SEC Info  
  Home     Search     My Interests     Help     Sign In     Please Sign In  

American Funds Insurance Series · 497 · On 5/22/02

Filed On 5/22/02   ·   SEC File 2-86838   ·   Accession Number 729528-2-6

  in   Show  and 
  As Of               Filer                 Filing     As/For/On Docs:Pgs

 5/22/02  American Funds Insurance Series   497                    1:178

Definitive Material   ·   Rule 497
Filing Table of Contents

Document/Exhibit                   Description                      Pages   Size 

 1: 497         Definitive Material                                  178±   782K 


Document Table of Contents

Page (sequential) | (alphabetic) Top
 
11st Page
2Certain Investment Limitations and Guidelines
"General
"Non-U.S. Securities
"Debt Securities
"Equity Securities
5Maturity
6Description of Certain Securities and Investment Techniques
18Fundamental Policies and Investment Restrictions
22Series Organization and Voting Rights
23Board of Trustees and Officers
28Management
31Price of Shares
32Taxes and Distributions
35Execution of Portfolio Transactions
37General Information
38Description of Commercial Paper Ratings
4971st "Page" of 39TOCTopPreviousNextBottomJust 1st
AMERICAN FUNDS INSURANCE SERIES PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT MAY 20, 2002 FOR PROSPECTUS DATED MAY 1, 2002 The first paragraph on page 22 is amended as follows: The fund seeks to provide you with a high level of current income, as well as preserve your investment. Normally, the fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in securities that are guaranteed by the "full faith and credit" pledge of the U.S. government or debt securities that are rated Aaa or AAA by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor's Corporation or unrated but determined to be of equivalent quality. The fund may also invest a significant portion of its assets in securities backed by pools of mortgages (also called "mortgage-backed securities"). The fund is designed for investors seeking income and more price stability than stocks and lower quality debt securities, and capital preservation over the long term. Please keep this Supplement with your copy of the Prospectus. AMERICAN FUNDS INSURANCE SERIES Part B Statement of Additional Information May 1, 2002 (as amended May 20, 2002) This document is not a prospectus but should be read in conjunction with the current prospectus of American Funds Insurance Series (the "Series") dated May 1, 2002. The prospectus may be obtained from your investment dealer or financial planner or by writing to the fund at the following address: American Funds Insurance Series Attention: Secretary 333 South Hope Street Los Angeles, California 90071 (213) 486-9200 Shareholders who purchase shares at net asset value through eligible retirement plans should note that not all of the services or features described below may be available to them. They should contact their employer for details. TABLE OF CONTENTS [Download Table] Item Page No. ---- -------- Certain Investment Limitations and Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Description of Certain Securities and Investment Techniques . . . . 6 Fundamental Policies and Investment Restrictions. . . . . . . . . . 18 Series Organization and Voting Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Board of Trustees and Officers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Price of Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Taxes and Distributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Execution of Portfolio Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Description of Commercial Paper Ratings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Financial Statements American Funds Insurance Series - Page 1
4972nd "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 2nd
CERTAIN INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS AND GUIDELINES The following limitations and guidelines are considered at the time of purchase, under normal circumstances, and are based on a percentage of the funds' net assets unless otherwise noted. This summary is not intended to reflect all of the funds' investment limitations. GLOBAL DISCOVERY FUND General . The fund may invest up to 25% of its assets in companies outside the services and information area of the global economy. Under normal market conditions, the fund will invest in equity securities, including common and preferred stocks or other securities convertible into stocks. . The fund may hold cash or cash equivalents, government or other debt securities of companies outside the services and information area. Non-U.S. Securities . Although the fund currently expects to invest a majority of its assets in the U.S., it may invest its assets on a global basis. The fund may invest in securities of issuers domiciled outside the U.S., including securities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Debt Securities . The fund may not invest in debt securities rated below Ca by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or CC by Standard & Poor's Corporation ("S&P") or in unrated securities determined to be of equivalent quality. GLOBAL GROWTH FUND Debt Securities . The fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in straight debt securities rated Baa and BBB or below by Moody's or S&P or in unrated securities that are determined to be of equivalent quality. GLOBAL SMALL CAPITALIZATION FUND Equity Securities . The fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of small capitalization issuers (market capitalizations of $50 million to $1.5 billion based on U.S. share prices). Debt Securities . The fund may invest in debt securities generally rated in the top three categories by S&P or Moody's or in unrated securities that are determined to be of equivalent quality. American Funds Insurance Series - Page 2
4973rd "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 3rd
GROWTH FUND Non-U.S. Securities . The fund may invest up to 15% of its assets in securities of issuers domiciled outside the U.S. and Canada and not included in the S&P 500. Debt Securities . The fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in straight debt securities rated Ba and BB or below by Moody's or S&P or in unrated securities that are determined to be of equivalent quality. INTERNATIONAL FUND Debt Securities . The fund may invest up to 5% of its assets in straight debt securities rated BBB and Baa or below by S&P or Moody's or in unrated securities that are determined to be of equivalent quality. NEW WORLD FUND General . The fund will invest at least 35% of its assets in equity and debt securities of companies primarily based in qualified countries which have developing economies and/or markets. Equity Securities . The fund may invest the balance of its assets in equity securities of any company regardless of where it is based, provided the adviser has determined that a significant portion of its assets or revenues (generally 20% or more) are attributable to developing countries. Debt Securities . The fund may invest up to 25% of its assets in straight debt securities of issuers primarily based in qualified countries which have developing economies and/or markets, or issuers that the fund's investment adviser determines have a significant portion of their assets or revenues (generally 20% or more) attributable to developing countries. . The fund may invest up to 25% of its assets in straight debt securities rated Ba and BB or below by Moody's or S&P or in unrated securities that are determined to be of equivalent quality. BLUE CHIP INCOME AND GROWTH FUND Equity Securities . The fund ordinarily will invest at least 90% of its equity assets in the stock of companies in business for five or more years (including predecessor companies); American Funds Insurance Series - Page 3
4974th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 4th
that pay regular dividends; and whose debt securities are rated Baa or BBB or above by Moody's or S&P or unrated but determined to be of equivalent quality. The fund will not invest in private companies. Non-U.S. Securities . The fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in equity securities of larger non-U.S. companies (with market capitalizations of $4 billion and above) that are listed or traded in the U.S. GROWTH-INCOME FUND Non-U.S. Securities . The fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in equity securities of issuers domiciled outside the U.S. and not in the S&P 500. Debt Securities . The fund may invest up to 5% of its assets in straight debt securities rated Ba and BB or below by Moody's or S&P or in unrated securities that are determined to be of equivalent quality. ASSET ALLOCATION FUND General . The fund will generally invest 40% to 80% of its assets in equity securities; 20% to 50% in debt securities; and 0% to 40% in money market instruments (including cash). Debt Securities . Up to 25% of the fund's debt assets may be invested in straight debt securities rated Ba and BB or below by Moody's or S&P or in unrated securities that are determined to be of equivalent quality. Non-U.S. Securities . The fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in equity-type securities of issuers domiciled outside the U.S. and not in the S&P 500. . The fund may invest up to 5% of its assets in debt securities of issuers domiciled outside the U.S. BOND FUND Equity Securities . The fund may not purchase equity securities directly, but may retain up to 5% of its assets in common stock, warrants and rights after the sale of the corresponding debt securities. American Funds Insurance Series - Page 4
4975th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 5th
