The Barclays U.S. Aggregate Index, an unmanaged, market value weighted index of fixed income securities, is not available for direct investment. Unlike a mutual fund, the performance of an index assumes no taxes, transaction costs, management fees or other expenses.
An investment in the Fund is subject to interest rate risk, which is the possibility that a Fund’s yield will decline due to falling interest rates. The value of debt securities may be affected by the ability of issuers to make principal and interest payments and even the possibility that the issuer will default completely. Although U.S. government securities are considered to be among the safest investments, they are not guaranteed against price movements due to changing interest rates and bond fund prices may decline as interest rates rise. High yield bond investing includes special risks. Investments in lower rated and unrated debt securities are subject to a greater loss of principal and interest than investments in higher rated securities. The values of mortgage-backed securities depend on the credit quality and adequacy of the underlying assets or collateral and may be highly volatile. Derivative instruments include options, futures and options on futures. A small investment in derivatives could have a potentially large impact on the Fund’s performance. The Fund may be unable to terminate or sell a derivatives position. Derivative counterparties may suffer financial difficulties and may not fulfill their contractual obligations.