund. Trading does, however, involve transaction costs. Transactions with dealers serving as primary market makers reflect the spread between the bid and asked prices. Purchases of underwritten issues may be made, which will include an underwriting fee paid to the underwriter. When it can be done consistently with the policy of obtaining the most favorable net results, it is the Advisor's practice to place such orders with broker/dealers who supply research, market and statistical information to the Advisor or the Fund. The term "research services" includes advice as to the value of securities; the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities; the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; and analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy and the performance of accounts. The Advisor is authorized when placing portfolio transactions, if applicable, for the Fund to pay a brokerage commission in excess of that which another broker might charge for executing the same transaction on account of execution services and the receipt of research services. The Advisor has negotiated arrangements, which are not applicable to most fixed-income transactions, with certain broker/dealers pursuant to which a broker/dealer will provide research services, to the Advisor or the Fund in exchange for the direction by the Advisor of brokerage transactions to the broker/dealer. These arrangements regarding receipt of research services generally apply to equity security transactions. The Advisor may place orders with a broker/dealer on the basis that the broker/dealer has or has not sold shares of the Fund. In effecting transactions in over-the-counter securities, orders are placed with the principal market makers for the security being traded unless, after exercising care, it appears that more favorable results are available elsewhere. 24 To the maximum extent feasible, it is expected that the Advisor will place orders for portfolio transactions through the Distributor, which is a corporation registered as a broker/dealer and a subsidiary of the Advisor; the Distributor will place orders on behalf of the Fund with issuers, underwriters or other brokers and dealers. The Distributor will not receive any commission, fee or other remuneration from the Fund for this service. Although certain research services from broker/dealers may be useful to the Fund and to the Advisor, it is the opinion of the Advisor that such information only supplements the Advisor's own research effort since the information must still be analyzed, weighed, and reviewed by the Advisor's staff. Such information may be useful to the Advisor in providing services to clients other than the Fund, and not all such information is used by the Advisor in connection with the Fund. Conversely, such information provided to the Advisor by broker/dealers through whom other clients of the Advisor effect securities transactions may be useful to the Advisor in providing services to the Fund. The Directors review from time to time whether the recapture for the benefit of the Fund of some portion of the brokerage commissions or similar fees paid by the Fund on portfolio transactions is legally permissible and advisable. For the year ended August 31, 2001, the Fund paid brokerage commissions of $11,244,046. For the five month period beginning April 1, 1999 through August 31, 1999 and for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2000 and 1999, the Fund paid brokerage commissions of $4,793,968, $14,867,810, and $9,926,570 respectively. For the year ended August 31, 2001, $5,363,294 (47.70% of the total brokerage commissions paid by the Fund) resulted from orders for transactions, placed consistent with the policy of seeking to obtain the most favorable net results, with brokers and dealers who provided supplementary research, market and statistical information to the Fund or the Advisor. The amount of such transactions aggregated $7,598,333,534, of which $3,228,079,085 (42.48% of all brokerage transactions) were transactions which included research commissions. The balance of such brokerage was not allocated to particular broker or dealer with regard to the above-mentioned or other special factors. Distributor The Corporation has an underwriting agreement with Scudder Investor Services, Inc., Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110, a Massachusetts corporation, which is a subsidiary of the Advisor, a Delaware corporation. The Corporation's underwriting agreement dated May 8, 2000 will remain in effect until September 30, 2002 and from year to year thereafter only if its continuance is approved annually by a majority of the members of the Board who are not parties to such agreement or interested persons of any such party and either by vote of a majority of the Board or a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The underwriting agreement was last approved by the Directors on August 14, 2001. Under the underwriting 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. 25 As agent, 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 as 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 Transfer Agent Scudder Service Corporation ("Service Corporation"), P.O. Box 219669, Kansas City, Missouri, 64121-9669, a subsidiary of the Advisor, is the transfer and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund. Service Corporation also serves as shareholder service agent and provides subaccounting and recordkeeping services for shareholder accounts in certain retirement and employee benefit plans. Prior to the implementation of the Administrative Agreement, the Fund paid Service Corporation an annual fee of $26.00 for each retail account and $29.00 for each retirement account. For the year ended August 31, 2000, the Fund incurred fees of $10,603 for the Shares and $3,420,086 for the Class S Shares, respectively. The Fund incurred fees of $4,632 for the Shares and $1,258,902 for the Class S Shares, respectively, during the five months ended August 31, 1999. The Fund incurred fees of $4,857 for the Shares and $3,098,197 for the Class S shares, respectively, during the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999. 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 held in an omnibus account. Custodian The Fund employs Brown Brothers Harriman & Company, 40 Water Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109 as Custodian for the Fund. Legal Counsel The law firm of Dechert is counsel to the Fund. Fund Accounting Agent Scudder Fund Accounting Corporation, Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110-4103, a subsidiary of the Advisor, computes net asset value for the Fund. Prior to the implementation of the Administrative Agreement, the Fund paid Scudder Fund Accounting Corporation an annual fee equal to 0.065% of the first $150 million of average daily net assets, 0.040% of such assets in excess of $150 million, 0.020% of such assets in excess of $1 billion, plus holding and transaction charges for this service. The Fund incurred fees of $893,682 and $838,885 during the fiscal years ended March 31, 1999 and 1998, respectively. For the five months ended August 31, 1999, the fee was $402,576. Prior to August 14, 2000, the amount charged to the Fund by SFAC aggregated $1,250,099. Auditors The financial highlights of the Fund included in the prospectus and the Financial Statements incorporated by reference in this Statement of Additional Information have been so included or incorporated by reference in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 160 Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, independent accountants, and given on the authority of that firm as experts in accounting and auditing. PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP is responsible for performing annual and semiannual audits of the financial statements and financial highlights of the Fund in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, and the preparation of federal tax returns. Retirement Service Provider Scudder Trust Company, an affiliate of the Advisor, provides subaccounting and recordkeeping services for shareholder accounts in certain retirement and employee benefit plans. Prior to the implementation of the Administrative Agreement, annual service fees were paid by the Class S shares of the Fund to Scudder Trust Company, Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-4103, an affiliate of the Advisor, for such accounts. The Class S shares of the Fund paid 26 Scudder Trust Company an annual fee of $29 per shareholder account. The Class S shares of the Fund incurred a fee of $2,067,603 during