Debt Securities . The fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in bonds. For purposes of this limit, bonds include any debt instrument and cash equivalents, and may include certain preferred securities. . The fund will invest at least 35% of its assets in debt securities (including cash and cash equivalents) rated A or better by Moody's or S&P or in unrated securities that are determined to be of equivalent quality. . The fund will invest at least 65% of its assets in debt securities (including cash and cash equivalents) that are rated Baa or BBB or better by Moody's or S&P or in unrated securities that are determined to be of equivalent quality. . The fund may invest up to 35% of its assets in straight debt securities rated Ba and BB or below by Moody's or S&P or in unrated securities that are determined to be of equivalent quality. Non-U.S. Securities . The fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in non-U.S. dollar denominated securities. HIGH-INCOME BOND FUND Debt Securities . The fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in bonds. For purposes of this limit, bonds include any debt instrument and cash equivalents, and may include certain preferred securities. .The fund will invest at least 65% of its assets in debt securities rated Ba or BB or below by Moody's or S&P or in unrated securities that are determined to be of equivalent quality. Equity and Other Securities . The fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in common and preferred stocks and convertible securities. Maturity . The fund generally will invest in securities with maturities in excess of 3 years. Non-U.S. Securities . The fund may invest up to 25% of its assets in securities of issuers domiciled outside the U.S. American Funds Insurance Series - Page 5
4976th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 6th
U.S. GOVERNMENT/AAA-RATED SECURITIES FUND General . The fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in securities guaranteed by the "full faith and credit" pledge of the U.S. government or debt securities that are rated Aaa or AAA by Moody's or S&P or unrated but determined to be of equivalent quality. CASH MANAGEMENT FUND General . The fund will invest in high quality money market instruments rated in the two highest quality categories by either Moody's or S&P, provided the issuer has commercial paper rated in the highest rating category by Moody's or S&P. Maturity . The fund may purchase securities that mature or may be redeemed in 13 months or less (25 months or less if U.S. government securities), even if original maturity is greater than 1 year. DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES With respect to all funds, portfolio changes will be made without regard to the length of time a particular investment may have been held. EQUITY SECURITIES - Equity securities represent an ownership position in a company. These securities may include common stocks and securities with equity conversion or purchase rights. The prices of equity securities fluctuate based on changes in the financial condition of their issuers and on market and economic conditions. The growth-oriented, equity-type securities generally purchased by certain of the funds may involve large price swings and potential for loss. DEBT SECURITIES - Bonds and other debt securities are used by issuers to borrow money. Issuers pay investors interest and generally must repay the amount borrowed at maturity. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not pay current interest, but are purchased at a discount from their face values. The prices of debt securities fluctuate depending on such factors as interest rates, credit quality, and maturity. In general, their prices decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates fall. Lower rated bonds, rated Ba or below by Moody's and BB or below by S&P or unrated but considered to be of equivalent quality, are described by the rating agencies as speculative and involve greater risk of default or price changes due to changes in the issuer's creditworthiness than higher rated bonds, or they may already be in default. The market prices of these securities may fluctuate more than higher quality securities and may decline significantly in periods of general economic difficulty. It may be more difficult to dispose of, or to determine the value of, lower rated bonds. Certain risk factors relating to lower rated bonds are discussed below: American Funds Insurance Series - Page 6
4977th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 7th
SENSITIVITY TO INTEREST RATE AND ECONOMIC CHANGES - Lower rated bonds, like other bonds, may be sensitive to adverse economic changes and political and corporate developments and may be sensitive to interest rate changes. During an economic downturn or substantial period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience increased financial stress that would adversely affect their ability to service their principal and interest payment obligations, to meet projected business goals, and to obtain additional financing. In addition, periods of economic uncertainty and changes can be expected to result in increased volatility of market prices and yields of lower rated bonds. PAYMENT EXPECTATIONS - Lower rated bonds, like other bonds, may contain redemption or call provisions. If an issuer exercises these provisions in a declining interest rate market, the fund would have to replace the security with a lower yielding security, resulting in a decreased return to investors. If the issuer of a bond defaults on its obligations to pay interest or principal or enters into bankruptcy proceedings, the fund may incur losses or expenses in seeking recovery of amounts owed to it. LIQUIDITY AND VALUATION - There may be little trading in the secondary market for particular bonds, which may affect adversely the fund's ability to value accurately or dispose of such bonds. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the value and liquidity of lower rated bonds. The Investment Adviser attempts to reduce the risks described above through diversification of the portfolios and by credit analysis of each issuer, as well as by monitoring broad economic trends and corporate and legislative developments, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful in doing so. SECURITIES WITH EQUITY AND DEBT CHARACTERISTICS - The funds may invest in securities that have a combination of equity and debt characteristics. These securities may at times behave more like equity than debt and vice versa. Some types of convertible bonds or preferred stock automatically convert into common stock. The prices and yields of non-convertible preferred stock generally move with changes in interest rates and the issuer's credit quality, similar to the factors affecting debt securities. Convertible bonds, convertible preferred stock, and other securities may sometimes be converted into common stock or other securities at a stated conversion ratio. These securities, prior to conversion, pay a fixed rate of interest or a dividend. Because convertible securities have both debt and equity characteristics, their value varies in response to many factors, including the value of the underlying equity, general market and economic conditions, and convertible market valuations, as well as changes in interest rates, credit spreads, and the credit quality of the issuer. INVESTING IN SMALLER CAPITALIZATION STOCKS - Certain funds may invest in the stocks of smaller capitalization companies (typically companies with market capitalizations of less than $1.5 billion at the time of purchase). The Investment Adviser believes that the issuers of smaller capitalization stocks often provide attractive investment opportunities. However, investing in smaller capitalization stocks can involve greater risk than is customarily associated with investing in stocks of larger, more established companies. For example, smaller companies often have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources, may be dependent for management on one or a few key persons, and can be more susceptible to losses. Also, their securities may be thinly traded (and therefore have to be sold at a discount from current prices or sold in small lots over American Funds Insurance Series - Page 7
4978th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 8th
an extended period of time), may be followed by fewer investment research analysts, and may be subject to wider price swings, thus creating a greater chance of loss than securities of larger capitalization companies. Because the Global Small Capitalization Fund in particular emphasizes the stocks of issuers with smaller market capitalizations (by U.S. standards), it can be expected to have more difficulty obtaining information about the issuers or valuing or disposing of its securities than if it were to concentrate on more larger capitalization stocks. The funds determine relative market capitalizations using U.S. standards. Accordingly, the funds' non-U.S. investments may have large capitalizations relative to market capitalizations of companies based outside the U.S. INVESTING IN PRIVATE COMPANIES - The Global Discovery Fund, Global Growth Fund, Global Small Capitalization Fund, Growth Fund, International Fund, New World Fund, Growth-Income Fund, Asset Allocation Fund, Bond Fund and High-Income Bond Fund may invest in companies prior to the public offering of their securities. Investing in private companies can involve greater risks than those associated with investing in publicly traded companies. For example, the securities of private companies may be subject to the risk that market conditions, investor perception, or regulatory decisions may delay or prevent a company from ultimately offering its securities to the public. Furthermore, these investments are generally considered to be illiquid until a company's public offering and