What are the Main Risks of Investing in the Fund?
All mutual funds take investment risks. Therefore, even though the Fund is a money market fund that seeks to maintain a stable NAV, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The primary factors that may negatively impact the Fund's ability to maintain a stable NAV, delay the payment of redemptions by the Fund, or reduce the Fund's daily dividends include:
■ Interest Rate Risk. Prices of fixed-income securities generally fall when interest rates rise. Recent and potential future changes in monetary policy made by central banks and/or their governments are likely to affect the level of interest rates. Very low or negative interest rates magnify interest rate risk. During periods when interest rates are low or there are negative interest rates, the Fund's yield (and total return) also is likely to be lower or the Fund may be unable to maintain a positive return, or yield, or a stable NAV.
■ Counterparty Credit Risk. A party to a transaction involving the Fund may fail to meet its obligations. This could cause the Fund to lose money or to lose the benefit of the transaction or prevent the Fund from selling or buying other securities to implement its investment strategies.
■ Risk Associated with Investing Share Purchase Proceeds. On days during which there are net purchases of Fund Shares, the Fund must invest the proceeds at prevailing market yields or hold cash. If the Fund holds cash, or if the yield of the securities purchased is less than that of the securities already in the portfolio, the Fund's yield will likely decrease. Conversely, net purchases on days on which short-term yields rise will likely cause the Fund's yield to increase. In the event of significant changes in short-term yields or significant net purchases, the Fund retains the discretion to close to new investments. However, the Fund is not required to close, and no assurance can be given that this will be done in any given circumstance.
■ Risk Associated with use of Amortized Cost. In the unlikely event that the Fund's Board of Trustees ("Board") were to determine, pursuant to Rule 2a-7, that the extent of the deviation between the Fund's amortized cost per Share and its market-based NAV per Share may result in material dilution or other unfair results to shareholders, the Board will cause the Fund to take such action as it deems appropriate to eliminate or reduce to the extent practicable such dilution or unfair results.
■ Additional Factors Affecting Yield. There is no guarantee that the Fund will provide a certain level of income or that any such income will exceed the rate of inflation. Further, the Fund's yield will vary. Periods of very low or negative interest rates impact, in a negative way, the Fund's ability to maintain a positive return, or yield, or pay dividends to Fund shareholders.
■ Risk Related to the Economy. The value of the Fund's portfolio may decline in tandem with a drop in the overall value of the markets in which the Fund invests and/or other markets. Economic, political and financial conditions, industry or economic trends and developments or public health