STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Funds Statement of Additional Information, which includes additional information about
the Fund, and the Funds annual or semi-annual report are available, without charge, upon request by calling the Funds toll-free telephone number 1-800-820-0888. Shareholder inquiries should be addressed to Guggenheim Investments, 805
King Farm Boulevard, Suite 600, Rockville, Maryland 20850, or by calling the Funds toll-free telephone number listed above. The Funds Statement of Additional Information is incorporated into this prospectus by reference.
The Funds Investment Company Act file number is listed below:
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Security Equity Fund
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811-01136
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World Equity Income Fund (d/b/a Guggenheim World Equity Income
Fund)
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Family of Funds
, for disclosure purposes in this prospectus, includeSeries of Security Equity Fund:
Guggenheim StylePlus Large Core Fund (formerly, Guggenheim Large Cap Core Fund), Guggenheim Alpha Opportunity Fund, Guggenheim World Equity Income Fund (formerly, Guggenheim MSCI EAFE Equal Weight Fund) , Guggenheim Mid Cap Value Fund,
Guggenheim Mid Cap Value Institutional Fund and Guggenheim Small Cap Value Fund; Security Large Cap Value Fund (aka Guggenheim Large Cap Value Fund); Security Mid Cap Growth Fund (aka Guggenheim StylePlus - Mid Growth Fund)
(formerly, Guggenheim Mid Cap Growth Fund); Series of Security Income Fund: Guggenheim High Yield Fund, Guggenheim Investment Grade Bond Fund (formerly, Guggenheim U.S. Intermediate Bond Fund), Guggenheim Municipal Income Fund, Guggenheim Total
Return Bond Fund, Guggenheim Macro Opportunities Fund, and Guggenheim Floating Rate Strategies Fund; the Rydex Series Funds; and the Rydex Dynamic Funds.
805 King Farm Blvd. Suite 600
Rockville, Maryland 20850
800 820 088
WWW.GUGGENHEIMINVESTMENTS.COM
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
GUGGENHEIM
INVESTMENTS
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Guggenheim Investments
Security Equity Funds
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Institutional Class Shares Prospectus
AUGUST 15, 2013
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TICKER SYMBOL
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FUNDAMENTAL ALPHA
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SEWIX
(Institutional Class)
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World Equity Income Institutional Fund (formerly,
MSCI EAFE Equal Weight Institutional Fund)
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The U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities, or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Table of Contents
FUND SUMMARY
World Equity Income Institutional Fund (formerly, MSCI EAFE EQUAL Weight
Institutional Fund)
INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVE
The World Equity Income Institutional Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide total return, comprised of capital
appreciation and income.
FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
SHAREHOLDER FEES
(
fees paid directly from your investment
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Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases
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None
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Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)
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None
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ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
*(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your
investment)
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Management fees
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0.70
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%
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Distribution and service (12b-1) fees
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None
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Other expenses
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1.17
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%
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Total annual fund operating expenses
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1.90
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%
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Fee waiver (and/or expense reimbursement)
1
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-0.69
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Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver (and/or expense reimbursement)
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1.21
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1
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The Investment Manager has contractually agreed through February 1, 2015 to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to limit
the ordinary operating expenses (including distribution (12b 1) fees, but exclusive of brokerage costs, dividends on securities sold short, acquired fund fees and expenses, interest, taxes, litigation, indemnification, and extraordinary expenses)
(Operating Expenses) of the Fund to the annual percentage of 1.21% of the average daily net assets for the Fund. The Fund may have Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver greater than the expense cap as a result
of any acquired fund fees and expenses or other expenses that are excluded from the calculation. The Investment Manager is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of fees waived during any of the previous 36 months beginning on the date of the expense
limitation agreement. The agreement will expire when it reaches its termination or when the investment adviser ceases to serve as such (subject to recoupment rights).
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EXAMPLE
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund
with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and
then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Funds operating expenses remain the same. Although the actual costs may be higher or lower, based
on these assumptions your costs would be:
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1 Year
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3 Years
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5 Years
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10 Years
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$ 123
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$ 530
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$ 962
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$ 2,166
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The above Examples reflect applicable contractual fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangements for the duration of the
arrangements only.
1
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs
and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the
Funds portfolio turnover rate was 41% of the average value of its portfolio.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets (net assets, plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in
equity securities. Generally, the Fund intends to invest in higher dividend-yielding equity securities. The Fund is not limited in the percentage of assets it may invest in securities listed, traded or dealt in any one country, region or geographic
area and it will invest in a number of countries throughout the world, including emerging markets.
While the Fund tends to focus its
investments in equity securities of large- and mid-capitalization companies, it can also invest in equity securities of companies that represent a broad range of market capitalizations and will not be constrained by capitalization limits. At times,
the Fund may thus invest a significant portion of its assets in small- and mid-capitalization companies. The equity securities in which the Fund may invest include, but are not limited to, common stock, preferred stock, American Depositary Receipts
(ADRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), American Depositary Shares (ADS), convertible securities and warrants and rights. The Fund invests in securities denominated in a wide variety of currencies.
The Fund may invest in a variety of liquid investment vehicles, such as exchange traded funds (ETFs) and other mutual funds to manage its
cash position, or to gain exposure to the equity markets or a particular sector of the equity markets, while maintaining liquidity. The Fund may also hold up to 20% of its assets in debt securities of foreign or U.S. issuers.
While the Fund generally does not intend to usually hold a significant portion of its assets in derivatives, the Fund may invest in derivatives,
including forwards, swaps and futures contracts in order to maintain exposure to the securities and currency markets at times when it is not able to purchase the corresponding securities and currencies directly, or it believes that it is more
appropriate to use derivatives to obtain the desired exposure to the underlying assets. Further, the Fund can hedge a portion of its foreign currency exposure using derivatives.
The Investment Manager will actively manage the Funds portfolio while utilizing quantitative analysis and optimization programs to forecast risk. The Investment Managers goal will be to
construct a well diversified portfolio comprised of securities that have historically demonstrated low volatility in their returns and that collectively have the ability to provide dividend yields in excess of the Funds benchmark. In selecting
investments, the Investment Manager will consider the dividend yield of each security, the historic volatility of each security, the correlation between securities, trading liquidity and market capitalization. The Investment Manager also may
consider transaction costs and overall exposures to countries, sectors and stocks. While the portfolio may be comprised of a large portion of securities that are included within the MSCI World Index, a broad-based index that captures large- and
mid-cap representations across a large number of developed markets countries, the Fund will also invest in securities that are not included in the MSCI World Index. The Investment Manager may determine to sell a security for several reasons
including the following: (1) better investment opportunities are available; (2) to meet redemption requests; (3) to close-out or unwind derivatives transactions; (4) to realize gains; or (5) if market conditions change.
Under adverse or unstable market conditions, the Fund could invest some or all of its assets in cash, derivative instruments, fixed income
securities, government bonds, money market securities, or repurchase agreements. Although the Fund would do this only in seeking to manage equity exposure and reduce Fund volatility, the Fund may be unable to pursue its investment objective during
that time, and it may reduce the benefit from any upswing in the market.
PRINCIPAL RISKS
An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government
agency. The value of an investment in the Fund will fluctuate and is subject to investment risks, which means investors could lose money. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below.
Capitalization Securities Risk
The Fund may have significant exposure to securities in a particular capitalization range, e.g., large-,
mid- or small-cap securities. As a result, the Fund may be subject to the risk that the pre-dominate capitalization range may underperform other segments of the equity market or the equity market as a whole.
Convertible Securities Risk
Convertible securities may be subordinate to other securities. The total return for a convertible security
depends, in part, upon the performance of the underlying security into which it can be converted. The value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend
yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality.
Currency Risk
Indirect and direct exposure to foreign currencies
subjects the Fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. Dollar, which would cause a decline in the U.S. value of the holdings of the Fund. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly
over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political, economic and tax developments in the U.S. or abroad.
2
Depositary Receipt Risk
The Fund may hold the securities of non-U.S. companies in the form of
ADRs and GDRs. The underlying securities of the ADRs and GDRs in the Funds portfolio are subject to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates that may affect the value of the Funds portfolio. In addition, the value of the
securities underlying the ADRs and GDRs may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading. Investments in the underlying foreign securities also involve political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in
the securities of U.S. issuers.
Derivatives Risk
Derivatives may pose risks in addition to those associated with investing
directly in securities or other investments, including possible illiquidity of the derivative, limited ability to enter into or unwind a position, imperfect correlations with underlying investments or the Funds other portfolio holdings,
leverage risk, lack of availability and the risk that the counterparty may default on its obligations. If the Investment Manager is incorrect about its expectations of market conditions, the use of derivatives could result in a loss, which in some
cases may be unlimited.
Emerging Markets Risk
The Fund may invest in securities in emerging markets. Investing in securities in
emerging countries may entail greater risks than investing in securities in developed countries. These risks include: (1) less social, political and economic stability; (2) the small current size of the markets for such securities and the
currently low or nonexistent volume of trading, which result in a lack of liquidity and in greater price volatility; (3) certain national policies which may restrict the Funds investment opportunities, including restrictions on investment
in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; (4) foreign taxation; and (5) the absence of developed structures governing private or foreign investment or allowing for judicial redress for injury to private property.
Equity Securities Risk
Equity securities include common stocks and other equity securities (and securities convertible into
stocks), and the prices of equity securities fluctuate in value more than other investments. They reflect changes in the issuing companys financial condition and changes in the overall market. Common stocks generally represent the riskiest
investment in a company. The Fund may lose a substantial part, or even all, of its investment in a companys stock. Growth stocks may be more volatile than value stocks.
Foreign Securities Risk
Foreign securities carry additional risks when compared to U.S. securities, including currency fluctuations, adverse political and economic developments, unreliable
or untimely information, less liquidity, limited legal recourse and higher transactional costs. The Fund may have focused investment exposure to the foreign regions listed below.
Asia
While certain Asian economies are exemplars of growth and development others have been and continue to be subject, to
some extent, to over-extension of credit, currency devaluations and restrictions, high unemployment, high inflation, decreased exports and economic recessions.
Europe
The European economy is diverse and includes both large, competitive economies and small, struggling economies. The European economy is vulnerable to decreasing imports or exports,
changes in governmental regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro and recessions in EU economies. The European financial markets have recently experienced volatility due to concerns about rising government debt levels of several
European countries and increased unemployment levels. Economic uncertainty may have an adverse effect on the value of the Funds investments.
Investment in Investment Vehicles Risk
Investing in other investment vehicles, including ETFs and other mutual funds, subjects the Fund to those risks affecting the investment vehicle,
including the possibility that the value of the underlying securities held by the investment vehicle could decrease. Moreover, the Fund and its shareholders will incur its pro rata share of the underlying vehicles expenses.
Leverage Risk
The Funds use of leverage, through instruments such as derivatives, may cause the Fund to be more volatile than if it
had not been leveraged.
Management Risk
The Fund is actively managed, which means that investment decisions are made based on
investment views. There is no guarantee that the investment views will be successful. Furthermore, active trading that can accompany active management, also called high turnover, may have a negative impact on performance. Active trading
may result in higher brokerage costs or mark-up charges, which are ultimately passed on to shareholders of the Fund.
Market Risk
The market value of the securities held by the Fund may fluctuate resulting from factors affecting the individual company or other factors such as changing economic, political or financial market conditions.
Preferred Securities Risk
A companys preferred stock generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to
holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred stock will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the companys financial condition or prospects.
Regulatory and Legal Risk
U.S. and other regulators and governmental agencies may implement additional regulations and legislators may pass
new laws that affect the investments held by the Fund, the strategies used by the Fund or the level of regulation or taxation applying to the Fund (such as regulations related to investments in derivatives). These may impact the investment
strategies, performance, costs and operations of the Fund or taxation of shareholders.
3
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The following chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance from year to year and by showing how the Funds average
annual returns for the one year and since inception periods have compared to those of a broad measure of market performance.
Effective
August 15, 2013, certain changes were made to the Funds investment objective, principal investment strategies and portfolio management team. In connection with these changes, the Fund also changed its benchmark to the MSCI World Index.
Between May 2, 2011 and August 15, 2013, the Fund tracked the performance of the MSCI EAFE Equal Weighted Index.
As with all mutual
funds, past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Funds website at www.guggenheiminvestments.com or by calling
1-800-820-0888.
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Highest Quarter Return
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Lowest Quarter Return
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1Q 2012 12.60%
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2Q 2012 -8.26%
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As of June 30, 2013, the Fund had a year-to-date return of [
]%
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
(For the periods ended December 31, 2012)
After-tax returns shown in the table are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of any state or local taxes. Actual after-tax
returns depend on an investors tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement
accounts.
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1 Year
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Since Inception
05/02/11
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Institutional Fund
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Return before taxes
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16.23
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%
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-5.52
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%
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Return after taxes on distributions
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15.39
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%
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-5.93
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%
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Return after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares
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10.53
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%
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-4.92
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%
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Indexes
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MSCI World Index (Net)
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17.24
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%
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0.09
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%
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MSCI EAFE Equal Weighted Gross Index
(reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)
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16.91
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%
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-4.54
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%
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4
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
INVESTMENT MANAGER
Security Investors, LLC, also known as Guggenheim Investments (the
Investment Manager), serves as the investment manager of the Fund.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Fahran Sharaff, Nardin Baker, Ole Jakob Wold and Scott Hammond are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund, and each holds the
title Portfolio Manager with the Investment Manager. They have co-managed the Fund since August 2013.
PURCHASE AND SALE OF
FUND SHARES
You may purchase or redeem Fund shares through your broker/ dealer, other financial intermediary that has an agreement with
Guggenheim Distributors, LLC, the Funds distributor, or through the transfer agent (by mail or telephone, if you select the telephone option on your account application). You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund on any day the
New York Stock Exchange is open for business. The minimum initial investment is $2 million, although the Fund may waive this requirement at its discretion. The Fund has a minimum account balance of $1 million. Due to the relatively high cost of
maintaining accounts below the minimum account balance, the Fund reserves the right to redeem shares if an account balance falls below the minimum account balance for any reason. Investors will be given 60 days advance notice to reestablish
the minimum account balance. If the account balance is not increased, the account may be closed, and the proceeds sent to the investor. Fund shares will be redeemed at net asset value on the day the account is closed.
TAX INFORMATION
Fund distributions are
taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination of both), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account.
PAYMENTS TO BROKER/DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
If you purchase Fund shares
through a broker/dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing
the broker/dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information.
5
Description of Shares Offered in This Prospectus
This prospectus offers Institutional Class Shares of the World Equity Income Institutional Fund (the Fund). Other share classes of the Fund
are offered in a separate prospectus.
Additional Information Regarding Investment Objectives and Strategies
The Board of Directors of the Fund may change the Funds investment objectives and strategies at any time without shareholder
approval. Because the Funds name suggests a specific type of investment, the Fund will provide written notice to shareholders prior to, or concurrent with, any such change as required by applicable law. Should the Fund change its policy of
investing at least 80% of its assets (net assets, plus the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes) in the type of investment or industry suggested by its name, the Fund will provide shareholders at least 60 days notice prior to making
the change. As with any investment, there can be no guarantee the Fund will achieve its investment objectives.
The Fund may, from time to
time, take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Funds principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions. For example, the Fund may invest some or all of
its assets in cash, derivative instruments, fixed income securities, government bonds, money market securities, or repurchase agreements. Although the Fund would do this only in seeking to manage equity exposure and reduce Fund volatility, the Fund
may be unable to pursue its investment objective during that time, and it may reduce the benefit from any upswing in the market.
The
Funds holdings of certain types of investments cannot exceed a maximum percentage of net assets. Percentage limitations are set forth in this Prospectus and/or the statement of additional information (SAI). While the percentage
limitations provide a useful level of detail about the Funds investment program, they should not be viewed as an accurate gauge of the potential risk of the investment. For example, in a given period, a 5% investment in futures contracts could
have significantly more of an impact on the Funds share price than its weighting in the portfolio. The net effect of a particular investment depends on its volatility and the size of its overall return or risk profile in relation to the
performance of the Funds other investments. The Portfolio Managers of the Fund have considerable leeway in choosing investment strategies and selecting securities they believe will help the Fund achieve its objective. Notwithstanding the
above, the Fund will be invested in accordance with the Principal Investment Strategies discussed earlier in this Prospectus. In seeking to meet its investment objective, the Fund may invest in any type of security or instrument whose investment
characteristics are consistent with the Funds investment program. The Fund will determine the country of an issuer of a security based on: (a) the issuers domicile or location of headquarters; (b) where the issuer derives a
significant proportion (at least 50%) of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed or where it has at least 50% of its assets; (c) the principal trading market for the security; or (d) the
currency in which the security is denominated. Investors should be aware that the investments made by the Fund and the results achieved by the Fund at any given time are not expected to be the same as those made by other mutual funds for which the
Investment Manager acts as investment adviser, including mutual funds with names, investment objectives and policies similar to the Fund.
The
Fund is subject to certain investment policy limitations referred to as fundamental policies. The full text of the Funds fundamental policies is included in the SAI.