are often subject to additional contractual restrictions on resale that would prevent the funds from being able to sell their shares of the company for a period of time following the public offering. Investments in private companies can offer the funds significant growth opportunities at very attractive prices. For example, extremely positive market conditions during the recent past, especially in the technology market, have allowed these investments to contribute materially to the funds' investment results. These markets have been extremely volatile, and, consequently, there is no guarantee that similar positive results can be achieved in the future. INVESTING IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES - The Global Discovery Fund, Global Growth Fund, Global Small Capitalizaiton Fund, Growth Fund, International Fund, New World Fund, Blue Chip Income and Growth Fund, Growth-Income Fund, Asset Allocation Fund, Bond Fund and the High-Income Bond Fund may invest in securities of issuers domiciled outside the U.S. and which may be denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Investing outside the U.S. involves special risks, caused by, among other things: currency controls and fluctuating currency values; different accounting, auditing, and financial reporting regulations and practices in some countries; changing local and regional economic, political, and social conditions; expropriation or confiscatory taxation; greater market volatility; differing securities market structures; and various administrative difficulties such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. However, in the opinion of Capital Research and Management Company, investing outside the U.S. also can reduce certain portfolio risks due to greater diversification opportunities. The risks described above are potentially heightened in connection with investments in developing countries. Although there is no universally accepted definition, a developing country is generally considered to be a country which is in the initial stages of its industrialization cycle with a low per capita gross national product. For example, political and/or economic structures in these countries may be in their infancy and developing rapidly. Historically, the markets of developing countries have been more volatile than the markets of developed countries. With the exception of the New World Fund, the funds may invest in securities of issuers in developing countries only to a limited extent. American Funds Insurance Series - Page 8
4979th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 9th
Additional costs could be incurred in connection with the funds' investment activities outside the U.S. Brokerage commissions may be higher outside the U.S., and the funds will bear certain expenses in connection with their currency transactions. Furthermore, increased custodian costs may be associated with the maintenance of assets in certain jurisdictions. The U.S. Government/AAA-Rated Securities Fund may purchase obligations of non-U.S. corporations or governmental entities, provided they are U.S. dollar denominated and highly liquid. Accordingly, while the risks mentioned above are still present, they are present to a lesser extent. Certain risk factors related to developing countries are discussed below: CURRENCY FLUCTUATIONS - Certain funds may invest in securities valued in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Certain developing countries' currencies have experienced and may in the future experience significant declines against the U.S. dollar. For example, if the U.S. dollar appreciates against foreign currencies, the value of the funds' securities holdings would generally depreciate and vice versa. Consistent with their investment objective, the funds can engage in certain currency transactions to hedge against currency fluctuations. See "Currency Transactions" below. GOVERNMENT REGULATION - The political, economic, and social structures of certain developing countries may be more volatile and less developed than those in the U.S. Certain developing countries lack uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards, have less governmental supervision of financial markets than in the U.S., and do not honor legal rights enjoyed in the U.S. Certain governments may be more unstable and present greater risks of nationalization or restrictions on foreign ownership of local companies. Repatriation of investment income, capital, and the proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval in some developing market countries. While the funds will only invest in markets where these restrictions are considered acceptable, a country could impose new or additional repatriation restrictions after the funds' investment. If this happened, the funds' response might include, among other things, applying to the appropriate authorities for a waiver of the restrictions or engaging in transactions in other markets designed to offset the risks of decline in that country. Such restrictions will be considered in relation to the funds' liquidity needs and all other positive and negative factors. Further, some attractive equity securities may not be available to the funds because foreign shareholders hold the maximum amount legally permissible. While government involvement in the private sector varies in degree among developing countries, such involvement may in some cases, include government ownership of companies in certain sectors, wage and price controls or imposition of trade barriers and other protectionist measures. With respect to any developing country, there is no guarantee that some future economic or political crisis will not lead to price controls, forced mergers of companies, expropriation, or creation of government monopolies to the possible detriment of the funds' investments. LESS DEVELOPED SECURITIES MARKETS - Developing countries may have less well-developed securities markets and exchanges. They have lower trading volumes than the American Funds Insurance Series - Page 9
49710th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 10th
securities markets of more developed countries. These markets may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume. Consequently, these markets may be substantially less liquid than those of more developed countries and the securities of issuers located in these markets may have limited marketability. These factors may make prompt liquidation of substantial portfolio holdings difficult or impossible at times. SETTLEMENT RISKS - Settlement systems in developing countries are generally less well organized than in developed markets. Supervisory authorities may also be unable to apply standards comparable with those in developed markets. Thus, there may be risks that settlement may be delayed and that cash or securities belonging to the funds may be in jeopardy because of failures of or defects in the systems. In particular, market practice may require that payment be made before receipt of the security being purchased or that delivery of a security be made before payment is received. In such cases, default by a broker or bank (the "counterparty") through whom the transaction is effected might cause the funds to suffer a loss. The funds will seek, where possible, to use counterparties whose financial status is such that this risk is reduced. However, there can be no certainty that the funds will be successful in eliminating this risk, particularly as counterparties operating in developing countries frequently lack the substance or financial resources of those in developed countries. There may also be a danger that, because of uncertainties in the operation of settlement systems in individual markets, competing claims may arise with respect to securities held by or to be transferred to the funds. INVESTOR INFORMATION - The funds may encounter problems assessing investment opportunities in certain developing securities markets in light of limitations on available information and different accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards. In such circumstances, the funds' Investment Adviser will seek alternative sources of information, and to the extent the Investment Adviser may not be satisfied with the sufficiency of the information obtained with respect to a particular market or security, the funds will not invest in such market or security. TAXATION - Taxation of dividends and capital gains received by non-residents varies among developing countries and, in some cases, is comparatively high. In addition, developing countries typically have less well-defined tax laws and procedures and such laws may permit retroactive taxation so that the funds could in the future become subject to local tax liability that they had not reasonably anticipated in conducting their investment activities or valuing their assets. LITIGATION - The funds and their shareholders may encounter substantial difficulties in obtaining and enforcing judgments against non-U.S. resident individuals and companies. FRAUDULENT SECURITIES - Securities purchased by the funds may subsequently be found to be fraudulent or counterfeit, resulting in a loss to the funds. LOAN PARTICIPATIONS - New World Fund may invest, subject to its overall limitation on debt securities, in loan participations, typically made by a syndicate of banks to governmental or corporate borrowers for a variety of purposes. The underlying loans to developing market governmental borrowers may be in default and may be subject to restructuring under the Brady Plan. The underlying loans may be secured or unsecured, and will vary in term and legal structure. When purchasing such instruments, the fund may assume the credit risks associated with the original bank lender as well as the credit American Funds Insurance Series - Page 10