the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999. For the five months ended August 31, 1999, the Class S shares of the Fund incurred fees of $1,202,021. Prior to August 14, 2000, the amount charged to Class S shares of the Fund aggregated $3,776,386. PERFORMANCE From time to time, quotations of the Shares' performance may be included in advertisements, sales literature or reports to shareholders or prospective investors. These performance figures will be calculated in the following manner: Average Annual Total Return Average Annual Total Return is the average annual compound rate of return for the periods of one year, five years, and ten years, all ended on the last day of a recent calendar quarter. Average annual total return quotations reflect changes in the price of the Shares and assume that all dividends and capital gains distributions during the respective periods were reinvested in the Shares. Average annual total return is calculated by finding the average annual compound rates of return of a hypothetical investment over such periods, according to the following formula (average annual total return is then expressed as a percentage): T = (ERV/P)1/n - 1 Where: P = a hypothetical initial investment of $1,000 T = Average Annual Total Return n = number of years ERV = ending redeemable value: ERV is the value, at the end of the applicable period, of a hypothetical $1,000 investment made at the beginning of the applicable period Average Annual Total Return for periods ended August 31, 2001 One Year Life of Class* -------- -------------- -26.42% 1.75% * The Class commenced operations on April 3, 1998. Cumulative Total Return Cumulative Total Return is the compound rate of return on a hypothetical initial investment of $1,000 for a specified period. Cumulative Total Return quotations reflect changes in the price of the Shares and assume that all dividends and capital gains distributions during the period were reinvested in the Shares. Cumulative Total Return is calculated by finding the cumulative rates of return of a hypothetical investment over such periods, according to the following formula (Cumulative Total Return is then expressed as a percentage): C = (ERV/P) - 1 Where: C = Cumulative Total Return P = a hypothetical initial investment of $1,000 ERV = ending redeemable value: ERV is the value, at the end of the applicable period, of a hypothetical $1,000 investment made at the beginning of the applicable period 27 Total Return Total Return is the rate of return on an investment for a specified period of time calculated in the same manner as Cumulative Total Return. From time to time, in advertisements, sales literature, and reports to shareholders or prospective investors, figures relating to the growth in the total net assets of the Fund apart from capital appreciation will be cited, as an update to the information in this section, including, but not limited to: net cash flow, net subscriptions, gross subscriptions, net asset growth, net account growth, and subscription rates. Capital appreciation generally will be covered by marketing literature as part of the Fund's and classes' performance data. Quotations of the Fund's performance are based on historical earnings, show the performance of a hypothetical investment, and are not intended to indicate future performance of the Fund. An investor's shares when redeemed may be worth more or less than their original cost. Performance of the Fund will vary based on changes in market conditions and the level of the Fund's expenses. Comparison of Fund Performance A comparison of the quoted non-standard performance offered for various investments is valid only if performance is calculated in the same manner. Since there are different methods of calculating performance, investors should consider the effects of the methods used to calculate performance when comparing performance of the Fund with performance quoted with respect to other investment companies or types of investments. In connection with communicating its performance to current or prospective shareholders, the Fund also may compare these figures to the performance of unmanaged indices which may assume reinvestment of dividends or interest but generally do not reflect deductions for administrative and management costs. Historical information on the value of the dollar versus foreign currencies may be used from time to time in advertisements concerning the Fund. Such historical information is not indicative of future fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar against these currencies. In addition, marketing materials may cite country and economic statistics and historical stock market performance for any of the countries in which the Fund invests. From time to time, in advertising and marketing literature, the Shares' performance may be compared to the performance of broad groups of mutual funds with similar investment goals, as tracked by independent organizations. From time to time, in marketing and other Fund literature, Directors and officers of the Corporation, the Fund's portfolio manager, or members of the portfolio management team may be depicted and quoted to give prospective and current shareholders a better sense of the outlook and approach of those who manage the Fund. In addition, the amount of assets that the Advisor has under management in various geographical areas may be quoted in advertising and marketing materials. The Fund may be advertised as an investment choice in the Advisor's college planning program. Statistical and other information, as provided by the Social Security Administration, may be used in marketing materials pertaining to retirement planning in order to estimate future payouts of social security benefits. Estimates may be used on demographic and economic data. Marketing and other Fund literature may include a description of the potential risks and rewards associated with an investment in the Fund and the Shares. The description may include a "risk/return spectrum" which compares the Fund to other Scudder funds or broad categories of funds, such as money market, bond or equity funds, in terms of potential risks and returns. Money market funds are designed to maintain a constant $1.00 share price and have a fluctuating yield. Share price, yield and total return of a bond fund will fluctuate. The share price and return of an equity fund also will fluctuate. The description may also compare the Fund to bank products, such as certificates of deposit. Unlike mutual funds, certificates of deposit are insured up to $100,000 by the U.S. government and offer a fixed rate of return. Because bank products guarantee the principal value of an investment and money market funds seek stability of principal, these investments are considered to be less risky than investments in either bond or equity funds, which may 28 involve the loss of principal. However, all long-term investments, including investments in bank products, may be subject to inflation risk, which is the risk of erosion of the value of an investment as prices increase over a long time period. The risks/returns associated with an investment in bond or equity funds depend upon many factors. For bond funds these factors include, but are not limited to, the Fund's overall investment objective, the average portfolio maturity, credit quality of the securities held, and interest rate movements. For equity funds, factors include the Fund's overall investment objective, the types of equity securities held and the financial position of the issuers of the securities. The risks/returns associated with an investment in international bond or equity funds also will depend upon currency exchange rate fluctuation. A risk/return spectrum generally will position the various investment categories in the following order: bank products, money market funds, bond funds and equity funds. Shorter-term bond funds generally are considered less risky and offer the potential for less return than longer-term bond funds. The same is true of domestic bond funds relative to international bond funds, and bond funds that purchase higher quality securities relative to bond funds that purchase lower quality securities. Growth and income equity funds are generally considered to be less risky and offer the potential for less return than growth funds. In addition, international equity funds usually are considered more risky than domestic equity funds but generally offer the potential for greater return. Evaluation of Fund performance or other relevant statistical information made by independent sources may also be used in advertisements concerning the Fund, including reprints of, or selections