Descriptions of Principal Risks
Additional information on the principal risks of the Fund is described below. A list of the main risks that apply to the Fund can be found under the
Principal Risks section. However, the fact that a particular risk was not indicated as a principal risk for the Fund does not mean that the Fund is prohibited from investing its assets in securities that give rise to that risk. It simply
means that the risk is not a principal risk for the Fund. The Portfolio Manager for the Fund has considerable leeway in choosing investment strategies and selecting securities that he or she believes will help the Fund achieve its investment
objective. Although the Fund will not generally trade for short-term profits, circumstances may warrant a sale without regard to the length of time a security was held. A high turnover rate may increase transaction costs, which decreases the value
of investments and may result in additional taxable gains. In seeking to meet its investment objective, the Funds assets may be invested in any type of security or instrument whose investment characteristics are consistent with the Funds
investment program.
In addition, investors should note that, to the extent authorized by law, the Fund reserves the right to discontinue
offering shares at any time, to merge or reorganize itself or a class of shares, or to cease operations and liquidate at any time.
Capitalization Securities Risk
The Funds investments may be composed primarily of, or have significant exposure to, securities
in a particular capitalization range, e.g., large-, mid- or small-cap securities. As a result, the Fund may be subject to the risk that the pre-dominate capitalization range represented in the Funds portfolio may underperform other segments of
the equity market or the equity market as a whole. Larger, more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology and may not be able to attain the high growth rate of smaller
6
companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. In addition, in comparison to securities of companies with larger capitalizations, securities of small- and
medium-capitalization companies may experience greater price volatility (especially during periods of economic uncertainty), greater spreads between their bid and ask prices, significantly lower trading volumes, and cyclical or static growth
prospects. Small- and mid-cap companies often have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, and may therefore suffer isolated setbacks. These securities may or may not pay dividends. Securities of small-cap companies may present
additional risks because their earnings are less predictable and their securities are often less liquid than those of larger, more established companies. Small-cap companies may also be more vulnerable to adverse business or market developments.
These risks are likely to be greater for micro-cap companies. The Fund is not required to sell an investment if the investment falls out of, or can no longer be characterized as being a part of, a certain capitalization range.
Convertible Securities Risk
Convertible securities, debt or preferred equity securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, equity
securities, are generally preferred stocks and other securities, including fixed income securities and warrants that are convertible into or exercisable for common stock. They generally participate in the appreciation or depreciation of the
underlying stock into which they are convertible, but to a lesser degree. In recent years, convertible securities have been developed which combine higher or lower current income with options and other features. Warrants are options to buy a stated
number of shares of common stock at a specified price anytime during the life of the warrants (generally, two or more years). Convertible securities may be lower-rated securities subject to greater levels of credit risk. A convertible security may
be converted before it would otherwise be most appropriate, which may have an adverse effect on the Funds ability to achieve its investment objective.
Synthetic convertible securities are selected based on the similarity of their economic characteristics to those of a traditional convertible security due to the combination of separate
securities that possess the two principal characteristics of a traditional convertible security, i.e., an income-producing security (income-producing component) and the right to acquire an equity security (convertible
component). The income-producing component is achieved by investing in non-convertible, income-producing securities such as bonds, preferred stocks and money market instruments, which may be represented by derivative instruments. The
convertible component is achieved by investing in securities or instruments such as warrants or options to buy common stock at a certain exercise price, or options on a stock index. A simple example of a synthetic convertible security is the
combination of a traditional corporate bond with a warrant to purchase equity securities of the issuer of the bond. The Fund may also purchase synthetic securities created by other parties, typically investment banks, including convertible
structured notes. The income-producing and convertible components of a synthetic convertible security may be issued separately by different issuers and at different times.
Currency Risk
The Funds indirect and direct exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the
U.S. Dollar, which would cause a decline in the U.S. value of the holdings of the Fund. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and
the imposition of currency controls or other political, economic and tax developments in the U.S. or abroad. While the Fund may engage in currency hedging transactions, it generally does not intend to do so.
Depositary Receipt Risk
The Fund may hold the securities of non-U.S. companies in the form of American Depositary Receipts
(ADRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs). ADRs are negotiable certificates issued by a U.S. financial institution that represent a specified number of shares in a foreign stock and trade on a U.S. national securities
exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange. The Fund will primarily invest in sponsored ADRs, which are issued with the support of the issuer of the foreign stock underlying the ADRs and carry all of the rights of common shares, including voting
rights. GDRs are similar to ADRs, but may be issued in bearer form and are typically offered for sale globally and held by a foreign branch of an international bank. The underlying securities of the ADRs and GDRs in the Funds portfolio are
usually denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar. As a result, changes in foreign currency exchange rates may affect the value of the Funds portfolio. Generally, when the U.S. Dollar rises in value against a foreign
currency, a security denominated in that currency loses value because the currency is worth fewer U.S. Dollars. In addition, because the underlying securities of ADRs and GDRs trade on foreign exchanges at times when the U.S. markets are not open
for trading, the value of the securities underlying the ADRs and GDRs may change materially at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, regardless of whether there is an active U.S. market for shares of the Fund. The Funds
investment exposure to the underlying foreign securities may involve risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than U.S. markets, and prices in
some foreign markets can be extremely volatile due to increased risks of adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. Many foreign countries lack accounting and disclosure standards comparable to those that apply to U.S.
companies, and it may be more difficult to obtain reliable information regarding a foreign issuers financial condition and operations. In addition, transaction costs and costs associated with custody services are generally higher for foreign
securities than they are for U.S. securities.
Derivatives Risk
The Fund may invest a percentage of its assets in derivatives,
such as swaps, futures contracts and options contracts and other instruments described in the Funds principal investment strategies, to pursue its investment objective and to create economic leverage in the Fund, to enhance total return, to
seek to hedge against fluctuations in securities prices, interest rates, currency rates, etc., to change the effective duration of the Funds portfolio, to manage certain investment risks, and/or as a substitute for the purchase or sale of
securities or currencies. The use of such derivatives may expose the Fund to risks in addition to and greater than those associated with investing directly in the securities underlying those derivatives, including risks relating to leverage,
imperfect correlations with underlying investments or the Funds other portfolio holdings, high price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty credit, liquidity, valuation and legal
7
restrictions. If the Investment Manager is incorrect about its expectations of market conditions, the use of derivatives could also result in a loss, which in some cases may be unlimited. Use of
derivatives may also cause the Fund to be subject to additional regulations, which may generate additional Fund expenses. These practices also entail transactional expenses and may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains
than if the Fund had not engaged in such transactions. Certain risks also are specific to the derivatives in which the Fund invests.
Swap Agreements Risk.
Swap agreements are contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from one day to more than one year and may be negotiated bilaterally and
traded OTC between two parties or, in some instances, must be transacted through a futures commission merchant and cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as a central counterparty. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange
the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or Instruments. The Fund may enter into swap agreements, including, but not limited to total return swaps, index swaps, interest rate swaps
and credit default swaps. The Fund may utilize swap agreements in an attempt to gain exposure to certain securities without purchasing those securities, which is speculative, or to hedge a position. Risks associated with the use of swap agreements
are different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions, due to the fact they could be considered illiquid and many swaps currently trade on the OTC market, which is an unregulated market. Swaps are particularly subject
to counterparty credit, correlation, valuation, liquidity and leveraging risks.
Certain standardized swaps are
subject to mandatory central clearing. Central clearing is expected to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity, but central clearing does not make swap transactions risk-free. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection
Act and related regulatory developments will ultimately require the clearing and exchange-trading of many OTC derivative instruments that the CFTC and SEC recently defined as swaps. Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing will occur on a
phased-in basis based on the type of market participant and CFTC approval of contracts for central clearing. The Investment Manager will continue to monitor developments in this area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect the
Funds ability to enter into swap agreements.
Futures Contracts Risk.
Futures contracts are
typically exchange-traded contracts that call for the future delivery of an asset at a certain price and date or cash settlement (payment of the gain or loss on the contract). Futures are often used to manage or hedge risk because they enable the
investor to buy or sell an asset in the future at an agreed-upon price and for other reasons such as to manage exposure to changes in interest rates and bond prices; as an efficient means of adjusting overall exposure to certain markets; as a
substitute for a direct investment; in an effort to enhance income; to protect the value of portfolio securities; and to adjust portfolio duration. Risks of futures contracts may be caused by an imperfect correlation between movements in the price
of the instruments and the price of the underlying securities. In addition, there is the risk that the Fund may not be able to enter into a closing transaction because of an illiquid market. Futures markets can be highly volatile and the use of
futures may increase the volatility of the Funds NAV. Exchanges can limit the number of options that can be held or controlled by the Fund or its adviser, thus limiting the ability to implement the fund strategies. Futures are also subject to
leveraging risk and can be subject to liquidity risk.
Options Contracts Risk.
The buyer of an option
acquires the right to buy (a call option) or sell (a put option) a certain quantity of a security (the underlying security) or instrument, including a futures contract or swap, at a certain price up to a specified point in time. The seller or writer
of an option is obligated to sell (a call option) or buy (a put option) the underlying instrument. Options are often used to manage or hedge risk because they enable the investor to buy or sell an asset in the future at an agreed-upon price and for
other reasons such as to manage exposure to changes in interest rates and bond prices; as an efficient means of adjusting overall exposure to certain markets; as a substitute for a direct investment; in an effort to enhance income; to protect the
value of portfolio securities; and to adjust portfolio duration.
Options are subject to correlation risks. The
writing and purchase of options is a highly specialized activity as the successful use of options depends on the Investment Managers ability to predict correctly future price fluctuations and the degree of correlation between the markets for
options and the underlying instruments. Exchanges can limit the number of futures options that can be held or controlled by the Fund or its adviser, thus limiting the ability to implement the fund strategies. Options are also particularly subject to
leverage risk and can be subject to liquidity risk. Because option premiums paid or received by the Fund are small in relation to the market value of the investments underlying the options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that buying and selling put
and call options can be more speculative than investing directly in securities.
The Fund may also purchase or
sell call and put options on a covered basis. A call option is covered if the Fund owns the security underlying the call or has an absolute right to acquire the security without additional cash consideration (or, if
additional cash consideration is required, cash or cash equivalents in such amount are segregated by the Funds custodian). As a seller of covered call options, the Fund faces the risk that it will forgo the opportunity to profit from increases
in the market value of the security covering the call option during an options life.
Hybrid
Securities.
Hybrid instruments combine the characteristics of securities, futures and options. Typically, a hybrid instrument combines a traditional stock, bond or commodity with an option or forward contract. Generally, the principal amount,
amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest rate of a hybrid is tied to the price of some security, commodity, currency or securities index, or another interest rate or some other economic factor. Hybrid instruments can be used as an
efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging and
8
increased total return. The risks of such investments would reflect the risks of investing in futures, options and securities, including volatility and illiquidity. Such securities may bear
interest or pay dividends at below market (or even relatively nominal) rates. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of such an investment could be zero.
Emerging Markets Risk
The Fund may invest in securities in emerging markets. Investing in securities in emerging countries may entail greater risks than investing in securities in
developed countries. These risks include: (1) less social, political and economic stability; (2) the small current size of the markets for such securities and the currently low or nonexistent volume of trading, which result in a lack of
liquidity and in greater price volatility; (3) certain national policies which may restrict the Funds investment opportunities, including restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests;
(4) foreign taxation; and (5) the absence of developed structures governing private or foreign investment or allowing for judicial redress for injury to private property. Sovereign debt of emerging countries may be in default or present a
greater risk of default.
Equity Securities Risk
Equity securities include common stocks and other equity securities (and
securities convertible into stocks), and the prices of equity securities fluctuate in value more than other investments. They reflect changes in the issuing companys financial condition and changes in the overall market. Common stocks
generally represent the riskiest investment in a company. The Fund may lose a substantial part, or even all, of its investment in a companys stock. Growth stocks may be more volatile than value stocks.
The Funds investment in securities offered through initial public offerings (IPOs) may have a magnified performance impact, either
positive or negative, on the Fund and particularly those with a small asset base. There is no guarantee that as the Funds assets grow, they will continue to experience substantially similar performance by investing in IPOs. The Funds
investments in IPOs may make it subject to more erratic price movements than the overall equity market. F
Foreign Securities
Risk
Investing in foreign investments, including investing in foreign securities through ADRs and GDRs, involves certain special risks, including, but not limited to: (i) unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates;
(ii) adverse political and economic developments; (iii) unreliable or untimely information; (iv) limited legal recourse; (v) limited markets; (vi) higher operational expenses; and (vii) illiquidity. These risks may even
be higher in underdeveloped or emerging markets. The Fund considers a security to be a foreign security if the issuer is organized under the laws of a foreign country or is a foreign government, or a sub-division or agency of such government,
or the security is traded in markets outside the United States.
Foreign investments are normally issued and traded in foreign
currencies. As a result, their values may be affected by changes in the exchange rates between particular foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. Foreign investments may be subject to the risks of seizure by a foreign government, imposition of
restrictions on the exchange or transport of foreign currency, and tax increases. There may also be less information publicly available about a foreign company than about most U.S. companies, and foreign companies are usually not subject to
accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the United States. The legal remedies for investors in foreign investments may be more limited than those available in the United States. Certain foreign
investments may be less liquid (harder to buy and sell) and more volatile than domestic investments, which means the Fund may at times be unable to sell its foreign investments at desirable prices. For the same reason, the Fund may at times find it
difficult to value its foreign investments. Brokerage commissions and other fees are generally higher for foreign investments than for domestic investments. The procedures and rules for settling foreign transactions may also involve delays in
payment, delivery or recovery of money or investments. Foreign withholding taxes may reduce the amount of income available to distribute to shareholders of the Fund.
Investment in Investment Vehicles Risk
Investments in investment companies or other investment vehicles may include index-based unit investment trusts such as Standard &
Poors Depositary Receipts (SPDRs) and similar securities of other investment companies, including closed-end funds, mutual funds, exchange traded funds (ETFs) and other investment vehicles. Such index-based investments
sometimes hold substantially all of their assets in securities representing a specific index. In the case of SPDRs, the index represented is the S&P 500 Index, but the Fund may invest in other index-based investments designed to track other
indexes or market sectors. To the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies or vehicles, the Fund and its shareholders will incur its pro rata share of the underlying investment companies or vehicles expenses, such as
investment advisory and other management expenses, and shareholders will be required to pay the operating expenses of two or more investment vehicles. In addition, the Fund will be subject to the effects of business and regulatory developments that
affect an underlying investment company or vehicle or the investment company industry generally. The Fund may use index-based investments as a way of managing its cash position, or to maintain liquidity while gaining exposure to the equity markets,
or a particular sector of the equity market, or to seek to avoid losses in declining market conditions. In addition, an underlying investment vehicle may buy the same securities that another underlying investment vehicle sells. If this happens, an
investor in the Fund would indirectly bear the costs of these trades without accomplishing any investment purpose. In addition, certain of the underlying investment vehicles may hold common portfolio positions, thereby reducing the diversification
benefits of an asset allocation style. The performance of those underlying investment vehicles, in turn, depends upon the performance of the securities in which they invest.
Leverage Risk
The use of derivatives may create leveraging risk. For example, because of the low margin deposits required, futures trading involves an extremely high degree of leverage.
As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in an immediate and substantial impact on the net asset value of the Fund. Leveraging may cause the Fund to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged. To
mitigate leveraging risk and otherwise comply with regulatory requirements, the Fund segregates or earmarks liquid assets to meet its obligations under, or otherwise covers, the transactions that may give rise to this risk. Applicable law limits the
Fund from borrowing in an amount greater than 33 1/3% of its assets.
9
Management Risk
The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed
investment portfolio, which means that investment decisions are made based on investment views. The Investment Manager and each individual portfolio manager will apply investment techniques and risk analysis in making decisions for the Fund, but
there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results. Additionally, legislative, regulatory or tax developments may affect the investment techniques available to the Investment Manager and each individual portfolio manager
in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objectives. Furthermore, active trading that can accompany active management will increase the costs the Fund incurs because of
higher brokerage charges or mark-up charges, which are passed on to shareholders of the Fund and, as a result, may lower the Funds performance.
Market Risk
Most securities fluctuate in price, and equity prices tend to fluctuate more dramatically over the shorter term than do the prices of other asset classes. These movements
may result from factors affecting individual companies, or from broader influences like changes in interest rates, market conditions, investor confidence or changes in economic, political or financial market conditions. Volatility of financial
markets can expose the Fund to greater market risk, possibly resulting in greater liquidity risk. Moreover, changing economic, political or financial market conditions in one country or geographic region could adversely affect the market value of
the securities held by the Fund in a different country or geographic region due to increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets. These market conditions also may lead to increased regulation of the Fund and the instruments in
which the Fund may invest, which may, in turn, affect the Funds ability to pursue its investment objective and the Funds performance.
Preferred Securities Risk
Preferred stock represents an equity interest in a company that generally entitles the holder to receive, in preference to the holders of other stocks such as
common stocks, dividends and a fixed share of the proceeds resulting from a liquidation of the company. Preferred stocks may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred stock is subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally
to equity securities. In addition, a companys preferred stock generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred stock will usually react more
strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the companys financial condition or prospects.
Regulatory and
Legal Risk
U.S. and other regulators and governmental agencies may implement additional regulations and legislators may pass new laws that affect the investments held by the Fund, the strategies used by the Fund or the level of regulation
applying to the Fund (such as regulations related to investments in derivatives). These may impact the investment strategies, performance, costs and operations of the Funds.