49711th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 11th
risks associated with the borrower. Investment in loan participations present the possibility that in the U.S., the fund could be held liable as a co-lender under emerging legal theories of lender liability. In addition, if the loan is foreclosed, the fund could be part owner of any collateral, and could bear the costs and liabilities of owning and disposing of the collateral. Loan participations are generally not rated by major rating agencies, may not be protected by securities laws, and are often considered to be illiquid. CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS - The Global Discovery Fund, Global Growth Fund, Global Small Capitalization Fund, Growth Fund, International Fund, New World Fund, Asset Allocation Fund, Bond Fund and High-Income Bond Fund can purchase and sell currencies to facilitate securities transactions and enter into forward currency contracts to protect against changes in currency exchange rates. The Growth-Income Fund does not currently intend to engage in any transactions other than purchasing and selling currencies and foreign exchange contracts which will be used to facilitate settlement of trades. A forward currency contract is an obligation to purchase or sell 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. Forward currency contracts entered into by the funds will involve the purchase or sale of one currency against the U.S. dollar. While entering into forward currency transactions could minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, it could also limit any potential gain which might result from an increase in the value of the currency. The funds will not generally attempt to protect against all potential changes in exchange rates. The funds will segregate liquid assets which will be marked to market daily to meet their forward contract commitments to the extent required by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Bond Fund and High-Income Bond Fund may enter into the transactions described above and may also enter into exchange-traded futures contracts relating to foreign currencies ("currency contracts") in connection with investments in securities of foreign issuers in anticipation of, or to protect against, fluctuations in exchange rates. In addition, forward currency contracts may be used by these funds to purchase or sell a currency against another currency at a future date and price as agreed upon by the parties. An exchange-traded futures contract relating to foreign currency is similar to a forward foreign currency contract but has a standardized size and exchange date. Although currency contracts typically will involve the purchase and sale of a currency against the U.S. dollar, these funds also may enter into currency contracts not involving the U.S. dollar. In connection with these futures transactions, the Series has filed a notice of eligibility with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") that exempts the Series from CFTC registration as a "commodity pool operator" as defined under the Commodity Exchange Act. Pursuant to this notice, these funds will observe certain CFTC guidelines with respect to its futures transactions that, among other things, limit initial margin deposits in connection with the use of futures contracts and related options for purposes other than "hedging" (as defined by CFTC rules) up to 5% of a fund's net assets. The Bond Fund and High-Income Bond Fund may attempt to accomplish objectives similar to those involved in their use of currency contracts by purchasing put or call options on currencies. A put option gives a fund, as purchaser, the right (but not the obligation) to sell a specified amount of currency at the exercise price until the expiration of the option. A call option gives a fund, as purchaser, the right (but not the obligation) to purchase a specified amount of currency at the exercise price until its expiration. The funds might purchase a currency put option, for example, to protect themselves during the contract period against a decline in the U.S. dollar value of a currency in which they hold or anticipate holding securities. If the currency's value should decline against the U.S. dollar, the loss in currency value should be offset, in whole or in American Funds Insurance Series - Page 11
49712th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 12th
part, by an increase in the value of the put. If the value of the currency instead should rise against the U.S. dollar, any gain to the funds would be reduced by the premium they had paid for the put option. A currency call option might be purchased, for example, in anticipation of, or to protect against, a rise in the value against the U.S. dollar of a currency in which the funds anticipate purchasing securities. Currency options may be either listed on an exchange or traded over-the-counter ("OTC options"). Listed options are third-party contracts (i.e., performance of the obligations of the purchaser and seller is guaranteed by the exchange or clearing corporation) and have standardized strike (exercise) prices and expiration dates. OTC options are two-party contracts with negotiated strike prices and expiration dates. The High-Income Bond Fund and Bond Fund will not purchase an OTC option unless the Investment Adviser believes that daily valuations for such options are readily obtainable. OTC options differ from exchange-traded options in that OTC options are transacted with dealers directly and not through a clearing corporation which guarantees performance. Consequently, there is a risk of non-performance by the dealer. Since no exchange is involved, OTC options are valued on the basis of a quote provided by the dealer. In the case of OTC options, there can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option at any specific time. Certain provisions of the Internal Revenue code may limit the extent to which the fund may enter into forward contracts. Such transactions may also affect, for U.S. federal tax purposes, the character and timing of income, gain or loss recognized by the fund. FORWARD COMMITMENTS - The funds may enter into commitments to purchase or sell securities at a future date. When a fund agrees to purchase such securities, it assumes the risk of any decline in value of the security beginning on the date of the agreement. When a fund agrees to sell such securities, it does not participate in further gains or losses with respect to the securities beginning on the date of the agreement. If the other party to such a transaction fails to deliver or pay for the securities, the fund could miss a favorable price or yield opportunity, or could experience a loss. The funds will not use these transactions for the purpose of leveraging and will segregate liquid assets which will be marked to market daily in an amount sufficient to meet their payment obligations in these transactions. Although these transactions will not be entered into for leveraging purposes, to the extent the funds' aggregate commitments under these transactions exceed their segregated assets, the funds temporarily could be in a leveraged position (because they may have an amount greater than their net assets subject to market risk). Should market values of the funds' portfolio securities decline while the funds are in a leveraged position, greater depreciation of their net assets would likely occur than were they not in such a position. The funds will not borrow money to settle these transactions and, therefore, will liquidate other portfolio securities in advance of settlement if necessary to generate additional cash to meet its obligations thereunder. The Asset Allocation Fund, Bond Fund, High-Income Bond Fund and U.S. Government/AAA-Rated Securities Fund may also enter into "roll" transactions which are the sale of mortgage-backed or other securities together with a commitment to purchase similar, but not identical, securities at a later date. The funds assume the rights and risks of ownership, including the risk of price and yield fluctuations as of the time of the agreement. The funds intend to treat roll transactions as two separate transactions: one involving the purchase of a security and a separate transaction involving the sale of a security. Since the funds do not intend to enter into American Funds Insurance Series - Page 12
49713th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 13th