from, editorials or articles about this Fund. PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES There is a $25,000 minimum initial investment in the Shares. The minimum subsequent investment in the Shares is $1,000. Investment minimums may be waived for Directors and officers of the Corporation and certain other affiliates and entities. The Fund and Scudder Investor Services, Inc. (the "Distributor") reserve the right to reject any purchase order. All funds will be invested in full and fractional Shares. The Shares can be purchased and sold exclusively by investors through Barrett Associates, Inc. ("Barrett Associates"), 565 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Investors wishing to purchase or sell Shares should contact their Barrett Associates representative at 212-983-5080, or in person at the above address. A Barrett Associates representative will then execute the order through Scudder Service Corporation, a subsidiary of the Advisor (the "Transfer Agent"). Due to the desire of the Corporation to afford ease of redemption, certificates will not be issued to indicate ownership in the Fund. Orders for Shares of the Fund will be executed at the net asset value per Share next determined after an order has become effective. Checks drawn on a non-member bank or a foreign bank may take substantially longer to be converted into federal funds and, accordingly, may delay the execution of an order. Checks must be payable in U.S. dollars and will be accepted subject to collection at full face value. By investing in the Fund, a shareholder appoints the Transfer Agent to establish an open account to which all shares purchased will be credited with any dividends and capital gains distributions that are paid in additional Shares. See "Distribution and Performance Information -- Dividends and Capital Gains Distributions" in the Shares' Prospectus. Other Information The Fund has authorized certain members of the NASD other than the Distributor (namely, Barrett Associates) to accept purchase and redemption orders for the Fund's shares. The broker may also designate other parties to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Fund's behalf. Orders for purchase or redemption will be deemed to have been received by the Fund when such brokers or their authorized designees accept the orders. Subject to the terms of the contract between the Fund and the broker, ordinarily orders will be priced at the Fund's net asset value next computed after acceptance by such brokers or their authorized designees. 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 NASD member, that member may, at its discretion, charge a fee for that service. The Directors 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 Directors and the Distributor may suspend or terminate the offering of shares of the Fund at any time for any reason. 29 The "Tax Identification Number" section of the Application must be completed when opening an account. Applications and purchase orders without a certified tax identification number and certain other certified information (e.g., from exempt organizations a certification of exempt status), may be returned to the investor if a correct, certified tax identification number and certain other required certificates are not supplied. The Fund may issue shares at net asset value in connection with any merger or consolidation with, or acquisition of the assets of, any investment company or personal holding company, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. Redeeming Shares Payment of redemption proceeds may be made in securities. The Corporation may suspend the right of redemption with respect to the Fund during any period when (i) trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange") is restricted or the Exchange is closed, other than customary weekend and holiday closings, (ii) the SEC has by order permitted such suspension or (iii) an emergency, as defined by rules of the SEC, exists making disposal of Fund securities or determination of the value of the net assets of the Fund not reasonably practicable. A shareholder's account remains open for up to one year following complete redemption and all costs during the period will be borne by the Fund. This permits an investor to resume investments. Redemption-in-Kind The Corporation reserves the right, if conditions exist which make cash payments undesirable, to honor any request for redemption or repurchase order by making payment in whole or in part in readily marketable securities chosen by the Fund and valued as they are for purposes of computing the Fund's net asset value (a redemption-in-kind). If payment is made in securities, a shareholder may incur transaction expenses in converting these securities into cash. The Corporation has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act as a result of which the Fund is obligated to redeem shares, with respect to any one shareholder during any 90-day period, solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net asset value of the Fund at the beginning of the period. FEATURES AND SERVICES OFFERED BY THE FUND Special Monthly Summary of Accounts. A special service is available to banks, brokers, investment advisors, trust companies and others who have a number of accounts in the Fund. In addition to the copy of the regular Statement of Account furnished to the registered holder after each transaction, a monthly summary of accounts can be provided. The monthly summary will show for each account the account number, the month-end share balance and the dividends and distributions paid during the month. All costs of this service will be borne by the Corporation. For information on the special monthly summary of accounts, contact the Corporation. DIVIDENDS, CAPITAL GAINS AND TAXES The Fund intends to follow the practice of distributing 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 income taxes for which the shareholders may then be asked 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. Earnings and profits distributed to shareholders on redemptions of Fund shares may be utilized by the Fund, to the extent permissible, as part of the Fund's dividends paid deduction on its federal tax return. The Fund intends to distribute its investment company taxable income and any net realized capital gains in November or December to avoid federal excise tax, although an additional distribution may be made if necessary. 30 Both types of distributions will be made in Shares of the Fund and confirmations will be mailed to Barrett Associates, on behalf of each shareholder, unless a shareholder has elected to receive cash, in which case 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 Barrett Associates, on behalf of each shareholder, a statement of the federal income tax status of all distributions in the prior calendar year. Taxes The Fund has elected to be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, or a predecessor statute and has qualified as such since its inception. Such qualification does not involve governmental supervision or management of investment practices or policy. A regulated investment company qualifying under Subchapter M of the Code is required to distribute to its shareholders at least 90 percent of its investment company taxable income (including net short-term capital gain) and generally is not subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes annually its investment company taxable income and net realized capital gains in the manner required under the Code. If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify for 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). In such an event, dividend distributions would be taxable to shareholders to the extent of the Fund's earnings and profits, and would be eligible for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. The Fund is subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on amounts required to be but 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 ordinary income for the calendar year, at least 98% of the excess of its capital gains over capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) realized during the one-year period ending October 31 during such year, and all ordinary income and capital gains for prior years that were not previously distributed. Investment company taxable income generally is made up of dividends, interest and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, less expenses. Net realized capital gains for a fiscal year are computed by taking into account any capital loss carryforward of the Fund. From November 1, 2000 through August 31, 2001, International Fund incurred approximately $626,984,000 of net realized capital losses. As permitted by tax regulations, the Fund intends to elect to defer these losses and treat them as arising in the fiscal year ending August 31, 2002. If any net realized long-term capital gains in excess of net realized short-term capital losses are retained by the Fund for reinvestment, requiring federal income taxes to be paid thereon by the Fund, the Fund intends to elect to treat such capital gains as having been distributed to shareholders. As a result, each shareholder will report such capital gains as long-term capital gains, will be able to claim a proportionate share of federal income taxes paid by the Fund on such gains as a credit against the shareholder's federal income tax liability, and will be entitled to increase the adjusted tax basis of the shareholder's Fund shares by the difference between such reported gains and the shareholder's tax credit. Distributions of investment company taxable income are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Dividends from domestic corporations are not expected to 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 shareholders, as the case may be, for less than 46 days during the 90-day period beginning 45 days before the shares become ex-dividend. 