Portfolio Holdings
A description of the Funds policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds underlying portfolio securities is available in
the Funds SAI and on its website at www.guggenheiminvestments.com. In addition, investors should note that the Fund publishes a complete list of its month-end portfolio holdings on its website generally within one to two business days after
the end of each following calendar month. Such information will remain online for four months, or as otherwise required by law.
Investment Manager
Security
Investors, LLC, also known as Guggenheim Investments (referred to herein as Guggenheim Investments or the Investment Manager), 805 King Farm Boulevard, Suite 600, Rockville, Maryland 20850, is the Funds investment
manager. On September 30, 2012, the aggregate assets under the investment management of the Investment Manager were approximately $22.0 billion. The Investment Manager makes investment decisions for the assets of the Fund and continuously
reviews, supervises and administers the Funds investment program.
MANAGEMENT FEES
The following chart shows the contractual investment management fee to be paid by the Fund.
In addition to any contractual waivers and expense reimbursements, the Investment Manager may waive some or all of its management fee to limit the total operating expenses of the Fund to a specified
level. The Investment Manager also may reimburse expenses of the Fund from time to time to help it maintain competitive expense ratios. These arrangements may be voluntary, in which case they may be terminated at any time.
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Contractual Management Fees (expressed as a percentage of average net assets)
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World Equity Income Institutional Fund
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0.70
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%
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10
Additionally, as noted in the Fund Summary section, the Investment Manager has contractually
agreed through February 1, 2015 to waive fees and/or reimburse Fund expenses to the extent necessary to limit the ordinary operating expenses (including distribution (12b-1) fees, but exclusive of brokerage costs, dividends on securities sold
short, acquired fund fees and expenses, interest, taxes, litigation, indemnification, and extraordinary expenses) of the Fund to 1.21% of average daily assets. The Fund may have Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver
greater than the expense cap as a result of any acquired fund fees and expenses or other expenses that are excluded from the calculation. The Investment Manager is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of fees waived or expenses reimbursed during
any of the previous 36 months beginning on the date of the expense limitation agreement. The agreement will expire when it reaches its termination or when the Investment Manager ceases to serve as such or it may be terminated by the Funds
Board of Directors (subject to recoupment rights).
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Directors approving the investment
advisory contract of the Fund will be available in the Funds annual report for the fiscal year ended September
30, 2013.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The Portfolio Managers of the Investment Manager oversee the day-to-day operations of the Fund:
Farhan Sharaff
, Portfolio Manager of the Investment Manager and Assistant Chief Investment Officer, Equities of Guggenheim Partners Investment
Management, LLC (GPIM), has co-managed the Fund since August 2013. Mr. Sharaff joined GPIM in May 2009. Mr. Sharaff has more than 32 years of experience in investment research and investment management. Prior to joining GPIM,
he was a Partner and Chief Investment Officer at MJX Capital Advisors, a wealth management firm focused on providing advice and investment management for its clients. Prior to that, Mr. Sharaff served as the global Chief Investment Officer at
CIGNA Corporation, Zurich Scudder Investments and Citigroup. In all of the above engagements, Mr. Sharaff was responsible for research, investment management, product development and investment risk management. He was also a member of the
business management teams at Citigroup and Zurich Scudder. Mr. Sharaff has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Aston (U.K.) and an MBA in Finance from the Manchester Business School (U.K.). In addition, Mr. Sharaff sits
on boards of Transparent Value Trust and Guggenheim Global Investment plc.
Nardin Baker, CFA,
Portfolio
Manager of the Investment Manager and Chief Strategist of the Global Alpha Equity team of GPIM, has co-managed the Fund since August 2013. Mr. Baker joined GPIM in 2010. He oversees all portfolio management functions and is actively involved in
research, model development and product development. Mr. Baker is a well known expert in the field of multi-factor analysis. He researched and developed the theory behind the quantitative investment model together with Prof. Robert Haugen.
Prior to joining GPIM, Mr. Baker was CIO of South Street Investment Advisors and CIO for non-US developed markets at Batterymarch Financial Management. Mr. Baker previously directed the Global Asset Allocation group for Grantham, Mayo, Van
Otterloo & Co. LLC (GMO) in Boston. He also led the Tax-sensitive Equities area at GMO. Before that, he directed the quantitative equity management group for National Investment Services of America (NISA) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He
received a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois. He has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst
®
designation and is a member of the CFA Institute.
Ole
Jakob Wold
Portfolio Manager of the Investment Manager and the Senior Portfolio Manager of the Global Alpha Equity team of GPIM, has co-managed the Fund since August 2013. He joined GPIM in 2010 from Alfred Berg/Fortis, where he managed
the Global Alpha strategies and was senior portfolio manager from 1994. Mr. Wold earned a Siviløkonom (civil economics) degree from the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration in 1994. He majored in finance,
with studies in empirical finance and a thesis on quantitative models used on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
Scott Hammond
, Portfolio
Manager of the Investment Manager and a Senior Portfolio Manager at GPIM where he has responsibility for a variety of strategic initiatives aimed at growing the firms equities business, and for the day-to-day oversight of a number of growth,
value, and core equity strategies, has co-managed the Fund since August 2013. Mr. Hammond joined GPIM in June 2009. Mr. Hammonds extensive experience in managing quantitative strategies spans over ten years and has included some of
the worlds largest asset management firms. Prior to joining GPIM, Mr. Hammond was Head of Exchange Trade Fund Portfolio Management at Northern Trust where he was responsible for a diverse portfolio of international funds. Mr. Hammond
served as a Portfolio Manager at Barclays Global Investors with responsibilities for the management of $90 billion in institutional assets. Mr. Hammond received a B.A. in Economics from the University of New Hampshire and an MBA from Purdue
Universitys Krannert Graduate School of Management.
The Funds SAI provides additional information about the portfolio
managers compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers ownership of Fund shares.
Sub-Adviser
Although the Fund
is not currently sub-advised, the Investment Manager and the Fund have received from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission an exemptive order for a multi manager structure that allows the Investment Manager to hire, replace or terminate
unaffiliated sub-advisers without the approval of shareholders. The order also allows the Investment Manager to revise a sub-advisory agreement with an unaffiliated sub-adviser with the approval of the Funds
11
Board of Directors, but without shareholder approval. If a new unaffiliated sub-adviser is hired, shareholders will receive information about the new sub-adviser within 90 days of the change. The
order allows the Fund to operate more efficiently and with greater flexibility. The Investment Manager would provide the following oversight and evaluation services if the Fund uses a sub-adviser:
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performing initial due diligence on prospective sub-advisers for the Fund;
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monitoring the performance of the sub-advisers;
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communicating performance expectations to the sub-advisers; and
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ultimately recommending to the Board of Directors whether a sub-advisers contract should be renewed, modified or terminated.
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The Investment Manager does not expect to recommend frequent changes of sub advisers. Although the Investment Manager will
monitor the performance of the sub advisers, there is no certainty that any sub adviser or the Fund will obtain favorable results at any given time.
Buying, Selling and Exchanging Fund Shares
Shares are offered directly through Rydex Fund Services, LLC (the Transfer Agent) and also through authorized securities brokers and other
financial intermediaries.
Eligible investors for shares offered in this prospectus include the following:
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Investors who invest a minimum amount of $2,000,000;
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Employee benefit plan programs that have at least $25 million in plan assets;
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Directors and officers of the Fund or any other mutual funds managed by the Investment Manager or one or more of its affiliates, and directors,
officers and employees of the Funds Investment Manager or Distributor, and their affiliates;
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Broker-dealer managed account or wrap programs that charge an asset-based fee, have program assets of at least $50 million, and invest in the Fund via
omnibus accounts;
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Registered investment adviser mutual fund wrap programs that charge an asset-based fee, have program assets of at least $50 million, and invest in the
Fund via omnibus accounts;
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Internal Revenue Code Section 529 college savings plan accounts;
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Funds of Funds advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates;
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Funds of Funds advised by unaffiliated investment advisers; and
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Institutions that invest the minimum initial investment amount in the Fund.
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If you are deemed to be an eligible investor by virtue of an initial investment in the Fund in an amount of $2,000,000 or more, your account may be subject to a minimum account balance
requirement of $1,000,000. The Fund reserves the right to waive the minimum initial investment amount of $2 million or to grant other investors eligibility to invest in the shares of the Fund at their discretion.
The shares offered in this prospectus has a minimum account balance of $1 million. Due to the relatively high cost of maintaining accounts below the
minimum account balance, the Fund reserves the right to redeem shares if an account balance falls below the minimum account balance for any reason. Investors will be given 60 days advance notice to reestablish the minimum account balance. If
the account balance is not increased, the account may be closed, and the proceeds sent to the investor. Fund shares will be redeemed at net asset value (NAV) on the day the account is closed.
The investor eligibility requirements, the minimum initial investment and account balance requirements for purchases of shares of the Fund offered in
this prospectus may be amended from time to time as reflected in the Funds then-current prospectus and SAI.
OPENING YOUR ACCOUNT
You will need to open a Guggenheim Investments shareholder account to make share transactions buy, sell or exchange shares of the Fund. You can obtain an account application or request more
information about opening an account by calling Guggenheim Investments Client Services at 800.820.0888 or 301.296.5100. You may also visit the Customer Service Center tab of www.guggenheiminvestments.com.
12
The type of application you will need depends on the type of account you want to open. For example, if you
are opening a retirement account, such as an IRA, you will need to complete a different application than you would if you were opening a taxable account. When you call Guggenheim Investments to request an account application, be sure to let the
Client Services representative know what type of account you want to open to ensure that you receive the correct application.
If you open
your account through a broker or other financial intermediary, your financial intermediary will ordinarily assist you in completing the necessary application to open your account with Guggenheim Investments.
TIPS TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE YOUR ACCOUNT APPLICATION
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You must provide each account holders social security number or tax ID number and date of birth on the application to avoid a delay in processing.
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Attach a copy of the trust document when establishing a trust account.
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3.
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When establishing an account for your corporation, partnership or self directed retirement plan, please indicate the correct account type to ensure proper tax
reporting, and provide a copy of one of the following documents: registered articles of incorporation, government-issued business license, partnership papers, plan documents or other official documentation that verifies the entity and lists the
authorized individuals. Failure to provide this documentation may result in a delay in processing your application.
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4.
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You must provide a street address (Guggenheim Investments does not accept P.O. Box only addresses). If any joint owner has a different address than the account
registration, please indicate what it is on the application.
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Be sure to sign the application
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6.
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If you open an account directly with Guggenheim Investments you will receive a confirmation statement by mail confirming your initial purchase. Review this confirmation
carefully to ensure that all of the information is correct. Notify us promptly of any errors.
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TRANSACTION INFORMATION
This section provides important information about the procedures that you must follow when you buy, sell or exchange shares of the Fund. You may submit transaction orders to buy, sell or exchange Fund
shares on any day that the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE) is open for business (Business Day). The Funds NAV is calculated as of the close of trading on each day the NYSE is open (usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time). On
any day that the NYSE closes early or as otherwise permitted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) the Fund reserves the right to advance the time that NAV is calculated and, correspondingly, the time by
which purchase and redemption orders must be received. On any day that the Fund calculates NAV earlier than normal, Guggenheim Investments reserves the right to advance the time on that day by which shareholder transaction orders must be received by
the Transfer Agent. The NYSE holiday schedule is included in the SAI and Guggenheim Investments will post advance notice of early closings at www.guggenheiminvestments.com.
TRANSACTION CUT-OFF TIMES
All shareholder transaction orders
are processed at the NAV next determined after your transaction order is received with all of the necessary information, sometimes referred to as good order, by the Funds Transfer Agent, Guggenheim Distributors, LLC (the
Distributor), or authorized dealer, subject to any applicable sales charge. The following transaction cut-off times have been established in order to allow the Transfer Agent appropriate time to report the current days trading
activity to the Investment Manager. Any application that is sent to the Transfer Agent does not constitute a purchase order until the Transfer Agent processes the application and receives correct payment by check, wire transfer or ACH.
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Method
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Cut-Off Time
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By Mail
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Market Close
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By Phone
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Market Close
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By Internet
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Market Close
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By Financial Intermediary
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Market Close*
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*
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Each financial intermediary may have its own rules about share transactions, and may have earlier cut-off times for processing your transaction order.
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TRANSACTIONS THROUGH YOUR FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY
If you opened your account through a financial intermediary, you will ordinarily submit your transaction orders through that financial intermediary. Your
financial intermediary is responsible for ensuring that your transaction order is in good order, and promptly transmitting your order to the Fund. Transaction orders received in good order by your financial intermediary, which requires that the
financial intermediary receives your order before the financial intermediarys cut off time, will be processed at the Funds next determined NAV. Financial intermediaries may charge fees for the services they provide to you
13
in connection with processing your transaction order or maintaining your account with them. Each financial intermediary may also have its own rules about minimum initial investment amounts,
minimum account balances, share transactions and limits on the number of share transactions you are permitted to make in a given time period. Authorized financial intermediaries of the Fund may also designate further intermediaries to accept
purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund.
For more information about your financial intermediarys rules and procedures, you should contact your financial intermediary directly
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14
Buying Fund Shares
The Fund offers its shares continuously and
investors may submit purchase orders to buy shares on any Business Day. However, Guggenheim Investments reserves the right to reject or refuse, in whole or in part, any purchase order for Fund shares within 3 business days of Guggenheim Investments
receiving the purchase order. Purchase orders are subject to the Funds transaction cut-off times and will be processed at the NAV next determined after your purchase order is received in good order. The minimum investment for each
Institutional class shares of the Fund listed in the Fund Summary.
Shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012 are generally
considered covered shares. The Fund must report cost basis information to you and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) when covered shares are redeemed. The Fund will use a default average cost method for reporting your cost basis for
covered shares, unless you instruct us otherwise in writing, to use another method. If you wish to choose another default cost basis method for your account you may select among: FIFO (first-in-first-out), LIFO
(last-in-first-out) and HIFO (highest-cost-in-first-out). For redemptions of shares acquired before January 1, 2012 (non-covered shares), the Fund is not required to report cost basis information to you or the IRS.
Accounts opened through a financial intermediary may be subject to different cost basis policies. For more information about your financial
intermediarys rules and procedures, you should contact your financial intermediary directly.
Fund shareholders should consult with
their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the new cost basis.
For additional discussion of the average cost method, see Redemption Procedures.
PURCHASE PROCEDURES
The Fund offers you the option to submit purchase orders through your financial intermediary or send purchase
orders by mail, fax or internet and send purchase proceeds by check, wire transfer or ACH to each Fund for accounts opened directly. The Fund does not accept cash or cash equivalents (such as travelers checks and money orders), starter checks,
or checks drawn on a line of credit (including credit card convenience checks). The Fund typically does not accept third-party checks. Fund management reserves the right to refuse other payment instruments if, in the sole discretion of Fund
management, it is deemed to be in the best interest of the Fund. Any payment instrument not accepted generally will be returned to you within twenty-four (24) hours of Fund managements determination to not accept such instrument, but in
no event later than 3 Business Days after such determination.
Retirement contributions will be considered as current year contributions
unless otherwise instructed in writing at the time of the contribution.
15
You may buy shares and send your purchase proceeds by any of the following methods:
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Initial Purchase
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Subsequent Purchases
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Complete the account application that corresponds to the type of account you are opening.
Make sure to designate the Fund(s) you want
to purchase.
Make sure your investment meets the account
minimum.
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Complete the Guggenheim Investments investment slip included with your quarterly statement or send written purchase instructions that
include:
your name
your shareholder account number
the Fund(s) you want to
purchase.
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Make your check payable to
Guggenheim Investments.
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Your check must be drawn on a U.S. bank and payable in U.S. dollars.
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BY MAIL
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Include the name of the Fund(s) you want to purchase on your check.
If you do not specify the Fund(s) you want to
purchase, your investment generally will be credited to the Rydex U.S. Government Money Market Fund, which is offered in a separate prospectus.
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IRA and other retirement accounts require additional paperwork.
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Mail your application and check to:
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Mail your written purchase instructions and check to:
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Mailing Addresses:
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Call Guggenheim Investments Client Services to
request a Retirement Account Investor application kit.
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Standard Delivery
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Overnight Delivery
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Guggenheim Investments
Attn: Ops. Dept.
P.O. Box 758567
Topeka, KS 66675-8567
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Guggenheim Investments
Attn: Ops. Dept.
200 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66603-3704
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Initial Purchase
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Subsequent Purchases
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Complete and submit the account application that corresponds to the type of account you are opening.
Contact Client Services at 800-820-0888 to obtain your new account number.
Use the Wire Instructions below to send your wire.
Make sure to designate the Fund(s) you want to
purchase.
Make sure your investment meets the account
minimum.
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Be sure to designate in your wire instructions the Fund(s) you want to purchase.
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BY WIRE
Guggenheim Investments
Client Services phone
number:
800.820.0888
or
301.296.5100
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To obtain same-day credit (to get that Business Days NAV) for your purchase order,
you should
call Guggenheim Investments Client Services and provide the following information prior to the transaction cut-off time for the Fund(s) you are purchasing:
Account Number
Fund Name
Amount of Wire
Fed Wire Reference Number (upon request)
You will receive a confirmation number to verify that your purchase order has been
accepted.