roll transactions for financing purposes, they may treat these transactions as not falling within the definition of "borrowing" set forth in Section 2(a)(23) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"). The funds will segregate liquid assets which will be marked to market daily in an amount sufficient to meet their payment obligations in these transactions. REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS - The funds may enter into repurchase agreements, under which the funds buy a security and obtain a simultaneous commitment from the seller to repurchase the security at a specified time and price. Repurchase agreements permit the funds to maintain liquidity and earn income over periods of time as short as overnight. The seller must maintain with the Series' custodian collateral equal to at least 100% of the repurchase price, including accrued interest, as monitored daily by the Investment Adviser. The funds will only enter into repurchase agreements involving securities in which they could otherwise invest and with selected banks and securities dealers whose financial condition is monitored by the Investment Adviser. If the seller under the repurchase agreement defaults, the funds may incur a loss if the value of the collateral securing the repurchase agreement has declined and may incur disposition costs in connection with liquidating the collateral. If bankruptcy proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller, realization of the collateral by the funds may be delayed or limited. U.S. TREASURY AND AGENCY SECURITIES - U.S. Treasury securities include direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury, such as Treasury bills, notes and bonds. For these securities, the payment of principal and interest is unconditionally guaranteed by the U.S. government, and thus they are of the highest possible credit quality. Such securities are subject to variations in market value due to fluctuations in interest rates, but, if held to maturity, will be paid in full. U.S. agency securities include those issued by certain U.S. government instrumentalities and certain federal agencies. These securities are neither direct obligations of, nor guaranteed by, the Treasury. However, they generally involve federal sponsorship in one way or another; some are backed by specific types of collateral; some are supported by the issuer's right to borrow from the Treasury; some are supported by the discretionary authority of the Treasury to purchase certain obligations of the issuer; and others are supported only by the credit of the issuing government agency or instrumentality. These agencies and instrumentalities include, but are not limited to: Federal Home Loan Bank, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), Tennessee Valley Authority, and Federal Farm Credit Bank System. PASS-THROUGH SECURITIES - The funds may invest in various debt obligations backed by a pool of mortgages or other assets including, but not limited to, loans on single family residences, home equity loans, mortgages on commercial buildings, credit card receivables, and leases on airplanes or other equipment. Principal and interest payments made on the underlying asset pools backing these obligations are typically passed through to investors. Pass-through securities may have either fixed or adjustable coupons. These securities include those discussed below. "Mortgage-backed securities" are issued both by U.S. government agencies, including the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), FNMA, FHLMC , and by private entities. The payment of interest and principal on securities issued by U.S. government agencies is guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government (in the case of GNMA securities) or the issuer (in the case of FNMA and FHLMC securities). However, the guarantees do not apply to the market prices and yields of these securities, which vary with changes in interest rates. American Funds Insurance Series - Page 13
49714th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 14th
Mortgage-backed securities issued by private entities are structured similarly to mortgage-backed securities issued by GNMA, FNMA, and FHLMC. These securities and the underlying mortgages are not guaranteed by government agencies. In addition, these securities generally are structured with one or more types of credit enhancement. Mortgage-backed securities generally permit borrowers to prepay their underlying mortgages. Prepayments can alter the effective maturity of these instruments. "Collateralized mortgage obligations" (CMOs) are also backed by a pool of mortgages or mortgage loans, which are divided into two or more separate bond issues. CMOs issued by U.S. government agencies are backed by agency mortgages. Payments of principal and interest are passed through to each bond at varying schedules resulting in bonds with different coupons, effective maturities, and sensitivities to interest rates. In fact, some CMOs may be structured in a way that when interest rates change the impact of changing prepayment rates on these securities' effective maturities is magnified. "Commercial mortgage-backed securities" are backed by mortgages of commercial property, such as hotels, office buildings, retail stores, hospitals, and other commercial buildings. These securities may have a lower prepayment uncertainty than other mortgage-related securities because commercial mortgage loans generally prohibit or impose penalties on prepayments of principal. In addition, commercial mortgage-related securities often are structured with some form of credit enhancement to protect against potential losses on the underlying mortgage loans. Many of the risks of investing in commercial mortgage-backed securities reflect the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans, including the effects of local and other economic conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make loan payments, and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. "Asset-backed securities" are backed by other assets such as credit card, automobile or consumer loan receivables, retail installment loans, or participations in pools of leases. Credit support for these securities may be based on the underlying assets and/or provided through credit enhancements by a third party. The values of these securities are sensitive to changes in the credit quality of the underlying collateral, the credit strength of the credit enhancement, changes in interest rates, and at times the financial condition of the issuer. Some asset-backed securities also may receive prepayments which can change the securities' effective maturities. "IOs and POs" are issued in portions or tranches with varying maturities and characteristics; some tranches may only receive the interest paid on the underlying mortgages (IOs) and others may only receive the principal payments (POs); the values of IOs and POs are extremely sensitive to interest rate fluctuations and prepayment rates, and IOs are also subject to the risk of early repayment of the underlying mortgages which will substantially reduce or eliminate interest payments. INFLATION-INDEXED BONDS - The funds may invest in inflation-indexed bonds issued by governments, their agencies or instrumentalities, and corporations. The principal value of this type of bond is periodically adjusted according to changes in the rate of inflation. The interest rate is generally fixed at issuance; however, interest payments are based on an inflation adjusted principal value. For example, in a period of deflation, principal value will be adjusted downward, reducing the interest payable. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds, even during a period of deflation. However, American Funds Insurance Series - Page 14
49715th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 15th
the current market value of the bonds is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate. The fund may also invest in other bonds which may or may not provide a similar guarantee. If a guarantee of principal is not provided, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal. REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS - The funds may invest in securities issued by real estate investment trusts (REITs), which are pooled investment vehicles that primarily invest in real estate or real estate related loans. REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they meet requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. The risks associated with REIT debt investments are similar to the risks of investing in corporate-issued debt. In addition, the return on REITs is dependent on such factors as the skill of management and the real estate environment in general. Debt that is issued by REITs is typically rated by the credit rating agencies as investment grade or above. CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS - These securities include: (i) commercial paper (e.g., short-term notes up to 9 months in maturity issued by corporations, governmental bodies or bank/ corporation sponsored conduits (asset-backed commercial paper)), (ii) commercial bank obligations (e.g., certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances (time drafts on a commercial bank where the bank accepts an irrevocable obligation to pay at maturity)), (iii) savings association and savings bank obligations (e.g., bank notes and certificates of deposit issued by savings banks or savings associations), (iv) securities of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities that mature, or may be redeemed, in one year or less, and (v) corporate bonds and notes that mature, or that may be redeemed, in one year or less. The Cash Management Fund may only purchase commercial paper judged by the Investment Adviser to be of suitable investment quality. This includes (a) commercial paper that is rated in the two highest categories by S&P and by Moody's or (b) other commercial paper deemed on the basis of the issuer's creditworthiness to be of a quality appropriate for the Cash Management Fund. (No more than 5% of the Cash Management Fund's assets may be invested in commercial paper rated in the second highest rating category by either Moody's or Standard & Poor's; no more than the greater of 1% of the Cash Management Fund's assets or $1 million may be invested in such securities of any one issuer.) See the "Description of Commercial Paper Ratings" for a description of the ratings. The commercial paper in which the Cash Management Fund may invest includes variable amount master demand notes. Variable amount master demand notes permit the Cash Management Fund to invest varying amounts at fluctuating rates of interest pursuant to the agreement in the master note. These are direct lending obligations between the lender and borrower, they are generally not traded, and there is no secondary market. Such instruments are payable with accrued interest in whole or in part on demand. The amounts of the instruments are subject to daily fluctuations as the participants increase or decrease the extent of their participations. Investments in these instruments are limited to those that have a demand feature enabling the Cash Management Fund unconditionally to receive the amount invested from the issuer upon seven or fewer days' notice. (Generally, the Cash Management Fund attempts to invest in instruments having a one-day notice provision). In connection with master demand note arrangements, the Investment Adviser, subject to the direction of the Trustees, monitors on an ongoing basis the earning power, cash flow, and other liquidity ratios of the borrower and its ability to pay principal and interest on demand. The Investment Adviser also considers the extent to which the variable amount master demand notes are backed by bank letters of credit. These notes generally are not rated by Moody's or S&P. The Cash Management Fund may American Funds Insurance Series - Page 15