31 Properly designated distributions of the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss are taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains, regardless of the length of time the shares of the Fund have been held by such shareholders. Such distributions are not eligible for the dividends-received deduction. Any loss realized upon the redemption of shares held at the time of redemption for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions of long-term capital gain during such six-month period. Distributions of investment company taxable income and net realized capital gains will be taxable as described above, whether received in shares or in cash. Shareholders electing to receive distributions in the form of additional Shares will have a cost basis for federal income tax purposes in each Share so received equal to the net asset value of a Share on the reinvestment date. All distributions of investment company taxable income and net realized capital gain, whether received in shares or in cash, must be reported by each shareholder on his or her federal income tax return. Dividends declared in October, November or December with a record date in such a month will be deemed to have been received by shareholders on December 31, if paid during January of the following year. Redemptions of shares, including exchanges for shares of another Scudder Fund, may result in tax consequences (gain or loss) to the shareholder and are also subject to these reporting requirements. A qualifying individual may make a deductible IRS contribution for any taxable year only if (i) neither the individual nor his or her spouse (unless filing separate returns) is an active participant in an employer's retirement plan, or (ii) the individual (and his or her spouse, if applicable) has an adjusted gross income below a certain level in 2001 ($53,000 for married individuals filing a joint return, with a phase-out of the deduction for adjusted gross income between $53,000 and $63,000; $33,000 for single individual, with a phase-out for adjusted gross income between $33,000 and $43,000). However, an individual not permitted to make a deductible contribution to an IRA for any such taxable year may nonetheless make nondeductible contributions up to $2,000 to an IRA (up to $2,000 per individual for married couples if only one spouse has earned income) for that year. The $2,000 limit on contributions (whether deductible or nondeductible) is increased to $3,000 for 2002 through 2004. In addition, for 2002 through 2005, individual who are age 50 or older will be permitted to make additional "catch-on" contributions of $500 in each of those years. In addition, a temporary nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $1,000 may be available for certain individuals with low and middle incomes for 2002 through 2006. There are special rules for determining how withdrawals are to be taxed if an IRA contains both deductible and nondeductible amounts. In general, a proportionate amount of each withdrawal will be deemed to be made from nondeductible contributions; amounts treated as a return of nondeductible contributions will not be taxable. Also, annual contributions may be made to a spousal IRA even if the spouse has earnings in a given year if the spouse elects to be treated as having no earnings (for IRA contributions purposes) for the year. 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 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 then receive a partial return of capital upon the distribution, which will nevertheless be taxable to them. Dividend and interest income received by the Fund from sources outside the U.S. may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such foreign jurisdictions. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate these foreign taxes, however, and foreign countries generally do not impose taxes on capital gains respecting investments by foreign investors. The Fund intends to qualify for and may make the election permitted under Section 853 of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") so that shareholders may (subject to limitations) be able to claim a credit or deduction on their federal income tax returns for, and will be required to treat as part of the amounts distributed to them, their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the Fund to foreign countries (which taxes relate primarily to investment income). The Fund may make an election under Section 853 of the Code, provided that more than 50% of the value of the total assets of the Fund at the close of the taxable year consists of securities in foreign corporations. The foreign tax credit available to shareholders is subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, except in the case of certain electing individual taxpayers who have limited creditable foreign taxes and no foreign source income other than passive investment-type income. Furthermore, the foreign tax credit is eliminated with respect to foreign taxes withheld on dividends if the dividend-paying shares or the shares of the Fund are held by the Fund or the shareholder, as the case may be, for less than 16 days (46 days in the case of preferred shares) during the 30-day period (90-day period for preferred shares) beginning 15 days (45 days for preferred shares) before the shares become ex-dividend. In addition, if 32 the Fund fails to satisfy these holding period requirements, it cannot elect under Section 853 to pass through to shareholders the ability to claim a deduction for the related foreign taxes. If the Fund does not make the election permitted under section 853 any foreign taxes paid or accrued will represent an expense to the Fund which will reduce its investment company taxable income. Absent this election, shareholders will not be able to claim either a credit or a deduction for their pro rata portion of such taxes paid by the Fund, nor will shareholders be required to treat as part of the amounts distributed to them their pro rata portion of such taxes paid. Equity options (including covered call options written on portfolio stock) and OTC options on debt securities written or purchased by the Fund will be subject to tax under Section 1234 of the Code. In general, no loss will be recognized by the Fund upon payment of a premium in connection with the purchase of a put or call option. The character of any gain or loss recognized (i.e., long-term or short-term) will generally depend, in the case of a lapse or sale of the option, on the Fund's holding period for the option, and in the case of the exercise of a put option, on the Fund's holding period for the underlying property. The purchase of a put option may constitute a short sale for federal income tax purposes, causing an adjustment in the holding period of any stock in the Fund's portfolio similar to the stocks on which the index is based. If the Fund writes an option, no gain is recognized upon its receipt of a premium. If the option lapses or is closed out, any gain or loss is treated as short-term capital gain or loss. If a call option is exercised, the character of the gain or loss depends on the holding period of the underlying stock. Positions of the Fund which consist of at least one stock and at least one stock option or other position with respect to a related security which substantially diminishes the Fund's risk of loss