If you do not notify Guggenheim Investments Client Services
of the incoming wire, your purchase order may not be processed until the Business Day following the receipt of the wire.
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Wire Instructions:
U.S. Bank
Cincinnati, OH
Routing Number: 0420-00013
For Account of:
Guggenheim Investments
Account Number: 48038-9030
[Your Name]
[Your shareholder account number]
[Your fund designation]
If you do not specify the Fund(s) you want to purchase, your investment generally will be credited to the Rydex U.S. Government Money Market Fund, which is offered in a separate
prospectus.
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BY ACH (FAX/MAIL)
Guggenheim Investments Client
Services
Fax number:
301.296.5103
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Subsequent purchases made via ACH must be a minimum of $20.
A maximum of $50,000 is allowed to be purchased
via ACH per day. To make a subsequent purchase send written purchase instructions that include:
your name
our shareholder account number
the Fund(s) you want to purchase
ACH bank information (if not on
record).
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Mailing
Addresses:
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Standard Delivery
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Overnight Delivery
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Guggenheim Investments
Attn: Ops. Dept.
P.O. Box 758567
Topeka, KS 66675-8567
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Guggenheim Investments
Attn: Ops. Dept.
200 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66603-3704
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BY ACH (PHONE)
Guggenheim Investments Client Services Phone Number:
800.820.0888 or 301.296.5100
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Purchase payments may be sent via ACH only if you have existing ACH instructions on file.
If you currently do not have ACH instructions on file, download the Bank Information
and Alternate Payee Form from the www.guggenheiminvestments.com site, and follow the instructions for adding bank instructions.
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CANCELLED PURCHASE ORDERS
Guggenheim Investments
will ordinarily cancel your purchase order under the following circumstances:
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if your bank does not honor your check for any reason
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if the Transfer Agent (Rydex Fund Services, LLC) does not receive your wire transfer
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if the Transfer Agent (Rydex Fund Services, LLC) does not receive your ACH transfer
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if your bank does not honor your ACH transfer
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If your purchase order is cancelled for any of these reasons, you will not be entitled to benefit from any increase in NAV that the Fund may have experienced from the time of your order to the time of
its cancellation. In addition, if the Funds NAV decreases in value from the time of your order to the time of its cancellation, the Fund will hold you liable for any losses that it incurs as a result of your cancelled order.
17
Selling Fund Shares
The Fund redeems its shares continuously and
investors may sell their shares back to the Fund on any Business Day. You may redeem all or any portion of your Fund shares at the Funds next determined NAV calculated after your redemption order is received in good order by the Transfer Agent
or your financial intermediary.
The Fund may suspend your right to redeem your shares during times when trading on the NYSE is suspended or
restricted, or otherwise as permitted by the SEC. The Fund reserves the right to pay part of your redemption proceeds in liquid securities with a market value equal to the redemption price (additional information regarding redemptions in kind is
available in the Funds SAI). If the Fund redeems your shares in kind, you may bear transaction costs and will bear market risks until such time as such securities are converted to cash.
REDEMPTION PROCEDURES
You will ordinarily submit your
transaction order through your financial intermediary or other securities dealers through which you opened your shareholder account or through Guggenheim Investments if you opened your account directly with the Fund. The Fund also offers you the
option to send redemption orders to Guggenheim Investments by:
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MAIL
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Standard Delivery
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Overnight Delivery
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Guggenheim Investments
Attn: Ops. Dept.
P.O. Box 758567
Topeka, KS 66675-8567
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Guggenheim Investments
Attn: Ops. Dept.
200 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66603-3704
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FAX
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301.296.5103
If you send your redemption order by fax, you must call Guggenheim Investments Client
Services at 800.820.0888 or 301.296.5100 to verify that your fax was received and when it will be processed.
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TELEPHONE
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800.820.0888 or 301.296.5100 (not available for retirement accounts)
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BY ACH
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Redemption proceeds may be sent via ACH only if you have existing ACH instructions on file.
If you currently do not have ACH instructions on file, download the Bank Information
and Alternate Payee Form from the www.guggenheiminvestments.com site, and follow the instructions for adding bank instructions.
A maximum of $50,000 is allowed to be redeemed via ACH per day.
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Whether you transmit your redemption order by mail, fax or telephone, you must include the following information in your
redemption order:
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your shareholder account number
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dollar amount or number of shares you would like to sell
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whether you want your sale proceeds sent to you by check, wire or ACH (a new alternate payee or new wire instructions may require a signature
guarantee)
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signature of account owner(s) (not required for telephone redemptions)
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You may only place a redemption order if you are the registered owner of the account or the registered owner has given Guggenheim Investments written authorization to allow you to make redemptions from
the account. You will receive a confirmation number for your redemption. Please retain it for your records.
If shareholders choose not to use
the default cost basis method of average cost, such shareholders must choose a default cost basis method among FIFO, LIFO or HIFO with respect to their account. Shareholders who choose not to use the default cost basis method (i.e., the average cost
basis method) may instead specifically identify the shares to be sold at the time of redemption or exchange. Shareholders using the specific identification method are expected to provide lot selection information along with their redemption or
exchange request. For situations where shareholders are unable to or do not provide instructions (i.e., systematic withdrawals and other non-shareholders generated activity) the account level default will be used. Shareholders who wish to use the
specific identification method for identifying lots of shares sold, however, are not permitted to use the average cost basis method.
Unless
requested otherwise at the time of the transaction, the Fund will redeem or exchange shares in the following order: undated non-covered shares, non-covered shares, followed by covered shares using the method in effect for the account.
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DISTRIBUTIONS FROM QUALIFIED RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS
Distributions from your tax-qualified plan or individual retirement account (IRA) may have adverse tax consequences to you. You should consult your tax
adviser before redeeming shares and making distributions from your tax-qualified plan or IRA account. All requests for distributions of redemption proceeds from tax-qualified plan and IRA accounts must be in writing. All distributions from
tax-qualified plans and IRAs are subject to tax withholding rules.
Distributions from 403(b) accounts may require employer or plan
administrator approval.
RECEIVING YOUR REDEMPTION PROCEEDS
Your redemption proceeds normally will be sent within seven days of the Transfer Agent receiving your request. For redemption orders that settle on
federal bank holidays, your redemption proceeds will be sent on the next Business Day following the holiday.
For investments made by check or ACH (not wire purchases), purchases will be on hold for up to10 Business Days before a payment of
redemption proceeds may be made.
All redemptions will be mailed to your address of record, sent electronically via ACH, or wired to your
bank account of record. You may request overnight mail service for an additional fee. If redemption proceeds are transmitted by ACH or wire and the payee instructions are not valid, the proceeds may be re-invested into shares of the Rydex U.S.
Government Money Market Fund, which are offered in a separate prospectus, as of the date of the redemption.
If you request payment of
redemption proceeds to a third party or to a location other than your address of record, alternate address on file, or bank account(s) of record, your redemption request should be
in writing and include a signature guarantee and may not be faxed.
Otherwise, your account may be subject up to a 10 Business Day hold before the redemption is processed
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SIGNATURE GUARANTEES
Signature guarantees help protect you and your account against fraud. You can obtain a signature guarantee at most banks and financial intermediaries. A notary public cannot provide a signature guarantee.
You may not use fax to transmit a signature guarantee to the Fund.
UNCASHED CHECK POLICY
Any dividend, capital gain or partial redemption check that has remained outstanding for a period of 90 days from the issuance date will be canceled and
re-issued. If a re-issued check is not cashed within 90 days, the check will be canceled and the proceeds will be deposited into the shareholders account as of the cancellation date.
For dividend and capital gain checks, the proceeds will be reinvested into the appropriate share class of the Fund from which such distribution was paid, or if the Fund position has subsequently been
redeemed in full, the distribution will be reinvested into shares of the Rydex U.S. Government Money Market Fund, which are offered in a separate prospectus. The account also will have the distribution payout option adjusted so that all future
distributions are reinvested into the appropriate share class of the Fund from which the distribution would have been paid.
For partial
redemption checks, the proceeds will be deposited into shares of the Rydex U.S. Government Money Market Fund.
Any full redemption check (one
that brings your account balance to $0.00) that has remained outstanding for a period of 90 days from the issuance date will be cancelled and re-issued one time.
Any redemption check from a retirement account (IRA, Roth, SEP, for example) that has remained outstanding for a period of 90 days from the issuance date will be cancelled and re-issued one time.
For checks returned in the mail, the Fund will attempt to contact the client. If no contact is made, the check will be processed according to
the procedures mentioned above.
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Exchanging Fund Shares
An exchange is when you sell shares of one Fund and
use the proceeds from that sale to purchase shares of another Fund. Investors may make exchanges on any Business Day of shares of the Fund for corresponding shares of any other Fund within the Family of Funds on the basis of the respective NAVs of
the shares involved.
Exchange requests, like any other share transaction, will be processed at the NAV next determined after your exchange
order is received in good order. Exchanges involving other Funds not included in this Prospectus may be subject to different transaction cut-off times. All exchange requests must be received by the Funds Transfer Agent or your financial
intermediary prior to the cut-off time of the Fund you are exchanging out of or the Fund you are exchanging into, whichever is earlier, to be processed at that Business Days NAV.
The exchange privilege may be modified or discontinued at any time.
EXCHANGE PROCEDURES
You will ordinarily submit your transaction order through your financial intermediary or other securities dealers through which you opened your shareholder account or through Guggenheim Investments
directly. The Fund also offers you the option to send exchange requests to Guggenheim Investments by:
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MAIL
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Standard Delivery
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Overnight Delivery
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Guggenheim Investments
Attn: Ops. Dept.
P.O. Box 758567
Topeka, KS 66675-8567
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Guggenheim Investments
Attn: Ops. Dept.
200 SW 6th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66603-3704
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FAX
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301.296.5103
If you send your exchange request by fax, you must call Guggenheim Investments Client
Services at 800.820.0888 to verify that your fax was received and when it will be processed.
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TELEPHONE
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800.820.0888 or 301.296.5100
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INTERNET
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Follow the directions on the Guggenheim Investments web site - Visit www.TradeRydex.com
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Whether you transmit your exchange request by mail, fax, telephone or internet, you must include the following
information in your exchange request:
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your shareholder account number
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Fund name(s) you are exchanging out of (selling) and Fund name(s) you are exchanging into (buying)
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dollar amount, number of shares or percentage of Fund position involved in the exchange
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signature of account owner(s) (not required for telephone or internet exchanges)
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You may only place exchange orders if you are the registered owner of the account or the registered owner has given Guggenheim Investments written
authorization to allow you to trade the account. You will receive a confirmation number for your exchange. Please retain it for your records.
DOLLAR-COST AVERAGING
Shareholders may elect to engage in dollar-cost averaging, which allows shareholders to make periodic exchanges of shares from one fund to one or more other funds at regular intervals. With dollar-cost
averaging, the cost of the securities is averaged over time and possibly over various market cycles.
Dollar-cost averaging does not guarantee
profits, nor does it assure that a shareholder will not have losses. Shareholders should contact Guggenheim Investments Client Services to enroll in dollar-cost averaging. Shareholders will need to choose whether amounts are to be exchanged on the
basis of a specific dollar amount or a specific number of shares. Guggenheim Investments will exchange shares as requested on the date of your choosing. If the date selected falls on a weekend or holiday, your request will be processed on the
previous Business Day.
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The Investment Manager will make exchanges until the value of the shareholders account is depleted or
until the shareholder instructs Guggenheim Investments to terminate dollar-cost averaging. Dollar-cost averaging may be terminated at any time by a shareholder by written request or by phone.
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Account Policies
SHAREHOLDER
IDENTIFICATION AND VERIFICATION
Federal regulations may require the Fund to obtain your name, your date of birth (for a natural person),
your residential street address or principal place of business and your Social Security Number, Employer Identification Number or other government issued identification when you open an account. Additional information may be required in certain
circumstances or to open accounts for corporations or other entities. The Fund may use this information to attempt to verify your identity. The Fund may not be able to establish an account if the necessary information is not received. The Fund may
also place limits on account transactions while it is in the process of attempting to verify your identity. Additionally, if the Fund is unable to verify your identity after your account is established, the Fund may be required to redeem your shares
and close your account. If your account is closed for this reason, your shares will be redeemed at the NAV next calculated on the date your account is closed, and you bear the risk of loss.
Guggenheim Investments provides accounts for U.S. citizens and resident aliens. We will not open a new account for any non-resident aliens (natural person or entity). If you are unsure of your status
please consult your tax adviser. Non-resident aliens may hold shares of the Fund through a financial intermediary, subject to that financial intermediarys requirements.
Customer identification and verification is part of the Funds overall obligation to deter money laundering under applicable law. The Fund has adopted an anti-money laundering compliance program
designed to prevent the Fund from being used for money laundering or the financing of terrorist activities. In this regard, the Fund reserves the right to (i) refuse, cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order, (ii) freeze any
account and/or suspend account services or (iii) involuntarily close your account in cases of threatening conduct or suspected fraudulent or illegal activity. These actions will be taken when, in the sole discretion of Fund management, they are
deemed to be in the best interest of the Fund or in cases when the Fund is requested or compelled to do so by governmental or law enforcement authority. If your account is closed at the request of governmental or law enforcement authority, you may
not receive proceeds of the redemption if the Fund is required to withhold such proceeds.
CHANGES TO YOUR
ACCOUNT
For information on what is required to make changes and/or additions to your account, and to obtain the appropriate forms, please
visit the Guggenheim Investments web site at www.guggenheiminvestments.com or call 800.820.0888 or 301.296.5100. If you own shares that are registered in your financial intermediarys name, and you want to transfer the registration to another
financial intermediary or want the shares registered in your name, then you should contact your financial intermediary for instructions on how to make this change.
TRANSACTIONS OVER TELEPHONE OR INTERNET
Internet and telephone
transactions are extremely convenient, but are not risk free. To ensure that your internet and telephone transactions are safe, secure, and as risk-free as possible, the Fund has instituted certain safeguards and procedures for determining the
identity of web site users (including the use of secure passwords and 128-bit encryption technology) and telephone callers and authenticity of instructions. As a result, neither the Fund nor its Transfer Agent will be responsible for any loss,
liability, cost, or expense for following internet, telephone or wire instructions they reasonably believe to be genuine. If you or your intermediaries make exchange requests by telephone or internet, you will generally bear the risk of any loss.
Neither the Fund nor its Transfer Agent is responsible for internet transactions that are not received.
During periods of unusually high
market activity or other times, it may be difficult to reach Guggenheim Investments by telephone or access our internet site. Guggenheim Investments and its affiliates will not be liable for any losses resulting from a cause over which Guggenheim
Investments or its affiliates do not have direct control, including but not limited to the failure of electronic or mechanical equipment or communication lines, telephone or other interconnect problems (e.g., if you are unable to access your online
service provider), input errors on the internet, severe weather, facilities emergencies, earthquakes, floods and strikes or other labor problems. If you are not able to reach Guggenheim Investments by telephone, fax, or internet, consider sending
written instructions.
STATEMENTS & CONFIRMATIONS
You will receive statements and trade confirmations of your investment transactions. You may choose to receive your confirmations and/or statements either
by mail or electronically (see eDelivery Services, below).
eDELIVERY SERVICES
eDelivery offers shareholders the convenience of receiving most communications (such as trade confirmations, statements, prospectuses and shareholder
reports, etc.) from the Fund through the web via email notification. For more information on eDelivery, please visit the Guggenheim Investments web site at www.guggenheiminvestments.com. The Fund reserves the right to discontinue your eDelivery
service if two (2) or more e-mail notices are returned as undeliverable.
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GUGGENHEIM INVESTMENTS EXPRESS LINE 1(800) 717-7776
You may access information about the Fund and your Guggenheim Investments account anytime with the Guggenheim Investments Express Line. This automated
line gives you telephone access to the Funds information including NAVs, daily factors, fund assets and distributions as well as balance and history information on your Guggenheim Investments account.
SERVICE AND OTHER FEES
Guggenheim Investments may charge the following administrative fees on accounts held directly through the Funds Transfer Agent for services associated with the following:
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$15 for wire transfers of redemption proceeds under $5,000
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$50 on checks returned for insufficient funds
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$25 to stop payment of a redemption check within 10 Business Days of the settlement date
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$15 for standard overnight packages (fee may be higher for special delivery options)
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$25 for bounced draft checks or ACH transactions
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Client requests for historical account transcripts or the retrieval of a significant amount of documentation may be honored to the extent that those
records are readily available. The Fund reserves the right, upon notice, to charge you a fee to cover the costs of special requests for information that require extensive research or employee resources. Such requests could include a request for
historical account transcripts or the retrieval of a significant number of documents.
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Guggenheim Investments reserves the
right to change any of these fees or add additional service fees at any time.
RETIREMENT ACCOUNT FEES
An annual maintenance fee of $15 will be charged on the following retirement plans: IRA, SEP, Roth IRA, 403(b), Simple, Coverdell-ESA and
Guggenheim Investments prototype money purchase plan and profit sharing plan accounts. You may pay the annual fee at any time during the calendar year by sending Guggenheim Investments a check. If the annual maintenance fee is not paid separately
prior to December, it will be deducted automatically from your account.