49716th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 16th
invest in them only if it is deemed that at the time of investment the notes are of comparable quality to the other commercial paper in which the Cash Management Fund may invest. Master demand notes are considered to have a maturity equal to the repayment notice period unless the Investment Adviser has reason to believe that the borrower could not make timely repayment upon demand. "Commercial bank obligations" are certificates of deposit (interest-bearing time deposits), bankers acceptances (time drafts drawn on a commercial bank where the bank accepts an irrevocable obligation to pay at maturity) representing direct or contingent obligations of commercial banks with assets in excess of $1 billion, based on latest published reports, or other obligations issued by commercial banks with assets of less than $1 billion if the principal amount of such obligation is fully insured by the U.S. government. The Cash Management Fund may purchase corporate obligations that mature or that may be redeemed in one year or less. These obligations originally may have been issued with maturities in excess of one year. The Cash Management Fund may invest only in corporate bonds or notes of issuers having outstanding short-term securities rated as described above in "Commercial Paper." "Savings association obligations" include certificates of deposit (interest-bearing time deposits) issued by savings banks or savings and loan associations that have assets in excess of $1 billion, based on latest published reports, or obligations issued by institutions with assets of less than $1 billion if the principal amount of such obligation is fully insured by the U.S. government. "Floating rate obligations" have a coupon rate that changes at least annually and generally more frequently. The coupon rate is set in relation to money market rates. The obligations, issued primarily by banks, other corporations, governments and semi-governmental bodies, may have a maturity in excess of one year. In some cases, the coupon rate may vary with changes in the yield on Treasury bills or notes or with changes in LIBOR (London Interbank Offering Rate). The Investment Adviser considers floating rate obligations to be liquid investments because a number of U.S. and non-U.S. securities dealers make active markets in these securities. RESTRICTED SECURITIES AND LIQUIDITY - The funds may purchase securities subject to restrictions on resale. Securities not actively traded will be considered illiquid unless they have been specifically determined to be liquid under procedures adopted by the Series' board of trustees, taking into account factors such as the frequency and volume of trading, the commitment of dealers to make markets and the availability of qualified investors, all of which can change from time to time. The funds may incur certain additional costs in disposing of illiquid securities. LOAN PARTICIPATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS - The Bond Fund and High-Income Bond Fund may invest in loan participations or assignments. Loan participations are loans or other direct debt instruments which are interests in amounts owed by a corporate, governmental or other borrower to another party. They may represent amounts owed to lenders or lending syndicates to suppliers of goods or services, or to other parties. A fund will have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the lender selling the participation and only upon receipt by the lender of the payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing participations, a fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement relating to loan, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and a fund may not directly benefit from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, a fund will assume the credit risk of both the American Funds Insurance Series - Page 16
49717th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 17th
borrower and the lender that is selling the participation. In the event of the insolvency of the lender selling a participation, a fund may be treated as a general creditor of the lender and may not benefit from any set-off between the lender and the borrower. When a fund purchases assignments from lenders it will acquire direct rights against the borrower on the loan. However, because assignments are arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and potential assignors, the rights and obligations acquired by a fund as the purchaser of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender. Investments in loan participations and assignments present the possibility that a fund could be held liable as a co-lender under emerging legal theories of lender liability. In addition, if the loan is foreclosed, a fund could be part owner of any collateral and could bear the costs and liabilities of owning and disposing of the collateral. The funds anticipate that such securities could be sold only to a limited number of institutional investors. In addition, some loan participations and assignments may not be rated by major rating agencies and may not be protected by the securities laws. REINSURANCE RELATED NOTES AND BONDS - The High-Income Bond Fund may invest in reinsurance related notes and bonds. These instruments, which are typically issued by special purpose reinsurance companies, transfer an element of insurance risk to the note or bond holders. For example, the reinsurance company would not be required to repay all or a portion of the principal value of the notes or bonds if losses due to a catastrophic event under the policy (such as a major hurricane) exceed certain dollar thresholds. Consequently, the fund may lose the entire amount of its investment in such bonds or notes if such an event occurs and losses exceed certain dollar thresholds. In this instance, investors would have no recourse against the insurance company. These instruments may be issued with fixed or variable interest rates and rated in a variety of credit quality categories by the rating agencies. REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS - The Bond Fund and U.S. Government/AAA-Rated Securities Fund are authorized to enter into reverse repurchase agreements. A reverse repurchase agreement is the sale of a security by a fund and its agreement to repurchase the security at a specified time and price. Each fund will segregate liquid assets which will be marked to market daily in an amount sufficient to cover its obligations under reverse repurchase agreements with broker-dealers (but no collateral is required on reverse repurchase agreements with banks). Under the 1940 Act, reverse repurchase agreements may be considered borrowing by a fund. The use of reverse repurchase agreements by a fund creates leverage which increases the fund's investment risk. As a fund's aggregate commitments under these reverse repurchase agreements increase, the opportunity for leverage similarly increases. If the income and gains on securities purchased with the proceeds of reverse repurchase agreements exceed the costs of the agreements, a fund's earnings or net asset value will increase faster than otherwise would be the case; conversely, if the income and gains fail to exceed the costs, a fund's earnings or net asset value would decline faster than otherwise would be the case. There is no current intent to engage in this investment practice over the next 12 months. LOANS OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES - The Asset Allocation Fund, Bond Fund, High-Income Bond Fund and U.S. Government/AAA-Rated Securities Fund is authorized to lend portfolio securities to selected securities dealers or other institutional investors whose financial condition is monitored by the Investment Adviser. The borrower must maintain with the Series' custodian collateral consisting of cash, cash equivalents or U.S. government securities equal to at least 100% of the value of the borrowed securities, plus any accrued interest. The Investment Adviser will monitor the adequacy of the collateral on a daily basis. The fund may at any time call a loan American Funds Insurance Series - Page 17
49718th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 18th