with respect to such stock could be treated as a "straddle" which is governed by Section 1092 of the Code, the operation of which may cause deferral of losses, adjustments in the holding periods of stocks or securities and conversion of short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. An exception to these straddle rules exists for certain "qualified covered call options" on stock written by the Fund. Many futures and forward contracts entered into by the Fund and listed nonequity options written or purchased by the Fund (including options on debt securities, options on futures contracts, options on securities indices and options on currencies), will be governed by Section 1256 of the Code. Absent a tax election to the contrary, gain or loss attributable to the lapse, exercise or closing out of any such position generally will be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term, and on the last trading day of the Fund's fiscal year, all outstanding Section 1256 positions will be marked to market (i.e., treated as if such positions were closed out at their closing price on such day), with any resulting gain or loss recognized as 60% long-term and 40% short-term. Under Section 988 of the Code, discussed below, foreign currency gain or loss from foreign currency-related forward contracts, certain futures and options and similar financial instruments entered into or acquired by the Fund will be treated as ordinary income or loss. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, the Fund may recognize gain (but not loss) from a constructive sale of certain "appreciated financial positions" if the Fund enters into a short sale, offsetting notional principal contract, futures or forward contract transaction with respect to the appreciated position or substantially identical property. Appreciated financial positions subject to this constructive sale treatment are interests (including options, futures and forward contracts and short sales) in stock, partnership interests, certain actively traded trust instruments and certain debt instruments. A transaction during the tax year that would otherwise be a constructive sale may be disregarded if 1) the transaction is closed by the 30th day after the close of the tax year, and 2) the taxpayer holds the appreciated financial position (without reduction of risk of loss) throughout the 60-day period following the date of closing of the transaction. Similarly, if the Fund enters into a short sale of property that becomes substantially worthless, the Fund will recognize gain at that time as though it had closed the short sale. Future regulations may apply similar treatment to other transactions with respect to property that becomes substantially worthless. Under the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates which occur between the time the Fund accrues receivables or liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such receivables or pays such liabilities generally are treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss. Similarly, on disposition of debt securities denominated in a foreign currency and on disposition of certain options, futures and forward contracts, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in the value of foreign currency between the date of acquisition of the security or contract and the date of disposition are also treated as ordinary gain or loss. These gains or losses, referred to under the Code as "Section 988" gains or losses, may increase or decrease the amount of the Fund's investment company taxable income to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income. 33 If the Fund invests in stock of certain foreign investment companies, the Fund may be subject to U.S. federal income taxation on a portion of any "excess distribution" with respect to, or gain from the disposition of, such stock. The tax would be determined by allocating such distribution or gain ratably to each day of the Fund's holding period for the stock. The distribution or gain so allocated to any taxable year of the Fund, other than the taxable year of the excess distribution or disposition, would be taxed to the Fund at the highest ordinary income rate in effect for such year, and the tax would be further increased by an interest charge to reflect the value of the tax deferral deemed to have resulted from the ownership of the foreign company's stock. Any amount of distribution or gain allocated to the taxable year of the distribution or disposition would be included in the Fund's investment company taxable income and, accordingly, would not be taxable to the Fund to the extent distributed by the Fund as a dividend to its shareholders. The Fund may make an election to mark to market its shares of these foreign investment companies in lieu of being subject to U.S. federal income taxation. At the end of each taxable year to which the election applies, the Fund would report as ordinary income the amount by which the fair market value of the foreign company's stock exceeds the Fund's adjusted basis in these shares; any mark-to-market losses and any loss from an actual disposition of shares would be reported as ordinary loss to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains included in income in prior years. The effect of the election would be to treat excess distributions and gain on dispositions as ordinary income which is not subject to a fund level tax when distributed to shareholders as a dividend. Alternatively, the Fund may elect to include as income and gain its share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gain of certain foreign investment companies in lieu of being taxed in the manner described above. If the Fund holds zero coupon securities or other securities which are issued at a discount, a portion of the difference between the issue price of zero coupon securities and the face value ("original issue discount") will be treated as income to the Fund each year, even though the Fund will not receive cash interest payments from these securities. This original issue discount (imputed income) will comprise a part of the investment company taxable income of the Fund which must be distributed to shareholders in order to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company and to avoid federal income tax at the Fund level. In addition, if the Fund invests in certain high yield original issue discount obligations issued by corporations, a portion of the original issue discount accruing on the obligation may be eligible for the deduction for dividends received by corporations. In such event, dividends of investment company taxable income received from the Fund by its corporate shareholders, to the extent attributable to such portion of accrued original issue discount, may be eligible for this deduction for dividends received by corporations if so designated by the Fund in a written notice to shareholders. The Fund will be required to report to the IRS all distributions of investment company taxable income and capital gains as well as gross proceeds from the redemption or exchange of Fund shares, except in the case of certain exempt shareholders. Under the backup withholding provisions of Section 3406 of the Code, distributions of investment company taxable income and capital gains and proceeds from the redemption or exchange of the shares of a regulated investment company may be subject to withholding of federal income tax at the rate of 30% in the case of non-exempt shareholders who fail to furnish the investment company with their taxpayer identification numbers and with required certifications regarding their status under the federal income tax law. Withholding may also be required if the Fund is notified by the IRS or a broker that the taxpayer identification number furnished by the shareholder is incorrect or that the shareholder has previously failed to report interest or dividend income. If the withholding provisions are applicable, any such distributions and proceeds, whether taken in cash or reinvested in additional shares, will be reduced by the amounts required to be withheld. 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. The foregoing discussion of U.S. federal income tax law relates solely to the application of that law to U.S. persons, i.e., U.S. citizens and residents and U.S. corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates. Each shareholder who is not a U.S. person should consider the U.S. and foreign tax consequences of ownership of shares of the Fund, including the possibility that such a shareholder may be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or at a lower rate under an applicable income tax treaty) on amounts constituting ordinary income received by him or her, where such amounts are treated as income from U.S. sources under the Code. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors about the application of the provisions of tax law described in this statement of additional information in light of their particular tax situations. 34 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 exchange-traded equity security is valued at its most recent sale price on the relevant exchange 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 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 as of the Value Time. An equity security which is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. ("Nasdaq") system or another over-the-counter ("OTC") market is valued at its most recent sale price on Nasdaq or such other OTC market as of the Value Time. Lacking any sales, the security is valued at the Calculated Mean on Nasdaq or such other 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 Nasdaq or such other OTC market as of the Value Time. In the case of certain foreign exchanges, the closing price reported by the exchange (which may sometimes be referred to by the exchange or one or more pricing agents as the "official close" or the "official closing price" or other similar term) will be considered the most recent sale price. If a security is traded on more than one exchange, or upon one or more exchanges and in the OTC market, quotations are taken from the market in which the security is traded most extensively. 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. An exchange-traded option contract on securities, currencies and other financial instruments is valued at its most recent sale price on such 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 with less than 180 days remaining until expiration is valued at the evaluated price provided by the broker-dealer with which it was traded. An option contract on securities, currencies and other financial instruments traded in the OTC market with 180 days or more remaining until expiration is valued at the average of the evaluated prices provided by two broker-dealers. Futures contracts (and options thereon) are valued at the most recent settlement price as of the Value Time on such exchange. Foreign currency forward contracts are valued at the value of the underlying currency at the prevailing currency exchange rate, which shall be determined not more than one hour before the Value Time based on information obtained from sources determined by the Advisor to be appropriate. Following the valuations of securities or other portfolio assets in terms of the currency in which the market quotation used is expressed ("Local Currency"), the value of these portfolio assets in terms of U.S. dollars is calculated by converting the Local Currency into U.S. dollars at the prevailing currency exchange rate on the valuation date. 35 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. DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS The officers and directors, their ages, their principal occupations and their affiliations, if any, with the Advisor, and Scudder Investor Services, Inc. are as follows:
Position with Underwriter, Scudder Investor Name, Age, and Address Position with Fund Principal Occupation** Services, Inc. ---------------------- ------------------ ---------------------- -------------- Henry P. Becton, Jr. (58) Director President, WGBH Educational Foundation -- WGBH 125 Western Avenue Allston, MA 02134 Linda C. Coughlin (50)+* Chairperson, Director Managing Director of Zurich Scudder Vice Chairman and and President Investments, Inc. Director Dawn-Marie Driscoll (55) Director Executive Fellow, Center for Business -- 4909 SW 9th Place Ethics, Bentley College; President, Cape Coral, FL 33914 Driscoll Associates (consulting firm) Edgar R. Fiedler (72) Director Senior Fellow and Economic -- 50023 Brogden Counsellor, The Conference Board, Chapel Hill, NC Inc. (not-for-profit business research organization) Keith R. Fox (47) Director General Partner, The Exeter Group of -- 10 East 53rd Street Funds New York, NY 10022 Jean Gleason Stromberg (58) Director Consultant; Director, Financial -- 3816 Military Road, NW Institutions Issues, U.S. General Washington, D.C. Accounting Office (1996-1997); Partner, Fulbright & Jaworski law firm (1978-1996) Jean C. Tempel (58) Director Managing Director, First Light -- One Boston Place Capital, LLC (venture capital firm) 23rd Floor Boston, MA 02108 Steven Zaleznick (47)* Director President and CEO, AARP Services, Inc. -- 601 E Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20049 Thomas V. Bruns (44)## Vice President Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Investments, Inc. 36 Position with Underwriter, Scudder Investor Name, Age, and Address Position with Fund Principal Occupation** Services, Inc. ---------------------- ------------------ ---------------------- -------------- William F. Glavin, Jr. (43)+ Vice President Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Investments, Inc. John R. Hebble (43)+ Treasurer Senior Vice President of Zurich Assistant Treasurer Scudder Investments, Inc. James E. Masur (41)+ Vice President Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Investments, Inc. Kathryn L. Quirk (49)# Vice President and Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Assistant Secretary Investments, Inc. Howard Schneider (44)+ Vice President Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Investments, Inc. Brenda Lyons (38)+ Assistant Treasurer Senior Vice President of Zurich -- Scudder Investments, Inc. Thomas Lally (34)+ Assistant Treasurer Senior Vice President of Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. Caroline Pearson (39)+ Assistant Secretary Managing Director of Zurich Scudder Assistant Clerk Investments, Inc.; Associate, Dechert Price & Rhoads (law firm) 1989 - 1997 John Millette (39)+ Vice President and Vice President of Zurich Scudder -- Secretary Investments, Inc. Irene T. Cheng (47) # Vice President Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Investments, Inc. Joyce E. Cornell (57) # Vice President Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Investments, Inc. Carol L. Franklin (49) # Vice President Managing Director of Zurich Scudder -- Investments, Inc. Joan R. Gregory (56) # Vice President Senior Vice President of Zurich -- Scudder Investments, Inc. Paul Rogers (45)+ Vice President Senior Vice President of Zurich -- Scudder Investments, Inc.
* Ms. Coughlin and Mr. Zaleznick are considered by the Fund and its counsel to be "interested persons" of the Advisor or of the Corporation as defined in the 1940 Act. ** Unless otherwise stated, all officers and directors have been associated with their respective companies for more than five years, but not necessarily in the same capacity. 37 + Address: Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 # Address: 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154 ## Address: 222 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606 The Directors and officers of the Corporation also serve in similar capacities with respect to other Scudder Funds. The newly-constituted Board may determine to change its compensation structure. As of November 30, 2001, 11,202,365 shares in the aggregate, or 14.80% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class S were held in the name of Charles Schwab, 101 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94101 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 875,333 shares in the aggregate, or 10.73% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class A were held in the name of Bear Stearns & Company, 245 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10167 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 120,019 shares in the aggregate, or 22.62% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class I were held in the name of Scudder Trust Company, for the benefit of Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. Supplemental Profit Sharing Plan, P.O. Box 957, Salem, NH 03079 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 398,028 shares in the aggregate, or 75.04% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class I were held in the name of Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc. Profit Sharing Plan, 345 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10154 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 41,111 shares in the aggregate, or 5.31% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class C were held in the name of National Financial Services Corp., for the