An account closing fee of $15 will be charged upon liquidation of the
following retirement accounts: IRA, SEP, Roth IRA, 403(b), Simple and Coverdell-ESA. This fee will be deducted from the proceeds of your redemption. Guggenheim Investments will waive the annual maintenance fee if a liquidation fee is being charged.
Guggenheim Investments also may waive the annual maintenance fee and any applicable account closing fee for certain 403(b) retirement plan
accounts. For more information about the applicability of these fees, please contact Guggenheim Investments Client Services at 800.820.0888.
For additional information on fees for employee accounts please refer to the SAI.
MARKET TIMING/SHORT-TERM TRADING
The Fund is not suitable for
purchase by active investors. The Fund is intended for long-term investment purposes only and discourage shareholders from engaging in market timing or other types of excessive short-term trading. If you wish to engage in such practices,
we request that you do not purchase shares of the Fund. This frequent trading into and out of the Fund may present risks to the Funds long-term shareholders, all of which could adversely affect shareholder returns. The risks posed by frequent
trading include interfering with the efficient implementation of the Funds investment strategies, triggering the recognition of taxable gains and losses on the sale of Fund investments, requiring the Fund to maintain higher cash balances to
meet redemption requests, and experiencing increased transaction costs. The Fund does not accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions. Consequently, the Board of Directors has adopted policies and procedures designed to prevent frequent purchases
and redemptions of shares of the Fund.
For purposes of applying the Funds policies, the Investment Manager may consider the trading
history of accounts under common ownership or control. In addition, the Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request by any investor or group of investors for any reason without prior notice, including, in particular, if the Investment
Manager reasonably believes that the trading activity would be harmful or disruptive to the Fund. Under the Funds policies, two round trip transfers within a 90-day period may indicate market timing. If such activity is detected, a
letter is mailed to the shareholder (or his or her broker/dealer or financial intermediary) with a warning that another round trip transfer request will result in the shareholder being prevented from making additional transfers for a 90-day period.
If a third round trip transfer is attempted within the same 90-day period, the shareholder will be notified that activity in that account is restricted for a 90-day period. Further, the Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request for any
reason without prior notice if the Investment Manager believes that the trading activity would be disruptive or harmful to the Fund.
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The restriction on round trip transfers is waived for, and no restrictions are applied to,
transfers, purchases and redemptions of the Fund by certain funds of funds within the Funds group of investment companies that are made (1) as part of the routine allocation and rebalancing transactions for such funds of funds
or (2) in order to allow for inflows and outflows of investors in such funds of funds, so long as the market timing policies and procedures for such funds of funds are consistent with the Funds objective of avoiding disruption due to
market timing. This waiver may be extended in the future without notice to permit investments by additional funds of funds in the Fund.
In
its sole discretion, the Fund may revise its market timing procedures at any time without prior notice as it deems necessary or appropriate, including changing the criteria for monitoring market timing and other harmful trading (including without
limitation, imposing dollar or percentage limits on transfers). For purposes of applying the criteria used to detect potential market timing and other potentially harmful trading activity, the Fund may aggregate transfers made in two or more
transactions that the Fund believes are connected (for example, two transactions by the same owner, or by spouses, or by different partnerships or corporations that are under common control, etc.).
Transactions accepted by an authorized financial intermediary in violation of the market timing/short-term trading policies and procedures are not deemed
accepted by the Fund and may be cancelled or revoked by the Fund by the close of business on the next Business Day following receipt. Although these policies are designed to deter frequent trading, none of these measures alone nor all of them taken
together eliminate the possibility that frequent trading in the Fund will occur, particularly with respect to trades placed by shareholders that invest in the Fund through omnibus accounts maintained by brokers, retirement plan accounts and other
financial intermediaries. The Funds access to information about individual shareholder transactions made through such omnibus arrangements is often unavailable or severely limited. As a result, the Fund cannot assure that its policies will be
enforced with regard to shares held through such omnibus arrangements (which may represent a majority of the Funds shares), and as a result frequent trading could adversely affect the Fund and its long-term shareholders as discussed above.
The Fund reserves the right to close your account in cases of suspected fraudulent or illegal activity in accordance with applicable law.
This action may be taken when, in the sole discretion of Fund management, it is deemed to be in the best interests of the Fund or in cases where the Fund is requested or compelled to do so by applicable law. If your account is closed at the request
of governmental or law enforcement authority or pursuant to applicable law, you may not receive proceeds of the redemption if the Fund is required to withhold such proceeds.
RIGHTS RESERVED BY THE FUND
The Fund reserves the right to
close your account in cases of suspected fraudulent or illegal activity in accordance with applicable law. This action may be taken when, in the sole discretion of Fund management, it is deemed to be in the best interest of the Fund or in cases
where the Fund is requested or compelled to do so by applicable law. If your account is closed at the request of governmental or law enforcement authority or pursuant to applicable law, you may not receive proceeds of the redemption if the Fund is
required to withhold such proceeds.
Distribution and Shareholder Services
COMPENSATION TO
DEALERS
The Investment Manager, at its expense, may provide compensation to financial intermediaries for the sale of Fund shares. Such
payments, commonly referred to as revenue sharing, do not increase Fund expenses and are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the Funds expense table in this Prospectus. These payments may be made, at the discretion of
the Investment Manager, to certain dealers who have sold shares of the Fund. The level of payments made to dealers will generally vary, but may be significant. The Investment Manager determines the extent of such payments in its sole discretion in
response to requests from dealer firms, based on factors it deems relevant, such as the dealers sales, assets, share class utilized and the quality of the dealers relationship with the Investment Manager. The Investment Manager
periodically determines the advisability of continuing these payments. The Investment Manager may also pay expenses associated with meetings that facilitate educating financial advisers and shareholders about the Fund that are conducted by dealers.
These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker/dealer or other intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Shareholders should inquire of an intermediary how the intermediary will be
compensated for investments made in the Fund.
Dividends and Taxes
The Fund pays its shareholders dividends from its
net investment income, and distributes any net capital gains that it has realized, at least quarterly. Your dividends and distributions will be reinvested in the Fund, unless you instruct the Investment Manager otherwise. There are no fees or sales
charges on reinvestments. Please see Uncashed Check Policy above for more information concerning uncashed dividend and distribution checks.
24
TAX ON DISTRIBUTIONS
Fund dividends and distributions are taxable to shareholders (unless your investment is in a tax-advantaged retirement account) whether you reinvest your
dividends or distributions or take them in cash.
In addition to federal tax, dividends and distributions may be subject to state and local
taxes. If the Fund declares a dividend or distribution in October, November or December but pays it in January, you may be taxed on that dividend or distribution as if you received it in the calendar year in which the dividend or distribution is
declared.
For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, the maximum individual rate applicable to qualified dividend
income and long-term capital gains is either 15% or 20%, depending on whether the individuals income exceeds certain threshold amounts. These rate reductions do not apply to corporate taxpayers or to foreign shareholders. Distributions
of earnings from dividends paid by certain qualified foreign corporations can also qualify for the lower tax rates on qualifying dividends. A shareholder will also have to satisfy a more than 60-day holding period with respect to any
distributions of qualifying dividends in order to obtain the benefit of the lower tax rate. Distributions of earnings from non qualifying dividends, interest income, other types of ordinary income and short-term capital gains will be taxed at the
ordinary income tax rate applicable to the taxpayer.
Tax-deferred retirement accounts generally do not generate a tax liability unless you
are taking a distribution or making a withdrawal.
The Fund has short-term capital gains when it sells assets within one year
after buying them. Your share of the Funds net short-term capital gains will be taxed at ordinary income rates. The Fund has long-term capital gains when it sells assets that it has owned for more than one year. Distributions
designated by the Fund as long-term capital gain distributions will be taxable to you at your long-term capital gains rate no matter how long you have held your Fund shares.
The Fund will mail you information concerning the tax status of the distributions for each calendar year early the following year.
TAXES ON SALES, REDEMPTIONS OR EXCHANGES
You may be taxed on
any sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares. Generally, gain or loss realized upon the sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares will be capital gain or loss if you hold the shares as capital assets and will be taxable as long-term capital
gain or loss if you held the shares for more than one year, or as short-term capital gain or loss if you held the shares for a year or less, at the time of sale, redemption or exchange.
If your tax basis in your shares exceeds the amount of proceeds you received from a sale, exchange or redemption of shares, you will recognize a taxable loss on the sale of shares of the Fund. Any loss
recognized on shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions that were received with respect to the shares. Additionally, any loss realized on a sale, redemption
or exchange of shares of the Fund may be disallowed under wash sale rules to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced with other shares of the Fund within a period of 61 days beginning thirty days before and ending thirty days
after shares are disposed of, such as pursuant to a dividend reinvestment in shares of the Fund. If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an adjustment to the tax basis of the shares acquired.
MEDICARE TAX
For taxable years
beginning after December 31, 2012, an additional 3.8% Medicare tax will be imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other
taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such persons modified adjusted gross income (in the case of an individual) or adjusted gross income (in the case of an
estate or trust) exceed certain threshold amounts.
BACK-UP WITHHOLDING
The Fund may be required to withhold federal income tax at the rate of 28% of all taxable distributions payable to you if you fail to provide the Fund
with your correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or if you have been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that you are subject to back-up withholding. Back-up withholding is not an additional tax; rather, it
is a way in which the Internal Revenue Service ensures it will collect taxes otherwise due. Any amounts withheld may be credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability.
If more than 50% of the value of the Funds total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of securities of foreign corporations, the Fund will be eligible and may elect to treat a
proportionate amount of certain foreign taxes paid by it as a distribution to each shareholder which would generally permit each shareholder (1) to credit this amount (subject to applicable limitations) or (2) to deduct this amount for
purposes of computing its U.S. federal income tax liability. The Fund will notify you if it makes this election.
25
FOREIGN SHAREHOLDER
Shareholders other than U.S. persons may be subject to different federal income tax treatment, including withholding tax at the rate of 30% on amounts
treated as ordinary dividends from the Fund, as discussed in more detail in the SAI.
You should consult your tax professional about federal,
state and local tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund. Please see the SAI for additional tax information.
26
Determination of Net Asset Value
The price at which you buy, sell and exchange
shares is the net asset value per share, which also is known as NAV.
The Fund calculates its NAV by:
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taking the current market value of its total assets;
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subtracting any liabilities; and
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dividing that amount by the total number of shares owned by shareholders.
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The Fund calculates its NAV once each Business Day as of the regularly scheduled close of normal trading on the NYSE (normally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time). The NYSE is open Monday through Friday, except on
observation of the following holidays: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. If the NYSE closes early such as on
days in advance of holidays generally observed by the NYSE the Fund will calculate its NAV as of the earlier closing time. For more information, please call 800.820.0888 or visit the Guggenheim Investments website
www.guggenheiminvestments.com.
When calculating the NAV, the Fund will value the portfolio securities and assets of the Fund for which market
quotations are readily available at the current market price of those securities and assets. With respect to portfolio securities and assets of the Fund for which market quotations are not readily available, or which cannot be accurately valued with
the established pricing procedures, the Fund will fair value those securities and assets.
Securities traded on a domestic securities exchange
(including ETFs) are usually valued at the last sale price on that exchange on the day the valuation is made, provided, however, that securities listed on NASDAQ will usually be valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price, which may not necessarily
represent the last sale price. If no sale is reported, the last current bid price is used.
Debt securities with a remaining maturity greater
than 60 days will usually be valued based on independent pricing services. Commercial paper and discount notes with a remaining maturity of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost.
With respect to an underlying open-end mutual fund (underlying mutual fund) in which the Fund may invest, the Fund generally values the shares of the underlying mutual fund at the underlying
mutual funds NAV and the prospectus for the underlying mutual fund explains the circumstances under which the mutual fund will use fair value pricing and the effects of fair value pricing.
For foreign securities and other assets that are priced in a currency other than U.S. dollars, the Fund will convert the security or asset from the local
currency into U.S. dollars using the relevant current exchange rate. Foreign securities may trade in their primary markets on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price its shares.
If market prices are unavailable or the Investment Manager thinks that they are unreliable or a significant event has occurred, the Investment Manager prices those securities at fair value as determined
in good faith using methods approved by the Board of Directors. For example, market prices may be unavailable if trading in a particular portfolio security was halted during the day and did not resume prior to the Funds NAV calculation. The
Investment Manager may view market prices as unreliable when the value of a security has been materially affected by events occurring after the market closes, but prior to the time as of which the Fund calculates its NAV.
The use of fair valuation in pricing a security involves the consideration of a number of subjective factors and therefore, is susceptible to the
unavoidable risk that the valuation may be higher or lower than the price at which the security might actually trade if a reliable market price were readily available.
More information about the valuation of the Funds holdings can be found in the SAI.
Shareholder Services
EXCHANGE PRIVILEGE
Shareholders of the Fund may exchange their shares for shares of other funds distributed by the Distributor. An exchange is two transactions: a sale of shares of one fund and the purchase of shares of
another fund. In general, the same policies that apply to purchases and sales apply to exchanges, including the Funds right to reject any order to purchase shares.
27
Shares of a particular class of the Fund may be exchanged only for shares of the same class of another
available Fund. Shareholders should consult that prospectus prior to making such an exchange. A copy of the prospectus may be requested by contacting the Funds Distributor.
Shareholders of the Fund may exchange their shares for Institutional Class shares or for Class A shares of other funds in the Family of Funds distributed by the Funds Distributor. Class A
shares will be subject to all the Class A share conditions, including applicable sales charges.
Exchanges may be made only in those
states where shares of the Fund into which an exchange is to be made are qualified for sale. No service fee or sales charge is presently imposed on such an exchange. Any applicable contingent deferred sales charge will be imposed upon redemption and
calculated from the date of the initial purchase. For tax purposes, an exchange is a sale of shares which may result in a taxable gain or loss. Special rules may apply to determine the amount of gain or loss on an exchange occurring within 90 days
after purchase of the exchanged shares. Before exchanging your shares for shares of another mutual fund that is distributed by the Distributor and offered through another prospectus, you should request the prospectus of the mutual fund into which
you are contemplating exchanging your shares and review it carefully, as the other mutual fund may be subject to fees, charges or expenses that are different from the shares that you are exchanging. A current prospectus of the Fund into which an
exchange is made will be given to each shareholder exercising this privilege.
The terms of an employee-sponsored retirement plan may affect a
shareholders right to exchange shares as described above. Contact your plan sponsor or administrator to determine if all of the exchange options discussed above are available under your plan.
A shareholder may exchange shares by telephone by calling the Fund at 1-800-820-0888, on weekdays (except holidays) between the hours of 8:30 am and 5:30
pm Eastern Time. Exchange requests received by telephone after the close of the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) will be treated as if received on the next Business Day. The exchange privilege, including telephone exchanges, dollar cost
averaging and asset rebalancing may be changed or discontinued at any time by either the Investment Manager or the Fund upon 60 days notice to shareholders.
The exchange privilege is not intended as a vehicle for short-term or excessive trading. Because excessive trading by a shareholder can hurt the Funds performance and its other shareholders, the
Fund reserves the right to limit the amount or number of exchanges or discontinue this privilege if (1) the Fund or the Investment Manager believes that the Fund would be harmed or unable to invest effectively, or (2) the Fund receives or
anticipates simultaneous orders that may significantly affect the Fund. The Fund also may reject future investments from a shareholder if the shareholder engages in, or is suspected of engaging in, short-term or excessive trading.
Exchanges Into The Rydex U.S. Government Money Market Fund.
The Funds shares may be exchanged into the Money Market Class Shares of the
Rydex U.S. Government Money Market Fund, which is offered in a separate prospectus that you can obtain upon request and that you should consult prior to an exchange. The Money Market Class Shares of the Rydex U.S. Government Money Market Fund have
no distribution and shareholder service (12b-1) fees, initial (up-front) sales charges, initial investment minimum and minimum balance requirements.
For additional information, see the prospectus for the Rydex | SGI U.S. Government Money Market Fund.
General Information
SHAREHOLDER INQUIRIES
Shareholders who have questions concerning their account or wish to obtain additional information may call the Fund (see back cover for address and telephone numbers) or contact their securities dealer.
Client requests for historical account transcripts or the retrieval of a significant amount of documentation may be honored to the extent that those records are readily available. The Fund reserves the right, upon notice, to charge you a fee to
cover the costs of special requests for information that require extensive research or employee resources.
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights tables are intended to
help you understand the Funds financial performance for the past 5 years (or, if shorter, the period of operations of the Fund, as applicable). Certain information reflects financial results for a single share. The total returns in the table
represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information provided below has been audited by
[
], an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the financial statements and related notes, appears in the Funds 2012 Annual Report. The information for the
fiscal period ended March 28, 2013 is unaudited. The 2012 Annual Report and 2013 Semi-Annual Report are available upon request and are incorporated by reference in the Funds SAI.
28
Financial Highlights
World Equity Income Fund (formerly, MSCI EAFE
Equal Weight Institutional Fund)
This table is presented to show selected data for a share outstanding throughout each period and to
assist shareholders in evaluating a Funds performance for the periods presented.