of its portfolio securities and obtain the return of the loaned securities. The fund will receive any interest paid on the loaned securities and a fee or a portion of the interest earned on the collateral. The fund will limit its loans of portfolio securities to an aggregate of 10% of the value of its total assets, measured at the time any such loan is made. There is no current intent to engage in this investment practice over the next 12 months. PORTFOLIO TURNOVER - Portfolio changes will be made without regard to the length of time particular investments may have been held. Short-term trading profits are not the funds' objective, and changes in its investments are generally accomplished gradually, though short-term transactions may occasionally be made. High portfolio turnover (100% or more) involves correspondingly greater transaction costs in the form of dealer spreads or brokerage commissions, and may result in the realization of net capital gains, which are taxable when distributed to shareholders. Under certain market conditions, the investment policies of the Asset Allocation Fund, the Bond Fund, the High-Income Bond Fund, and the U.S. Government/AAA-Rated Securities Fund may result in higher portfolio turnover than those of the other funds, although no fund's annual portfolio turnover rate is expected to exceed 100%. A fund's portfolio turnover rate would equal 100% if each security in the fund's portfolio was replaced once per year. FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES AND INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES - The Series has adopted the following fundamental policies and investment restrictions which may not be changed without approval by holders of a majority of its outstanding shares. Such majority is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act") as the vote of the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the outstanding voting securities present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present in person or by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities. All percentage limitations are considered at the time securities are purchased and are based on a fund's net assets unless otherwise indicated. None of the following investment restrictions involving a maximum percentage of assets will be considered violated unless the excess occurs immediately after, and is caused by, an acquisition by a fund. INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS OF THE GLOBAL DISCOVERY FUND, GLOBAL GROWTH FUND, GLOBAL SMALL CAPITALIZATION FUND, GROWTH FUND, INTERNATIONAL FUND, NEW WORLD FUND, BLUE CHIP INCOME AND GROWTH FUND, GROWTH-INCOME FUND, ASSET ALLOCATION FUND, BOND FUND AND HIGH-INCOME BOND FUND The Global Discovery Fund, Global Growth Fund, Global Small Capitalization Fund, Growth Fund, International Fund, New World Fund, Blue Chip Income and Growth Fund, Growth-Income Fund, Asset Allocation Fund, Bond Fund and High-Income Bond Fund may not: 1. Invest more than 5% of the value of the total assets of the fund in the securities of any one issuer, provided that this limitation shall apply only to 75% of the value of the fund's total assets and, provided further, that the limitation shall not apply to obligations of the government of the U.S. under a general Act of Congress. The short-term obligations of commercial banks are excluded from this 5% limitation with respect to 25% of the fund's total assets. American Funds Insurance Series - Page 18
49719th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 19th
2. As to 75% of its total assets, purchase more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of an issuer. 3. Invest more than 25% of the fund's total assets in the securities of issuers in the same industry. Obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, are not subject to this 25% limitation on industry concentration. In addition, the fund may, if deemed advisable, invest more than 25% of its assets in the obligations of domestic commercial banks. 4. Invest in real estate (including limited partnership interests, but excluding securities of companies, such as real estate investment trusts, which deal in real estate or interests therein). 5. Purchase commodities or commodity contracts; except that the Global Discovery Fund, Global Small Capitalization Fund, International Fund, Asset Allocation Fund, High-Income Bond Fund and Bond Fund may engage in transactions involving currencies (including forward or futures contracts and put and call options). 6. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management. 7. Make loans to others except for (a) the purchase of debt securities; (b) entering into repurchase agreements; (c) the loaning of its portfolio securities; and (d) entering into loan participations. 8. Borrow money, except from banks for temporary purposes, and then in an amount not in excess of 5% of the value of the fund's total assets. Moreover, in the event that the asset coverage for such borrowings falls below 300%, the fund will reduce, within three days, the amount of its borrowings in order to provide for 300% asset coverage. 9. Purchase securities on margin. 10. Sell securities short, except to the extent that the fund contemporaneously owns, or has the right to acquire at no additional cost, securities identical to those sold short. 11. Invest in puts, calls, straddles, spreads or any combination thereof; except as described above in Investment Restriction number 5. 12. Invest in securities of other investment companies, except as permitted by the 1940 Act. 13. Engage in underwriting of securities issued by others, except to the extent it may be deemed to be acting as an underwriter in the purchase or resale of portfolio securities. Notwithstanding investment restriction number 12, the funds may invest in securities of other managed investment companies if deemed advisable by their officers in connection with the administration of a deferred compensation plan adopted by Trustees pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Notwithstanding investment restriction number 13, the funds may not engage in the business of underwriting securities of other issuers, except to the extent that the disposal of an investment position may technically constitute the fund an underwriter as that term is defined under the Securities Act of 1933. American Funds Insurance Series - Page 19
49720th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 20th
NON-FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES - The following non-fundamental policies may be changed without shareholder approval: 1. The funds may not invest more than 15% of their net assets in illiquid securities. 2. The funds will not issue senior securities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act. INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT/AAA-RATED SECURITIES FUND The U.S. Government/AAA-Rated Securities Fund may not: 1. Purchase any security (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities ("U.S. government securities")) if, immediately after and as a result of such investment, more than 5% of the value of the fund's total assets would be invested in securities of the issuer. 2. Invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets in the securities of issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, except that this limitation shall not apply to U.S. government securities or other securities to the extent they are backed by or represent interests in U.S. government securities or U.S. government-guaranteed mortgages. 3. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management. 4. Invest in securities of other investment companies, except as permitted by the 1940 Act. 5. Buy or sell real estate or commodities or commodity contracts in the ordinary course of its business; however, the fund may purchase or sell readily marketable debt securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by companies which invest in real estate or interests therein, including real estate investment trusts. 6. Engage in the business of underwriting securities of other issuers, except to the extent that the disposal of an investment position may technically cause it to be considered an underwriter as that term is defined under the Securities Act of 1933. 7. Make loans, except that the fund may: (a) purchase readily marketable debt securities; (b) invest in repurchase agreements; (c) make loans of portfolio securities; and (d) enter into loan participations. The fund will not invest in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days if any such investment, together with any illiquid securities (including securities which are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale) held by the fund, exceeds 10% of the value of its total assets. 8. Sell securities short, except to the extent that the fund contemporaneously owns or has the right to acquire at no additional cost, securities identical to those sold short. 9. Purchase securities on margin, except that the fund may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities. American Funds Insurance Series - Page 20
49721st "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 21st