benefit of George Thomas Wiley, 200 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10281 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 56,157 shares in the aggregate, or 7.26% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class C were held in the name of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities, P.O. Box 2052, Jersey City, NJ 07303 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 64,212 shares in the aggregate, or 8.30% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class C were held in the name of Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith, for the benefit of customers, 4800 Deer Lake Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32246 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. As of November 30, 2001, 55,925 shares in the aggregate, or 7.23% of the outstanding shares of Scudder International Fund, Class C were held in the name of Banc One Securities Corp., for the benefit of The One Select Portfolio, 1111 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, OH 43240 who may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. To the best of the Fund's knowledge, as of November 30, 2001, no person owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of any class of Scudder International Fund, except as stated above. They may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of certain of these shares. Responsibilities of the Board -- Board and Committee Meetings The Board is responsible for the general oversight of the Fund's business. A majority of the Board's members are not affiliated with the Advisor. These "Independent Directors" have primary responsibility for assuring that the Fund is managed in the best interests of its shareholders. The Board meets at least quarterly to review the investment performance of the Fund and other operational matters, including policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with various regulatory requirements. At least annually, the Independent Directors review the fees paid to the Advisor and its 38 affiliates for investment advisory services and other administrative and shareholder services. In this regard, they evaluate, among other things, the Fund's investment performance, the quality and efficiency of the various other services provided, costs incurred by the Advisor and its affiliates, and comparative information regarding fees and expenses of competitive funds. They are assisted in this process by the Fund's independent public accountants and by independent legal counsel selected by the Independent Directors. All of the Independent Directors serve on the Committee on Independent Directors, which nominates Independent Directors and considers other related matters, and the Audit Committee, which selects the Fund's independent public accountants and reviews accounting policies and controls. In addition, Independent Directors from time to time have established and served on task forces and subcommittees focusing on particular matters such as investment, accounting and shareholder service issues. Compensation of Officers and Directors Each Independent Director receives compensation for his or her services, which include an annual retainer and an attendance fee for each meeting attended. The Independent Director who serves as Lead Director receives additional compensation for his or her services. No additional compensation is paid to any Independent Director for travel time to meetings, attendance at directors' educational seminars or conferences, service on industry or association committees, participation as speakers at directors' conferences or service on special director task forces or subcommittees. Independent Directors do not receive any employee benefits such as pension or retirement benefits or health insurance. Notwithstanding the schedule of fees, the Independent Directors have in the past and may in the future waive a portion of their compensation. The Independent Directors also serve in the same capacity for other funds managed by the Advisor. These funds differ broadly in type and complexity and in some cases have substantially different Director fee schedules. The following table shows the aggregate compensation received by each Independent Director during 2000 from the Corporation and from all of the Scudder funds as a group.
Name Scudder International Fund, Inc.* All Scudder Funds*** ---- --------------------------------- -------------------- Henry P. Becton, Jr.** $9,697 $159,094 (73 funds) Dawn-Marie Driscoll** $10,815 $157,162 (73 funds) Edgar R. Fiedler** $10,561 $303,975+ (74 funds) Keith R. Fox $33,167 $181,914 (72 funds) Jean Gleason Stromberg** $9,697 $100,372 (70 funds) Jean C. Tempel** $9,697 $152,488 (74 funds)
* Scudder International Fund, Inc. consists of five funds: Scudder International Fund, Scudder Latin America Fund, Scudder Pacific Opportunities Fund, Scudder Greater Europe Growth Fund and Scudder Emerging Markets Growth Fund. ** Newly elected Director. On July 13, 2000, shareholders of the Fund elected a new Board of Directors. See the "Directors and Officers" section for the newly constituted Board. *** Total compensation includes certain payments made by the Advisor as compensation for meetings held to discuss the reorganization of the Scudder and Kemper Funds. + Mr. Fiedler's total compensation includes $174,060.91 received through the deferred compensation program, $2,003 accrued, but not received, and certain payments made by the Advisor as compensation for the retainer fee for Farmers Investment Trust and meetings held to discuss the reorganization of the Scudder and Kemper Funds. Members of the Board who are employees of the Advisor or its affiliates receive no direct compensation from the Corporation, although they are compensated as employees of the Advisor, or its affiliates, as a result of which they may be deemed to participate in fees paid by each Fund. 39 FUND ORGANIZATION AND SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS The Corporation was organized as Scudder Fund of Canada Ltd. in Canada in 1953 by the investment management firm of Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc. On March 16, 1964, the name of the Corporation was changed to Scudder International Investments Ltd. On July 31, 1975, the corporate domicile of the Corporation was changed to the U.S. through the transfer of its net assets to a newly formed Maryland corporation, Scudder International Fund, Inc., in exchange for shares of the Corporation which then were distributed to the shareholders of the Corporation. The authorized capital stock of Scudder International Fund, Inc. consists of 2,247,923,888 shares of a par value of $.01 each, which capital stock has been divided into five series: Scudder International Fund, the original series; Scudder Latin America Fund and Scudder Pacific Opportunities Fund, both organized in December 1992, Scudder Greater Europe Growth Fund, organized in October 1994, and Scudder Emerging Markets Growth Fund, organized in May 1996. Each series consists of 320 million shares except for International Fund which consists of 620,595,597 shares and Scudder Latin America Fund which consists of 340 million shares. Scudder International Fund is further divided into seven classes of shares, Class AARP, Class S, Barrett International Shares, Class A (formerly known as Class R shares), Class B, Class C, and Class I shares. Scudder Pacific Opportunities Fund, Scudder Greater Europe Growth Fund and Scudder Emerging Markets Growth Fund are each further divided into five classes of shares, Class AARP, Class S, Class A, Class B and Class C. Scudder Latin America is further divided into six classes of shares, Class S, Class AARP, Class A, Class B, Class C and Class M. The Directors have the authority to issue additional series of shares and to designate the relative rights and preferences as between the different series. All shares issued and outstanding are fully paid and non-assessable, transferable, and redeemable at net asset value, subject to such charges as may be applicable, at the option of the shareholder. Shares have no pre-emptive or conversion rights. To the extent that the Funds offer additional share classes, these classes will be offered in a separate prospectus and have different fees, requirements and services. The Directors, in their discretion, may authorize the additional division of shares of a series into different classes permitting shares of different classes to be distributed by different methods. Although shareholders of different classes of a series would have an interest in the same portfolio of assets, shareholders of different classes may bear different expenses in connection with different methods of distribution. The assets of the Corporation received for the issue or sale of the shares of each series and all income, earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, subject only to the rights of creditors, are specifically allocated to such series and constitute the underlying assets of such series. The underlying assets of each series are segregated on the books of account, and are to be charged with the liabilities in respect to such series and with such a share of the general liabilities of the Corporation. If a series were unable to meet its obligations, the assets of all other series may in some circumstances be available to creditors for that purpose, in which case the assets of such other series could be used to meet liabilities which are not otherwise properly chargeable to them. Expenses with respect to any two or more series are to be allocated in proportion to the asset value of the respective series except where allocations of direct expenses can otherwise be fairly made. The officers of the Corporation, subject to the general supervision of the Directors, have the power to determine which liabilities are allocable to a given series, or which are general or allocable to two or more series. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of the Corporation or any series, the holders of the shares of any series are entitled to receive as a class the underlying assets of such shares available for distribution to shareholders. Shares of the Corporation entitle their holders to one vote per share; however, separate votes are taken by each series on matters affecting an individual series and by class on matters affecting an individual class. For example, a change in investment policy for a series would be voted upon only by shareholders of the series involved. Additionally, approval of the investment advisory agreement is a matter to be determined separately by each series. Approval by the shareholders of one series is effective as to that series whether or not enough votes are received from the shareholders of the other series to approve such agreement as to the other series. Pursuant to the approval of a majority of stockholders, the Corporation's Directors have the discretion to retain the current distribution arrangement while investing in a master fund in a master/feeder fund structure if the Board determines that the objectives of the Fund would be achieved more efficiently thereby. The Corporation's Board of Directors supervises the Fund's activities. The Corporation adopted a plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act (the "Plan") to permit the Corporation to establish a multiple class distribution system for the Fund. 40 Under the Plan, each class of shares will represent interests in the same portfolio of investments of the Series, and be identical in all respects to each other class, except as set forth below. The only differences among the various classes of shares of the Series will relate solely to: (a) different distribution fee payments or service fee payments associated with any Rule 12b-1 Plan for a particular class of shares and any other costs relating to implementing or amending such Rule 12b-1 Plan (including obtaining shareholder approval of such Rule 12b-1 Plan or any amendment thereto) which will be borne solely by shareholders of such class; (b) different service fees; (c) different account minimums; (d) the bearing by each class of its Class Expenses, as defined in Section 2(b) below; (e) the voting rights related to any Rule 12b-1 Plan affecting a specific class of shares; (f) separate exchange privileges; (g) different conversion features and (h) different class names and designations. Expenses currently designated as "Class Expenses" by the Corporation's Board of Directors under the Plan include, for example, transfer agency fees attributable to a specific class, and certain securities registration fees. Shares of the Corporation have non-cumulative voting rights, which means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of Directors can elect 100% of the Directors if they choose to do so, and, in such event, the holders of the remaining less than 50% of the shares voting for the election of Directors will not be able to elect any person or persons to the Board. The Corporation's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (the "Articles") provide that the Directors of the Corporation, to the fullest extent permitted by Maryland General Corporation Law and the 1940 Act shall not be liable to the Corporation or its shareholders for damages. Maryland law currently provides that Directors shall not be liable for actions taken by them in good faith, in a manner reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Corporation and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. In so acting, a Director shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the Corporation and upon reports made to the Corporation by persons selected in good faith by the Directors as qualified to make such reports. The Articles and the By-Laws provide that the Corporation will indemnify its Directors, officers, employees or agents against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with litigation in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Corporation consistent with applicable law. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Other Information 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 the light of its other portfolio holdings and tax considerations and should not be construed as recommendations for similar action by other investors. The CUSIP number of the Shares is 811165703. The Fund has a fiscal year end of August 31. On June 7, 1999, the Directors of the Fund changed the fiscal year end of the Fund from March 31 to August 31. The Shares' prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information omit certain information contained in the Registration Statement which the Fund has 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. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The financial statements, including the investment portfolio of the Fund, together with the Report of Independent Accountants, Financial Highlights and notes to financial statements in the Annual Report to the Shareholders of the Fund dated August 31, 2001 are incorporated herein by reference and are hereby deemed to be a part of this Statement of Additional Information by reference in its entirety. 41 APPENDIX The following is a description of the ratings given by Moody's and S&P to corporate bonds. Ratings of Corporate Bonds S&P: Debt rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong. Debt rated AA has a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal and differs from the highest rated issues only in small degree. 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. 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. Debt rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C is regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay interest and repay principal. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest. While such debt will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions. Debt rated BB has less near-term vulnerability to default than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. The BB rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BBB- rating. Debt rated B has a greater vulnerability to default but currently has the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. The B rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied BB or BB- rating. Debt rated CCC has a currently identifiable vulnerability to default, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet timely payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, it is not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal. The CCC rating category is also used for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied B or B- rating. The rating CC typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied CCC rating. The rating C typically is applied to debt subordinated to senior debt which is assigned an actual or implied CCC- debt rating. The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments are continued. The rating C1 is reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid. Debt rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period had not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are jeopardized. Moody's: 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 42 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 43