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Period Ended
March 28,
2013
g
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Year Ended
September 30,
2012
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Period Ended
September 30,
2011
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Institutional Class
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Per Share Data
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Net asset value, beginning of period
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$
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10.50
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$
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9.70
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$
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12.37
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Income (loss) from investment operations:
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Net investment income
a
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.08
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.28
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.13
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Net gain on investments (realized and unrealized)
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1.19
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.52
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(2.80
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)
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Total from investment operations
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1.27
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.80
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(2.67
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)
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Less distributions from:
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Net investment income
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(.22
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)
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(
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b
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Total Distributions
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(.22
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)
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(
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)
b
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Net asset value, end of period
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11.55
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$
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10.50
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$
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9.70
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Total Return
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12.41
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%
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8.17
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%
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(21.58
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%)
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Ratios/Supplemental Data
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Net assets, end of period (in thousands)
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$
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426
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$
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90
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$
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285
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Ratios to average net assets:
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Net investment income
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1.55
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%
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2.70
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%
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2.99
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%
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Total expenses
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1.81
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%
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1.90
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%
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2.27
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%
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Net expenses
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1.43
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%
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1.32
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%
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1.36
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%
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Portfolio turnover rate
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12
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%
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41
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%
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206
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%
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a
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Net investment income (loss) per share was computed using average shares outstanding throughout the period.
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b
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Distributions from net investment income are less than $0.01 per share.
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c
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Total return does not reflect the impact of any applicable sales charges and has not been annualized.
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d
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Does not include expenses of the underlying funds in which the Fund invests.
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e
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Net expense information reflects the expense ratios after expense waivers and reimbursements, as applicable.
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f
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Since commencement of operations: May 2, 2011. Percentage amounts for the period, except total return and portfolio turnover rate, have been
annualized. The portfolio turnover rate stated is for the entire fiscal year of the Fund, not since commencement of operations of the Class.
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g
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Unaudited figures for the period ended March 31, 2013. Percentage amounts for the period, except total return and portfolio turnover rate, have
been annualized
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29
For More Information
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By
Telephone
Call 1-800-820-0888
By Mail
Write to:
Guggenheim Investments
805 King Farm Boulevard, Suite 600
Rockville,
Maryland 20850
On the Internet
Reports and other
information about the Fund can be viewed online or downloaded from:
SEC:
On the EDGAR Database athttp://www.sec.gov
Guggenheim Investments:
http://www.guggenheiminvestments.com
Additional information about the Fund (including the Statement of Additional Information) can be reviewed and copied at the Securities and Exchange
Commissions Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information about the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the Commission at 1-202-551-8090. Copies may be obtained, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by
electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section of the Commission, Washington, DC 20549-1520.
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ANNUAL/SEMI ANNUAL REPORT
Additional information about the Funds investments is available in the Funds annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Funds annual report, you will find a discussion of the
market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds performance during its last fiscal year.
Statement of Additional Information
August 15, 2013
RELATING TO THE PROSPECTUS DATED AUGUST 15, 2013
Security Equity Funds Underlying Series:
World Equity Income Fund (formerly, MSCI EAFE Equal Weight Fund)
Class A
SEQAX
Class B SGOBX
Class C SFGCX
Institutional Class SEWIX
805 King Farm Boulevard, Suite 600, Rockville, Maryland 20850
(301) 296-5100
(800) 820-0888
This Statement of Additional Information is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated August 15, 2013. A prospectus may be obtained by writing Guggenheim
Distributors, LLC, 805 King Farm Boulevard, Suite 600, Rockville, Maryland 20850, or by calling (301) 296-5100 or (800) 820-0888. The Funds financial statements included in the Funds September 30, 2012 Annual Report and the
Funds March 28, 2013 Semi-Annual Report are incorporated herein by reference. A copy of the Funds Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report is available, without charge, by calling the phone numbers listed above.
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Investment Manager
Security Investors, LLC
805 King Farm Boulevard,
Suite 600
Rockville, Maryland 20850
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Underwriter
Guggenheim
Distributors, LLC
(formerly known as
Rydex Distributors, LLC)
805 King Farm
Boulevard, Suite 600
Rockville, Maryland 20850
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Custodian
State Street
Bank and Trust Company
225 Franklin
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
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Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
[
]
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T
ABLE
OF
C
ONT
ENTS
G
ENERAL
I
NFORMATION
Security Equity Fund was organized
as a Kansas corporation on November 27, 1961. The Fund is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as an investment company. Such registration does not involve supervision by the SEC of the management or policies
of the Fund. The Fund is an open-end investment company that, upon the demand of the investor, must redeem its shares and pay the investor the current net asset value (NAV) thereof. (See How to Redeem Shares)
The World Equity Income Fund (the Fund) has its own investment objective and policies. The Fund is diversified
within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (1940 Act).
Professional investment advice
is provided to the Fund by Security Investors, LLC (the Investment Manager). While there is no present intention to do so, the investment objective and policies of the Fund, unless otherwise noted, may be changed by the Board of
Directors without the approval of shareholders. The Fund is also required to operate within limitations imposed by its fundamental investment policies, which may not be changed without shareholder approval. These limitations are set forth under
Investment Restrictions. An investment in the Fund does not constitute a complete investment program.
I
NVESTMENT
M
ETHODS
AND
R
ISK
F
ACTORS
The Funds
principal investment strategies and the risks associated with the same are described in the Fund Summary and Descriptions of Principal Risks sections of the Prospectus. The following discussion provides additional information
about those principal investment strategies and related risks, as well as information about investment strategies (and related risks) that the Fund may utilize, even though they are not considered to be principal investment strategies.
Accordingly, an investment strategy (and related risk) that is described below, but which is not described in the Funds prospectus, should not be considered to be a principal strategy (or related risk) applicable to the Fund.
Some of the risk factors related to certain securities, instruments and techniques that may be used by the Fund are described in the
Fund Summary and Descriptions of Principal Risks sections of the prospectus and in this Statement of Additional Information. The following is a description of certain additional risk factors related to various securities,
instruments and techniques. Also included is a general description of some of the investment instruments, techniques and methods which may be used by the Fund. Although the Fund may employ the techniques, instruments and methods described below,
consistent with its investment objective and policies and any applicable law, the Fund will not be required to do so.
General Risk
Factors
The NAV of the Fund is expected to fluctuate, reflecting fluctuations in the market value of their portfolio positions.
Shares of Other Investment Vehicles
The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies or other investment vehicles, which may
include, without limitation, among others, mutual funds, closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) such as index-based investments such as SPDRs (based on the S&P 500), MidCap SPDRs (based on the S&P MidCap 400 Index),
Select Sector SPDRs (based on sectors or industries of the S&P 500 Index), NASDAQ-100 Index Tracking Stocks (based on the NASDAQ-100 Index) and DIAMONDS (based on the Dow Jones Industrial Average) and private or foreign investment funds. The
Fund may also invest in investment vehicles that are not subject to regulation as registered investment companies.
The main
risk of investing in index-based investment companies is the same as investing in a portfolio of 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. 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.
To the extent the Fund invests in
other investment companies, or other investment vehicles, it will incur its pro rata share of the underlying investment companies expenses (including, for example, investment advisory and other management fees). In addition, the Fund will be
subject to the effects of business and regulatory developments that affect an underlying investment company or the investment company industry generally.
Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may utilize repurchase agreements on an overnight basis.
Repurchase agreements are similar to loans in many respects. A repurchase agreement is a contract under which the Fund would acquire a security for a relatively short period (usually not more than seven days) subject to the obligation of the seller
to repurchase and the Fund to resell such security at a fixed time and price (representing the Funds cost plus interest). The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with respect to any portfolio securities that it may acquire consistent
with its investment policies and restrictions. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements to meet anticipated redemptions or pending investment or reinvestment of Fund assets in portfolio securities. The Board of Directors of the Fund has
delegated certain responsibilities in connection with repurchase agreements to the Investment Manager. Those responsibilities include monitoring and evaluating the Funds use of repurchase agreements, evaluating the creditworthiness of
repurchase agreement counterparties and taking steps that are reasonably designed to ensure that the Funds repurchase agreements are fully collateralized. Repurchase agreements subject the Fund to the risks that (1) it may not be able to
liquidate the securities immediately upon the insolvency of the other party, or (2) that amounts received in closing out a repurchase transaction might be deemed voidable preferences upon the bankruptcy of the other party.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may also invest in reverse repurchase agreement transactions which involve the sale of
securities held by the Fund, with an agreement that the Fund will repurchase such securities at an agreed upon price and date. The Fund may employ reverse repurchase agreements when necessary to meet unanticipated net redemptions so as to avoid
liquidating other portfolio investments during unfavorable market conditions. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund continues to receive any principal and interest payments on the underlying security during the term of the agreement. The
Fund typically will segregate assets determined to be liquid equal (on a daily mark-to-market basis) to its obligations under reverse repurchase agreements. However, reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of securities
retained by the Fund may decline below the repurchase price of the securities sold by the Fund which it is obligated to repurchase. Reverse repurchase agreements are considered to be borrowings under the 1940 Act, and therefore are subject to the
Funds fundamental policy on borrowing.
When Issued and Forward Commitment Securities
Purchase or sale of securities
on a forward commitment basis may be used to hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices. The price, which is generally expressed in yield terms, is fixed at the time the commitment is made, but delivery and payment
for the securities take place at a later date. When issued securities and forward commitments may be sold prior to the settlement date, but the Fund will enter into when issued and forward commitments only with the intention of actually receiving or
delivering the securities, as the case may be; however, the Fund may dispose of a commitment prior to settlement if the Investment Manager deems it appropriate to do so. No income accrues on securities which have been purchased pursuant to a forward
commitment or on a when issued basis prior to delivery of the securities. If the Fund disposes of the right to acquire a when issued security prior to its acquisition or disposes of its right to deliver or receive against a forward commitment, it
may incur a gain or loss. At the time the Fund enters into a transaction on a when issued or forward commitment basis, it will segregate cash or liquid securities equal to the value of the when issued or forward commitment securities and will mark
the segregated assets to market daily. There is a risk that the securities may not be delivered and that the Fund may incur a loss.
Equity
Securities
Equity securities, such as common stock, represent an ownership interest, or the right to acquire an ownership interest, in an issuer. Common stock generally takes the form of shares in a corporation. The value of a
companys stock may fall as a result of factors directly relating to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the companys products or services. A stocks value also may fall because of factors
affecting not just the company, but also companies in the same industry or in a number of different industries, such as increases in production costs. The value of a companys stock also may be affected by changes in financial markets that are
relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates or currency exchange rates. In addition, a companys stock generally pays dividends only after the company invests in its own business and makes required
payments to holders of its bonds, other debt and preferred stock. For this reason, the value of a companys stock will usually react more strongly than its bonds, other debt and preferred stock to actual or perceived changes in the
companys financial condition or prospects. Stocks of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than those of larger companies. Stocks of companies that the portfolio managers believe are fast-growing may trade at a
higher multiple of current earnings than other stocks. The value of such stocks may be more sensitive to changes in current or expected earnings than the values of other stocks.
Convertible Securities
A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock, or other security that entitles the holder to acquire common stock or other equity securities
of the same or a different issuer. A convertible security generally entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, convertible securities have
characteristics similar to non-convertible debt or preferred securities, as applicable. Convertible securities rank senior to common stock in a corporations capital structure
4
and, therefore, generally entail less risk than the corporations common stock, although the extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large measure upon the degree to which the
convertible security sells above its value as a fixed income security. Convertible securities are subordinate in rank to any senior debt obligations of the issuer, and, therefore, an issuers convertible securities entail more risk than its
debt obligations. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible debt securities of similar credit quality because of the potential for capital appreciation. In addition, convertible securities are
often lower-rated securities.
Because of the conversion feature, the price of the convertible security will normally
fluctuate in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying asset, and as such is subject to risks relating to the activities of the issuer and/or general market and economic conditions. The income component of a convertible security may
tend to cushion the security against declines in the price of the underlying asset. However, the income component of convertible securities causes fluctuations based upon changes in interest rates and the credit quality of the issuer.
Preferred Securities
The Fund may purchase preferred securities, which represent an equity interest in a company that generally
entitles the holder to receive, in preference to the holders of other stocks such as common stocks, dividends and a fixed share of the proceeds resulting from a liquidation of the company. Some preferred stocks also entitle their holders to receive
additional liquidation proceeds on the same basis as holders of a companys common stock, and thus also represent an ownership interest in that company.
Preferred stocks may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred stock is subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, a companys
preferred stock generally pays dividends only after the company makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of the preferred stock will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt to actual or
perceived changes in the companys financial condition or prospects. Preferred stock of smaller companies may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred stock of larger companies.
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs)
The Fund may purchase ADRs. ADRs are dollar-denominated receipts issued generally by U.S. banks
and which represent the deposit with the bank of a foreign companys securities. ADRs are publicly traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States. Investors should consider carefully the substantial risks involved in investing in
securities issued by companies of foreign nations, which are in addition to the usual risks inherent in domestic investments. ADRs, European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) or other securities
convertible into securities of issuers based in foreign countries are not necessarily denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. In general, ADRs, in registered form, are denominated in U.S. dollars and are
designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, while EDRs (also referenced to as Continental Depositary Receipts (CDRs)), in bearer form, may be denominated in other currencies and are designed for use in European securities markets.
ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying securities. EDRs are European receipts evidencing a similar arrangement. GDRs are global receipts evidencing a similar arrangement. For
purposes of the Funds investment policies, ADRs, EDRs and GDRs are deemed to have the same classification as the underlying securities they represent. Thus, an ADR, EDR or GDR representing ownership of common stock will be treated as common
stock.
Depositary receipts are issued through sponsored or unsponsored facilities. A sponsored
facility is established jointly by the issuer of the underlying security and a depositary, whereas a depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by the issuer of the deposited security. Holders of unsponsored depositary
receipts generally bear all the cost of such facilities, and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through
voting rights to the holders of such receipts in respect of the deposited securities.
Commercial Paper
The Fund may invest
in commercial paper. The Fund may invest in fixed rate or variable rate commercial paper, issued by U.S. or foreign entities. Commercial paper consists of short-term, (usually from 1 to 270 days) unsecured promissory notes issued by U.S. or foreign
corporations in order to finance their current operations. Any commercial paper issued by a foreign entity corporation and purchased by the Fund must be U.S. dollar-denominated and must not be subject to foreign withholding tax at the time of
purchase.
Investing in foreign commercial paper generally involves risks relating to obligations of foreign banks or foreign
branches and subsidiaries of U.S. and foreign banks.
5
The Fund may also invest in variable rate master demand notes. A variable rate master demand
note (a type of commercial paper) represents a direct borrowing arrangement involving periodically fluctuating rates of interest under a letter agreement between a commercial paper issuer and an institutional lender pursuant to which the lender may
determine to invest varying amounts.
Restricted Securities
The Fund may invest in restricted securities. Restricted securities
cannot be sold to the public without registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (1933 Act). Unless registered for sale, restricted securities can be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to an exemption from
registration. Restricted securities may be considered illiquid and, therefore, are subject to the Funds limitation on illiquid securities.
Restricted securities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk which may result in substantial losses. The securities may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Although these
securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid for by the Fund. The Fund may invest in restricted securities, including securities initially offered and
sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144A (Rule 144A Securities) and securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers initially offered and sold outside the United States without registration with the SEC pursuant to Regulation S
(Regulation S Securities) under the 1933 Act. Rule 144A Securities and Regulation S Securities generally may be traded freely among certain qualified institutional investors, such as the Fund, and non-U.S. persons, but resale to a
broader based of investors in the United Stated may be permitted only in significantly more limited circumstances. A qualified institutional investor is defined by Rule 144A generally as an institution, acting for its own account or for the accounts
of other qualified institutional investors, that in the aggregate owns and invests on a discretionary basis at least $100 million in securities of issuers not affiliated with the institution. A dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 (1934 Act), acting for its own account or the accounts of other qualified institutional investors, that in the aggregate owns and invests on a discretionary basis at least $10 million in securities of issuers not affiliated with the
dealer may also qualify as a qualified institutional investor, as well as a 1934 Act registered dealer acting in a riskless principal transaction on behalf of a qualified institutional investor.
The Funds Board of Directors is responsible for developing and establishing guidelines and procedures for determining the liquidity
of restricted securities. The Board of Directors has delegated this responsibility to the Investment Manager. In making the determination regarding the liquidity of restricted securities, the Investment Manager will consider the trading markets for
the specific security taking into account the unregistered nature of a restricted security. In addition, the Investment Manager may consider: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes; (2) the number of dealers and potential purchasers;
(3) dealer undertakings to make a market; and (4) the nature of the security and of the market place trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer). Investing in
restricted securities could have the effect of increasing the amount of the Funds assets invested in illiquid securities to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become uninterested, for a time, in purchasing these securities.
The Fund also may purchase restricted securities that are not eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S. The
Fund may acquire such securities through private placement transactions, directly from the issuer or from security holders, generally at higher yields or on terms more favorable to investors than comparable publicly traded securities. However, the
restrictions on resale of such securities may make it difficult for the Fund to dispose of such securities at the time considered most advantageous and/or may involve expenses that would not be incurred in the sale of securities that were freely
marketable. Risks associated with restricted securities include the potential obligation to pay all or part of the registration expenses in order to sell certain restricted securities. A considerable period of time may elapse between the time of the
decision to sell a security and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell it under an effective registration statement. If, during a period, adverse conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than prevailing when it
decided to sell.