10. Borrow money, except from banks for temporary or emergency purposes not in excess of 5% of the value of the fund's total assets, except that the fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. 11. Write, purchase or sell puts, calls or combinations thereof. Notwithstanding investment restriction number 4, the fund may invest in securities of other managed investment companies if deemed advisable by its officers in connection with the administration of a deferred compensation plan adopted by Trustees pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission. NON-FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES - The following non-fundamental policies may be changed without shareholder approval: 1. The fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. 2. The fund will not issue senior securities, except as permitted by the 1940 Act. INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS OF THE CASH MANAGEMENT FUND The Cash Management Fund may not: 1. Invest more than 5% of the value of the total assets of the fund in the securities of any one issuer, provided that this limitation shall apply only to 75% of the value of the fund's total assets and, provided further, that the limitation shall not apply to obligations of the government of the U.S. under a general Act of Congress. The short-term obligations of commercial banks are excluded from this 5% limitation with respect to 25% of the fund's total assets. 2. As to 75% of its total assets, purchase more than 10% of the outstanding voting class of securities of an issuer. 3. Invest more than 25% of the fund's total assets in the securities of issuers in the same industry. Obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, are not subject to this 25% limitation on industry concentration. In addition, the fund may, if deemed advisable, invest more than 25% of its assets in the obligations of domestic commercial banks. 4. Enter into any repurchase agreement maturing in more than seven days or invest in any other illiquid security if, as a result, more than 10% of the fund's total assets would be so invested. 5. Make loans to others except for the purchase of the debt securities listed above. The fund may enter into repurchase agreements as described above. 6. Borrow money, except from banks for temporary purposes, and then in an amount not in excess of 5% of the value of the fund's total assets. Moreover, in the event that the asset coverage for such borrowings falls below 300%, the fund will reduce, within three days, the amount of its borrowings in order to provide for 300% asset coverage. 7. Sell securities short except to the extent that the fund contemporaneously owns or has the right to acquire at no additional cost, securities identical to those sold short. American Funds Insurance Series - Page 21
49722nd "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 22nd
8. Invest in puts, calls, straddles, spreads or any combination thereof. 9. Purchase or sell securities of other investment companies (except in connection with a merger, consolidation, acquisition or reorganization), real estate or commodities. 10. Act as underwriter of securities issued by others, engage in distribution of securities for others, or make investments in other companies for the purpose of exercising control or management. Notwithstanding investment restriction number 9, the fund may invest in securities of other managed investment companies if deemed advisable by its officers in connection with the administration of a deferred compensation plan adopted by Trustees pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Notwithstanding investment restriction number 1 above, in order to comply with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act, the Cash Management Fund has adopted a non-fundamental policy (that may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval) of investing no more than 5% of its assets (measured at the time of purchase) in the securities of any one issuer (other than the U.S. government); provided however, that the Cash Management Fund may invest, as to 25% of its assets, more than 5% of its assets in certain high-quality securities (as defined in the Rule) of a single issuer for a period of up to three business days. Investment restriction number 9 above does not prevent the purchase by the Cash Management Fund of securities that have "put" or "stand-by" commitment features. SERIES ORGANIZATION AND VOTING RIGHTS The Series, an open-end investment company, was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on September 13, 1983. All Series operations are supervised by its Board of Trustees, which meets periodically and performs duties required by applicable state and federal laws. Members of the board who are not employed by Capital Research and Management Company or its affiliates are paid certain fees for services rendered to the Series as described below. They may elect to defer all or a portion of these fees through a deferred compensation plan in effect for the Series. The Series has two classes of shares - Class 1 and Class 2. The shares of each class represent an interest in the same investment portfolio. Each class has equal rights as to voting, redemption, dividends and liquidation, except that each class bears different distribution expenses and other expenses properly attributable to the particular class as approved by the Board of Trustees and set forth in the Series' rule 18f-3 Plan. Class 2 shareholders have exclusive voting rights with respect to its rule 12b-1 Plan adopted in connection with the distribution of Class 2 shares. Each class has exclusive voting rights on other matters in which the interests of one class are different from interests in another class. Shares of both classes of the Series vote together on matters that affect all classes in substantially the same manner. Each class votes as a class on matters that affect that class alone. The Series does not hold annual meetings of shareholders. However, significant matters which require shareholder approval, such as certain elections of board members or a change in a fundamental investment policy, will be presented to shareholders at a meeting called for such purpose. Shareholders have one vote per share owned. At the request of the holders of at least 10% of the shares, the Series will hold a meeting at which any member of the board could be removed by a majority vote. American Funds Insurance Series - Page 22
49723rd "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 23rd
MANAGEMENT OF THE SERIES BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS [Enlarge/Download Table] YEAR FIRST NUMBER OF BOARDS POSITION ELECTED WITHIN THE FUND WITH A TRUSTEE PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) DURING COMPLEX/2/ ON WHICH NAME AND AGE REGISTRANT OF THE SERIES/1/ PAST 5 YEARS TRUSTEE SERVES --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "NON-INTERESTED" TRUSTEES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lee A. Ault III Trustee 1999 Chairman of the Board, In-Q-Tel, Inc. 1 Age: 65 (information technology); former Chairman, President and CEO, Telecredit, Inc. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- H. Frederick Trustee 1994 Private Investor; former President 19 Christie and Chief Executive Officer, The Age: 68 Mission Group (non-utility holding company subsidiary of Southern California Edison Company) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joe E. Davis Trustee 1991 Private Investor; former Chariman, 1 Age: 67 Linear Corporation; former President and Chief Executive Officer, National Health Enterprises, Inc. --------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Martin Fenton Trustee 1995 Managing Director, Senior Resource 16 Age: 66 Group LLC (development and management of senior living communities) --------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Leonard R. Fuller Trustee 1999 President, Fuller Consulting 13 Age: 55 (financial management consulting firm) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mary Myers Kauppila Trustee 1994 Private Investor; Chairman and CEO, 5 Age: 48 Ladera Management Company (venture capital and agriculture); former owner and President, Energy Investment, Inc. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kirk P. Pendleton Trustee 1996 Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, 6 Age: 62 Cairnwood, Inc. (venture capital investment) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS/3/ HELD NAME AND AGE BY TRUSTEE ------------------------------------------------------------ "NON-INTERESTED" TRUSTEES ------------------------------------------------------------ Lee A. Ault III Equifax, Inc.; Office Depot, Inc. Age: 65 ------------------------------------------------------------ H. Frederick Ducommun Incorporated;IHOP Christie Corporation;Southwest Water Age: 68 Company;Valero L.P. ------------------------------------------------------------ Joe E. Davis BMC Industries, Inc.; Wilshire Age: 67 Technologies, Inc.; Anworth Mortgage Asset Corp.; Natural Alternatives Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------ Martin Fenton None Age: 66 ------------------------------------------------------------ Leonard R. Fuller None Age: 55 ------------------------------------------------------------ Mary Myers Kauppila None Age: 48 ------------------------------------------------------------ Kirk P. Pendleton York Group, Inc. Age: 62 ------------------------------------------------------------ American Funds Insurance Series - Page 23
49724th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottomJust 24th
[Enlarge/Download Table] PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) DURING YEAR FIRST PAST 5 YEARS AND NUMBER OF BOARDS ELECTED POSITIONS HELD WITHIN THE FUND POSITION A TRUSTEE WITH AFFILIATED ENTITIES COMPLEX/2/ ON WHICH WITH THE AND/OR OFFICER OR THE PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER TRUSTEE NAME AND AGE SERIES OF THE SERIES/1/ OF THE SERIES OR OFFICER SERVES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "INTERESTED" TRUSTEES/4,5/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ James K. Dunton Chairman 1993 Senior Vice President and Director, 2 Age: 64 of the Capital Research and Management Board Company ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Donald D. O'Neal President 1998 Senior Vice President, Capital 2 Age: 41 and Research and Management Company Trustee ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ James F. Trustee 1995 President and Director, Capital 4 Rothenberg Research and Management Company Age: 55 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS/3/ HELD NAME AND AGE BY TRUSTEE OR OFFICER --------------------------------------------------- "INTERESTED" TRUSTEES/4,5/ --------------------------------------------------- James K. Dunton None Age: 64 --------------------------------------------------- Donald D. O'Neal None Age: 41 --------------------------------------------------- James F. None Rothenberg Age: 55 --------------------------------------------------- American Funds Insurance Series - Page 24
49725th "Page" of 39TOC1stPreviousNextBottom