Real Estate Securities
The Fund may invest in equity securities of real estate investment trusts
(REITs) and other real estate industry companies or companies with substantial real estate investments, and therefore, the Fund may be subject to certain risks associated with direct ownership of real estate and with the real estate
industry in general. These risks include, among others: possible declines in the value of real estate; possible lack of availability of mortgage funds; extended vacancies of properties; risks related to general and local economic conditions;
overbuilding; increases in competition, property taxes and operating expenses; changes in zoning laws; costs resulting from the clean-up of, and liability to third parties for damages resulting from, environmental problems; casualty or condemnation
losses; uninsured damages from floods, earthquakes or other natural disasters; limitations on and variations in rents; and changes in interest rates. Investing in REITs has the effect of requiring shareholders to pay the operating expenses of both
the Fund and the REIT.
6
REITs are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in income producing real estate
or real estate related loans or interests. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of
rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. REITs
are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with several requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). Finally, certain REITs may be self-liquidating in that a specific term of
existence is provided for in the trust document. Such trusts run the risk of liquidating at an economically inopportune time.
Risks of
Private Investments in Public Companies
The Fund may also make private investments in public companies whose stocks are quoted on stock exchanges or which trade in the over-the-counter securities market, a type of investment commonly
referred to as a PIPE transaction. PIPE transactions may be entered into with smaller capitalization public companies, which will entail business and financial risks comparable to those of investments in the publicly-issued securities of
smaller capitalization companies, which may be less likely to be able to weather business or cyclical downturns than larger companies and are more likely to be substantially hurt by the loss of a few key personnel. In addition, PIPE transactions
will generally result in the Fund acquiring either restricted stock or an instrument convertible into restricted stock. As with investments in other types of restricted securities, such an investment may be illiquid. The Funds ability to
dispose of securities acquired in PIPE transactions may depend on the registration of such securities for resale. Any number of factors may prevent or delay a proposed registration. Alternatively, it may be possible for securities acquired in a PIPE
transaction to be resold in transactions exempt from registration in accordance with Rule 144 under the 1933 Act, as amended, or otherwise under the federal securities laws. There can be no guarantee that there will be an active or liquid market for
the stock of any small capitalization company due to the possible small number of stockholders. As a result, even if the Fund is able to have securities acquired in a PIPE transaction registered or sell such securities through an exempt transaction,
the Fund may not be able to sell all the securities on short notice, and the sale of the securities could lower the market price of the securities. There is no guarantee that an active trading market for the securities will exist at the time of
disposition of the securities, and the lack of such a market could hurt the market value of the Funds investments. For more detail, please refer to the Restricted Securities section of this SAIs discussion of investment
methods and risk factors.
Foreign Investment Risks
Investment in foreign securities involves risks and considerations not
present in domestic investments. Foreign companies generally are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies. The securities of non-U.S.
issuers generally are not registered with the SEC, nor are the issuers thereof usually subject to the SECs reporting requirements. Accordingly, there may be less publicly available information about foreign securities and issuers than is
available with respect to U.S. securities and issuers. Foreign securities markets, while growing in volume, have for the most part substantially less volume than United States securities markets, and securities of foreign companies are generally
less liquid and at times their prices may be more volatile than prices of comparable United States companies. Foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies generally are subject to less government supervision and regulation than in the
United States. The customary settlement time for foreign securities may be longer than the customary settlement time for United States securities. The Funds income and gains from foreign issuers may be subject to non-U.S. withholding or other
taxes, thereby reducing its income and gains. In addition, with respect to some foreign countries, there is the increased possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, limitations on the removal of funds or other assets of the Fund,
political or social instability, or diplomatic developments which could affect the investments of the Fund 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, rate of savings and capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments positions.
Brady Bonds
. The Fund may invest in Brady Bonds, which are debt restructurings that provide for the exchange of cash and loans for newly issued bonds. Brady Bonds are securities created
through the exchange of existing commercial bank loans to public and private entities in certain emerging markets for new bonds in connection with debt restructuring under a debt restructuring plan introduced by former U.S. Secretary of the
Treasury, Nicholas F. Brady. Investors should recognize that Brady Bonds have been issued only recently and, accordingly, do not have a long payment history. Brady Bonds may be collateralized or uncollateralized, are issued in various currencies
(primarily the U.S. dollar) and are actively traded in the secondary market for Latin American debt.
U.S. dollar-denominated,
collateralized Brady Bonds, which may be fixed rate par bonds or floating rate discount bonds, are collateralized in full as to principal by U.S. Treasury zero coupon bonds having the same maturity as the bonds. Interest payments on such bonds
generally are collateralized by cash or securities in an amount that, in the case of fixed rate
7
bonds, is equal to at least one year of rolling interest payments or, in the case of floating rate bonds, initially is equal to at least one years rolling interest payments based on the
applicable interest rate at the time and is adjusted at regular intervals thereafter.
Emerging Countries.
The
Fund may invest in debt securities in emerging markets. Investing in securities in emerging countries may entail greater risks than investing in debt securities in developed countries. These risks include: (1) less social, political and
economic stability; (2) the small current size of the markets for such securities and the currently low or nonexistent volume of trading, which result in a lack of liquidity and in greater price volatility; (3) certain national policies
which may restrict the Funds investment opportunities, including restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; (4) foreign taxation; and (5) the absence of developed structures governing
private or foreign investment or allowing for judicial redress for injury to private property. Sovereign debt of emerging countries may be in default or present a greater risk of default.
Political and Economic Risks
. Investing in securities of non-U.S. companies may entail additional risks due to the potential
political and economic instability of certain countries and the risks of expropriation, nationalization, confiscation or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investment and on repatriation of capital invested. In the event of such
expropriation, nationalization or other confiscation by any country, the Fund could lose its entire investment in any such country.
An investment in the Fund is subject to the political and economic risks associated with investments in emerging markets. Even though opportunities for investment may exist in emerging markets, any change
in the leadership or policies of the governments of those countries or in the leadership or policies of any other government which exercises a significant influence over those countries may halt the expansion of or reverse the liberalization of
foreign investment policies now occurring and thereby eliminate any investment opportunities which may currently exist.
Investors should note that upon the accession to power of authoritarian regimes, the governments of a number of emerging market countries
previously expropriated large quantities of real and personal property similar to the property which will be represented by the securities purchased by the Fund. The claims of property owners against those governments were never finally settled.
There can be no assurance that any property represented by securities purchased by the Fund will not also be expropriated, nationalized, or otherwise confiscated. If such confiscation were to occur, the Fund could lose a substantial portion of its
investments in such countries. The Funds investments would similarly be adversely affected by exchange control regulation in any of those countries.
Political Instability
. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may have vocal factions that advocate radical or revolutionary philosophies or support independence. Any disturbance on the
part of such individuals could carry the potential for widespread destruction or confiscation of property owned by individuals and entities foreign to such country and could cause the loss of the Funds investment in those countries.
Foreign Investment Restrictions
. Certain countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their
capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities such as the Fund. As illustrations, certain countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons, or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons
in a particular company, or limit the investments by foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of a company that may have less advantageous terms than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals. Moreover, the national
policies of certain countries may restrict investment opportunities in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests. In addition, some countries require governmental approval for the repatriation of investment income, capital or the
proceeds of securities sales by foreign investors. The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation, as well as by the application to it of other restrictions on
investments.
Non-Uniform Corporate Disclosure Standards and Governmental Regulation
. Non-U.S. companies are subject to
accounting, auditing and financial standards and requirements that differ, in some cases significantly, from those applicable to U.S. companies. In particular, the assets, liabilities and profits appearing on the financial statements of such a
company may not reflect its financial position or results of operations in the way they would be reflected had such financial statements been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Most of the foreign securities
held by the Fund will not be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or regulators of any foreign country, nor will the issuers thereof be subject to the Securities and Exchange Commissions reporting requirements. Thus, there
will be less available information concerning foreign issuers of securities held by the Fund than is available concerning U.S. issuers. In instances where the financial statements of an issuer are not deemed to reflect accurately the financial
8
situation of the issuer, the Investment Manager will take appropriate steps to evaluate the proposed investment, which may include on-site inspection of the issuer, interviews with its management
and consultations with accountants, bankers and other specialists. There is substantially less publicly available information about foreign companies than there are reports and ratings published about U.S. companies and the U.S. government. In
addition, where public information is available, it may be less reliable than such information regarding U.S. issuers.
Currency Fluctuations
. Because the Fund, under normal circumstances, may invest substantial portions of its total assets in the
securities of foreign issuers which are denominated in foreign currencies, the strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar against such foreign currencies will account for part of the Funds investment performance. A decline in the value of any
particular currency against the U.S. dollar will cause a decline in the U.S. dollar value of the Funds holdings of securities denominated in such currency and, therefore, will cause an overall decline in the Funds NAV and any net
investment income and capital gains to be distributed in U.S. dollars to shareholders of the Fund.
The rate of exchange
between the U.S. dollar and other currencies is determined by several factors including the supply and demand for particular currencies, central bank efforts to support particular currencies, the movement of interest rates, the pace of business
activity in certain other countries and the U.S., and other economic and financial conditions affecting the world economy.
Although the Fund values its assets daily in terms of U.S. dollars, the Fund does not intend to convert holdings of foreign currencies
into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. The Fund 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 (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 sell that currency to the dealer.
Adverse Market Characteristics
. Securities of many foreign issuers may be less
liquid and their prices more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. In addition, foreign securities exchanges and brokers generally are subject to less governmental supervision and regulation than in the U.S., and foreign securities
exchange transactions usually are subject to fixed commissions, which generally are higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. transactions. In addition, foreign securities exchange transactions may be subject to difficulties associated with the
settlement of 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 it to miss attractive opportunities. Inability to dispose of a portfolio security 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. The Investment Manager will consider such difficulties when determining the allocation of the Funds assets.
Non-U.S. Withholding Taxes
. The Funds investment income and gains from foreign issuers may be subject to non-U.S.
withholding and other taxes, thereby reducing the Funds investment income and gains.
Investment and Repatriation
Restrictions
. Foreign investment in the securities markets of certain foreign countries is restricted or controlled in varying degrees. These restrictions may at times limit or preclude investment in certain of such countries and may increase
the costs and expenses of the Fund. Investments by foreign investors are subject to a variety of restrictions in many developing countries. These restrictions may take the form of prior governmental approval, limits on the amount or type of
securities held by foreigners, and limits on the types of companies in which foreigners may invest. Additional or different restrictions may be imposed at any time by these or other countries in which the Fund invests. In addition, the repatriation
of both investment income and capital from several foreign countries is restricted and controlled under certain regulations, including in some cases the need for certain government consents. These restrictions may in the future make it undesirable
to invest in these countries.
Market Characteristics
. Foreign securities may be purchased in over-the-counter markets
or on stock exchanges located in the countries in which the respective principal offices of the issuers of the various securities are located, if that is the best available market. Foreign stock markets are generally not as developed or efficient
as, and may be more volatile than, those in the United States. While growing in volume, they usually have substantially less volume than U.S. markets and the Funds portfolio securities may be less liquid and more volatile than securities of
comparable U.S. companies. Equity securities may trade at price/earnings multiples higher than comparable United States securities, and such levels may not be sustainable. Fixed commissions on foreign stock exchanges are generally higher than
negotiated commissions on United States exchanges although the Fund will endeavor to achieve the most favorable net results on its portfolio
9
transactions. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of foreign stock exchanges, brokers and listed companies than in the United States. Moreover, settlement practices for
transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in United States markets and may include delays beyond periods customary in the United States.
Information and Supervision
. There is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies comparable to reports and ratings that are published about companies in the United
States. Foreign companies are also generally not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to United States companies.
Costs
. Investors should understand that the expense ratio of the Fund can be expected to be higher than investment companies
investing in domestic securities since the cost of maintaining the custody of foreign securities and the rate of advisory fees paid by the Fund are higher.
Natural Disasters.
Natural disasters, public health emergencies and other global events of force majeure can negatively affect the Funds investments. Such events can cause unemployment and
economic downturns within an industry or a geographic region in which the Fund invests. They can also directly disrupt the operations, cash flows and overall financial condition of a company in which the Fund invests.
Singapore and Hong Kong.
While the economies of Singapore and Hong Kong are exemplars of growth and development, they have been
and continue to be subject, to some extent, to over-extension of credit, currency devaluations and restrictions, high unemployment, high inflation, reliance on exports and economic cycles. These factors may affect the value of the Funds
investments. In addition, these economies are heavily dependent on international trade, meaning the economic conditions of trading partners such as the U.S., Japan, China, and certain European countries may also affect the value of the Funds
investments. The recent global economic crisis significantly lowered the regions exports and foreign investments.
Australia.
Australias agriculture and mining sectors account for a significant portion of its economy, making its
economyand in turn, the Funds investmentsparticularly susceptible to adverse changes in these sectors. In addition, Australias economy is heavily dependent on international trade, meaning the economic conditions of trading
partners such as the U.S., Asia and other regions or specific countries may affect the value of the Funds investments. Australia is also prone to natural disasters such as floods and droughts, and the Funds investments in Australia may
be more likely to be affected by such events than its investments in other geographic regions.
Europe
. The European
Union (EU) is an intergovernmental and supranational organization comprised of most Western European countries and an increasing number of Eastern European countries (each such country, a Member State). The EU aims to
establish and administer a single market among Member Statesconsisting of a common trade policy and a single currencyand Member States established the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in pursuit of this goal. The
EMU sets forth certain policies intended to increase economic coordination and monetary cooperation. Many Member States have adopted the EMUs euro as their currency and other Member States are generally expected to adopt the euro in the
future. When a Member State adopts the euro as its currency, the Member State cedes its authority to control monetary policy to the European Central Bank.
Member States, however, face a number of challenges, including, but not limited to: tight fiscal and monetary controls, complications that result from adjustment to a new currency, the absence of exchange
rate flexibility, and the loss of economic sovereignty. Unemployment in some European countries has been historically higher than in the United States, potentially exposing investors to political risk. Any or all of these challenges may affect the
value of the Funds investments.
In addition, changes to the value of the euro against the U.S. dollar could also affect
the value of the Fund. Investing in euro-denominated securities, or securities denominated in other European currencies, entails risk of exposure to a currency that may not fully reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the disparate European
economies. It is possible that the euro could be abandoned in the future by those countries that have adopted it and the effects of such abandonment on individual countries and the EMU as a whole are uncertain, but could be negative. Any strength in
the exchange rate between the euro and the U.S. dollar can have a positive or negative effect upon valuation, and thus upon profits.
The recent global economic crisis also increases uncertainty surrounding Europe-linked investments. The crisis triggered recessions among many European countries and weakened the countries banking
and financial sectors. Several smaller European economies in which the Fund may invest were brought to the brink of bankruptcy. In addition, the crisis
10
worsened public deficits across Europe, and some European countries including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain, in which the Fund may invest may be dependent on assistance from other
governments or organizations. Such assistance may be subject to a countrys successful implementation of certain reforms. An insufficient level of assistance (whether triggered by a failure to implement reforms or by any other factor) could
cause a deep economic downturn and affect the value of the Funds investments.
For some countries, the ability to repay
their debt is in question, and the possibility of default is real, which could affect their ability to borrow in the future. A default or debt restructuring of any European country would adversely impact holders of that countrys debt and
sellers of credit default swaps linked to that countrys creditworthiness, which may be located outside the country defaulting or restructuring. Furthermore, there is the fear of contagion that could occur if one country defaults on its debt,
and that a default in one country could trigger declines and cause other countries in the region to default as well.
Certain
of the larger European economies have shown limited signs of recovery from this recent crisis; however, significant risks still threaten the potential recovery, such as high official debts and deficits, aging populations, over-regulation of
non-financial businesses, and doubts about the sustainability of the EMU. In response to the crisis, many countries instituted measures to temporarily increase liquidity. These countries will need to make certain economic and political decisions in
order to restore sustainable economic growth and fiscal policy. While many initiatives have been instituted to strengthen regulation and supervision of financial markets in the EU, greater regulation is expected in the near future.
The EU currently faces major issues involving its membership, structure, procedures, and policies, including: the adoption, abandonment,
or adjustment of the new constitutional treaty; the EUs expansion to the south and east; and resolution of the EUs fiscal and democratic accountability problems. As Member States unify their economic and monetary policies, movements in
European markets will lose the benefit of diversification within the region. One or more Member States might exit the EU, placing its currency and banking system in jeopardy. In connection with these uncertainties, currencies have become more
volatile, subjecting the Funds investments to additional risks.
Eastern Europe
. Changes occurring in Eastern
Europe and Russia today could have long-term potential consequences. As restrictions fall, this could result in rising standards of living, lower manufacturing costs, growing consumer spending, and substantial economic growth. However, investment in
the countries of Eastern Europe and Russia is highly speculative at this time. Political and economic reforms are too recent to establish a definite trend away from centrally-planned economies and state-owned industries. In many of the countries of
Eastern Europe and Russia, there is no stock exchange or formal market for securities. Such countries may also have government exchange controls, currencies with no recognizable market value relative to the established currencies of western market
economies, little or no experience in trading in securities, no financial reporting standards, a lack of a banking and securities infrastructure to handle such trading, and a legal tradition which does not recognize rights in private property. In
addition, these countries may have national policies which restrict investments in companies deemed sensitive to the countrys national interest. Further, the governments in such countries may require governmental or quasi-governmental
authorities to act as custodian of the Funds assets invested in such countries, and these authorities may not qualify as a foreign custodian under the 1940 Act, and exemptive relief from such Act may be required. All of these considerations
are among the factors which could cause significant risks and uncertainties to investment in Eastern Europe and Russia.
Japan
. Though Japan is one of the worlds largest economic powers, the Funds investments in Japan are subject to
special risks. Japans population is aging and shrinking, increasing the cost of Japans pension and public welfare system, lowering domestic demand, and making the country more dependent on exports to sustain its economy. The economic
conditions of Japans trading partners may therefore affect the value of the Funds Japan-linked investments. Currency fluctuations may also significantly affect Japans economy. Japan is also prone to natural disasters such as
earthquakes and tsunamis, and the Funds investments in Japan may be more likely to be affected by such events than its investments in other geographic regions.
Other
. With respect to certain foreign countries, especially developing and emerging ones, there is the possibility of adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations, expropriation
or confiscatory taxation, limitations on the removal of funds or other assets of the Fund, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments which could affect investments by U.S. persons in those countries.
11
Futures and Options Transactions
Futures and Options on Futures.
The Fund may invest in futures and related options (i) to attempt to gain exposure to a
particular market, index or instrument; (ii) to attempt to offset changes in the value of securities held or expected to be acquired or be disposed of; (iii) to attempt to minimize fluctuations in foreign currencies; (iv) for
bona
fide
hedging purposes; or (v) for other risk management purposes. Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific security at a specified future time and at a
specified price.
An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in exchange for a premium, to assume a
position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price during the term of the option. The Fund will reduce the risk that it will be unable to close out a futures contract by only entering into futures contracts that are traded on a national
futures exchange regulated by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
To the extent the Fund uses
futures, options on futures and/or swaps, it would do so in accordance with Rule 4.5 under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA). With respect to the Fund, Security Equity Fund has filed with the National Futures Association a notice
claiming an exclusion from the definition of commodity pool operator (CPO) under Rule 4.5, with respect to the Funds operation. Accordingly, the Fund is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool or
CPO. As of January 1, 2013, the Investment Manager is subject to registration and regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA with respect to its service as investment adviser to certain mutual funds. However, because rulemaking that
would be applicable to registered investment companies that are also commodity pools has not yet been adopted by the CFTC and SEC, the Investment Manager is not yet subject to the CFTC recordkeeping, reporting and disclosure requirements with
respect to those funds. Such requirements may cause the Investment Manager to incur additional expenses. Any final requirements remain uncertain. Changes to the Funds investment strategies or investments may cause the Fund to lose the benefits
of the exclusion under Rule 4.5 and may trigger additional CFTC regulation. If the Fund becomes subject to CFTC regulation, the Fund may incur additional expenses.
The Fund may buy and sell index futures contracts with respect to any index traded on a recognized exchange or board of trade. An index futures contract is a bilateral agreement pursuant to which two
parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified dollar amount times the difference between the index value at the close of trading of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is originally struck. No
physical delivery of the securities comprising the index is made. Instead, settlement in cash must occur upon the termination of the contract, with the settlement being the difference between the contract price and the actual level of the stock
index at the expiration of the contract. Generally, contracts are closed out prior to the expiration date of the contract.
When the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, or sells an option thereon, the Fund is required to cover its position
in order to limit the risk associated with the use of leverage and other related risks. To cover its position, the Fund may maintain with its custodian bank or futures commission merchant (and marked-to-market on a daily basis), a segregated account
consisting of cash or liquid securities that, when added to any amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the futures contract or otherwise cover its position in a manner consistent
with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder. If the Fund continues to engage in the described securities trading practices and properly segregates assets, the segregated account will function as a practical limit on the amount
of leverage which the Fund may undertake and on the potential increase in the speculative character of the Funds outstanding portfolio securities. Such segregated accounts are intended to assure the availability of adequate funds to meet the
obligations of the Fund arising from such investment activities, although there is no guarantee that they will function as intended.
The Fund may also cover its long position in a futures contract by purchasing a put option on the same futures contract with a strike price (
i.e.
, an exercise price) as high or higher than the
price of the futures contract. In the alternative, if the strike price of the put is less than the price of the futures contract, the Fund will maintain, in a segregated account, cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the
strike price of the put and the price of the futures contract. The Fund may also cover its long position in a futures contract by taking a short position in the instruments underlying the futures contract (or, in the case of an index futures
contract, a portfolio with a volatility substantially similar to that of the index on which the futures contract is based), or by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the futures
contract. The Fund may cover its short position in a futures contract by taking a long position in the instruments underlying the futures contract, or by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently
with the futures contract.
12
The Fund may cover its sale of a call option on a futures contract by taking a long position
in the underlying futures contract at a price less than or equal to the strike price of the call option. In the alternative, if the long position in the underlying futures contract is established at a price greater than the strike price of the
written (sold) call, the Fund will maintain, in a segregated account, cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the call and the price of the futures contract. The Fund may also cover its sale of a call
option by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the call option. The Fund may cover its sale of a put option on a futures contract by taking a short position in the underlying futures
contract at a price greater than or equal to the strike price of the put option, or, if the short position in the underlying futures contract is established at a price less than the strike price of the written put, the Fund will maintain, in a
segregated account, cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the put and the price of the futures contract. The Fund may also cover its sale of a put option by taking positions in instruments with prices
which are expected to move relatively consistently with the put option.
There are significant risks associated with the
Funds use of futures contracts and related options, including the following: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on the ability of the Investment Manager to predict movements in the prices of individual securities,
fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect or no correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by the Fund and the prices of futures and options on futures; (3) there may
not be a liquid secondary market for a futures contract or option; (4) trading restrictions or limitations may be imposed by an exchange; and (5) government regulations may restrict trading in futures contracts and options on futures. In
addition, some strategies reduce the Funds exposure to price fluctuations, while others tend to increase its market exposure.
Options.
The Fund may purchase and write (sell) put and call options on securities and on stock indices listed on national securities exchanges or traded in the OTC market as an investment vehicle
for the purpose of realizing the Funds investment objective. A put option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying security at any time during the
option period. A call option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying security at any time during the option period. The premium paid to the writer is the
consideration for undertaking the obligations under the option contract.
The Fund may purchase and write put and call options
on foreign currencies (traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges or OTC markets) to manage its exposure to exchange rates. Call options on foreign currency written by the Fund will be covered, which means that the Fund will own an equal
amount of the underlying foreign currency.
Put and call options on indices are similar to options on securities except that
options on an index give the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the underlying index is greater than (or less than, in the case of puts) the exercise price of the option. This amount
of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option, expressed in dollars multiplied by a specified number. Thus, unlike options on individual securities, all settlements are in cash, and
gain or loss depends on price movements in the particular market represented by the index generally, rather than the price movements in individual securities.
All options written on indices or securities must be covered. If the Fund writes an option on a security, an index or a foreign currency, it will establish a segregated account containing cash or liquid
securities in an amount at least equal to the market value of the option and will maintain the account while the option is open or will otherwise cover the transaction.
The Fund may trade put and call options on securities, securities indices and currencies, as the Investment Manager determines is appropriate in seeking the Funds investment objective, and except as
restricted by the Funds investment limitations. See Investment Restrictions.
The initial purchase (sale) of
an option contract is an opening transaction. In order to close out an option position, the Fund may enter into a closing transaction, which is simply the sale (purchase) of an option contract on the same security with the
same exercise price and expiration date as the option contract originally opened. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to an option it has written, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the
option expires or the Fund delivers the security upon exercise.
13
The Fund may purchase put and call options on securities to protect against a decline in the
market value of the securities in its portfolio or to anticipate an increase in the market value of securities that the Fund may seek to purchase in the future. The Fund purchasing put and call options pays a premium; therefore, if price movements
in the underlying securities are such that exercise of the options would not be profitable for the Fund, loss of the premium paid may be offset by an increase in the value of the Funds securities or by a decrease in the cost of acquisition of
securities by the Fund.
The Fund may write covered call options on securities as a means of increasing the yield on its
assets and as a means of providing limited protection against decreases in its market value. When the Fund writes an option, if the underlying securities do not increase or decrease to a price level that would make the exercise of the option
profitable to the holder thereof, the option generally will expire without being exercised and the Fund will realize as profit the premium received for such option. When a call option of which the Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be
required to sell the underlying securities to the option holder at the strike price, and will not participate in any increase in the price of such securities above the strike price. When a put option of which the Fund is the writer is exercised, the
Fund will be required to purchase the underlying securities at a price in excess of the market value of such securities.
The
Fund may purchase and write options on an exchange or over-the-counter. OTC options differ from exchange-traded options in several respects. They are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation, and therefore entail the risk
of non-performance by the dealer. OTC options are available for a greater variety of securities and for a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices than are available for exchange-traded options. Because OTC options are not traded on an
exchange, pricing is done normally by reference to information from a market maker. It is the SECs position that OTC options are generally illiquid.
The market value of an option generally reflects the market price of an underlying security. Other principal factors affecting market value include supply and demand, interest rates, the pricing
volatility of the underlying security and the time remaining until the expiration date.
Risks associated with options
transactions include: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on an ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect
correlation between the movement in prices of options and the securities underlying them; (3) there may not be a liquid secondary market for options; and (4) while the Fund will receive a premium when it writes covered call options, it may
not participate fully in a rise in the market value of the underlying security.
Swap Agreements
The Fund may enter into
swap agreements, including, but not limited to, total return swaps, index swaps, interest rate swaps, and credit default swaps. The Fund may utilize swap agreements in an attempt to gain exposure to the securities in a market without actually
purchasing those securities, or to hedge a position. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a day to more than one-year and may be negotiated bilaterally and traded OTC
between two parties or, in some instances, must be transacted through a futures commission merchant and cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as a central counterparty. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns
(or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or
realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross returns to be exchanged or swapped between the parties are calculated with respect to a notional amount,
i.e.
, the return on or increase in
value of a particular dollar amount invested in a basket of securities representing a particular index. Forms of swap agreements include (i) interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments
to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate, or cap, (ii) interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall
below a specified level, or floor, and (iii) interest rate dollars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or
maximum levels.
Another form of swap agreement is a credit default swap. A credit default swap enables the Fund to buy or
sell protection against a defined credit event of an issuer or a basket of securities. Generally, the seller of credit protection against an issuer or basket of securities receives a periodic payment to compensate against potential default events.
If a default event occurs, the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value of the reference obligation in exchange for the reference obligation. If no default occurs, the counterparty will pay the stream of payments and have no further
obligations to the Fund selling the credit protection.
In contrast, the buyer of a credit default swap would have the right
to deliver a referenced debt obligation and receive the par (or other agreed-upon) value of such debt obligation from the counterparty in the event of a default or other
14
credit event (such as a credit downgrade) by the reference issuer, such as a U.S. or foreign corporation, with respect to its debt obligations. In return, the buyer of the credit protection would
pay the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, the counterparty would keep the stream of payments and would have no further obligations to the
Fund purchasing the credit protection.
The Fund also may enhance income by selling credit protection or attempt to mitigate
credit risk by buying protection. Credit default swaps could result in losses if the creditworthiness of an issuer or a basket of securities is not accurately evaluated.
Most swap agreements (but generally not credit default swaps) that the Fund might enter into calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a net basis. Consequently, the
Funds obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement would generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the net
amount). Other swap agreements, such as credit default swaps, may require initial premium (discount) payments as well as periodic payments (receipts) related to the interest leg of the swap or to the default of a reference obligation.
The Funds obligations under a swap agreement would be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owing to the Fund) and
any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty would be covered by segregating assets determined to be liquid. Obligations under swap agreements so covered would not be construed to be senior securities for purposes of
the Funds investment restriction concerning senior securities. Because they are two party contracts and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid for the Funds illiquid
investment limitations. The Fund would not enter into any swap agreement unless the Investment Manager believes that the other party to the transaction is creditworthy. The Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a
swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty, or in the case of a credit default swap in which the Fund is selling credit protection, the default of a third party issuer.
The Fund may enter into swap agreements to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of the underlying securities in
circumstances in which direct investment is restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise impracticable. The counterparty to any swap agreement would typically be a bank, investment banking firm or broker-dealer. The counterparty would generally
agree to pay the Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of the swap agreement would have increased in value had it been invested in the particular stocks, plus the dividends that would have been received on those stocks. The Fund
would agree to pay to the counterparty a floating rate of interest on the notional amount of the swap agreement plus the amount, if any, by which the notional amount would have decreased in value had it been invested in such stocks. Therefore, the
return to the Fund on any swap agreement should be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends on the stocks less the interest paid by the Fund on the notional amount.
Swap agreements typically are settled on a net basis (but generally not credit default swaps), which means that the two payment streams
are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Payments may be made at the conclusion of a swap agreement or periodically during its term. Other swap agreements, such as credit default
swaps, may require initial premium (discount) payments as well as periodic payments (receipts) related to the interest leg of the swap or to the default of a reference obligation. The Fund would earmark and reserve assets necessary to meet any
accrued payment obligations when it is the buyer of a credit default swap. In cases where the Fund is the seller of a credit default swap, if the credit default swap provides for physical settlement, the Fund would be required to earmark and reserve
the full notional amount of the credit default swap.
Swap agreements may not involve the delivery of securities or other
underlying assets. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to such swap agreements is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. If a swap counterparty defaults, the Funds risk of loss should
consist only of the net amount of payments that such Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any, although legal uncertainty exists. The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Funds obligations over its entitlements with respect to
each equity swap would be accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or liquid assets, having an aggregate NAV at least equal to such accrued excess will be maintained in a segregated account by the Funds custodian. Inasmuch as these
transactions are entered into for hedging purposes or are offset by segregated cash of liquid assets, as permitted by applicable law, the Fund and the Investment Manager believe that these transactions do not constitute senior securities under the
1940 Act and, accordingly, would not treat them as being subject to the Funds borrowing restrictions.
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
15
become relatively liquid in comparison with the markets for other similar instruments, which are traded in the OTC market. The Investment Manager, under the supervision of the Board of Directors,
is responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of Fund transactions in swap agreements.
Certain standardized
swaps are subject to mandatory central clearing. Central clearing is expected to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity, but central clearing does not make swap transactions risk free. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer
Protection Act and related regulatory developments will ultimately require the clearing and exchange-trading of many OTC derivative instruments that the CFTC and SEC recently defined as swaps. Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing will
occur on a phased-in basis based on the type of market participant and CFTC approval of contracts for central clearing. The Investment Manager will continue to monitor developments in this area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect
the Funds ability to enter into swap agreements. Depending on the Funds size and other factors, the margin required under the rules of the clearinghouse and by the clearing member may be in excess of the collateral required to be posted
by the Fund to support its obligations under a similar bilateral swap. However, regulators are expected to adopt rules imposing certain margin requirements, including minimums, on uncleared swaps in the near future, which could change this
comparison. Regulators are in the process of developing rules that would require trading and execution of most liquid swaps on trading facilities. Moving trading to an exchange-type system may increase market transparency and liquidity but may
require Fund to incur increased expenses to access the same types of swaps. Rules adopted in 2012 also require centralized reporting of detailed information about many types of cleared and uncleared swaps. Reporting of swap data may result in
greater market transparency, but may subject the Fund to additional administrative burdens and the safeguards established to protect trader anonymity may not function as expected.
The use of swap agreements, including credit default swaps, is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and
risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If a counterpartys creditworthiness declines, the value of the swap would likely decline. Moreover, there is no guarantee that the Fund could eliminate its
exposure under an outstanding swap agreement by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same or another party.
Hybrid
Instruments
The Fund may invest in hybrid instruments. A hybrid instrument is a type of potentially high-risk derivative that combines a traditional stock, bond, or commodity with an option or forward contract. Generally, the
principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest rate of a hybrid is tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some commodity, currency or securities index or another interest rate or some other economic factor
(underlying benchmark). The interest rate or (unlike most fixed income securities) the principal amount payable at maturity of a hybrid security may be increased or decreased, depending on changes in the value of the underlying
benchmark. An example of a hybrid could be a bond issued by an oil company that pays a small base level of interest with additional interest that accrues in correlation to the extent to which oil prices exceed a certain predetermined level. Such a
hybrid instrument would be a combination of a bond and a call option on oil.
Hybrids can be used as an efficient means of
pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, and increased total return. Hybrids may not bear interest or pay dividends. The value of a hybrid or its interest rate may be a multiple of the underlying benchmark and, as a
result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the underlying benchmark. These underlying benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot
be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero. Thus, an investment in a hybrid may entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a
traditional, U.S. dollar-denominated bond that has a fixed principal amount and pays a fixed rate or floating rate of interest. The purchase of hybrids also exposes the Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrids. These risks may cause
significant fluctuations in the NAV of the Fund.
Certain hybrid instruments may provide exposure to the commodities markets.
These are derivative securities with one or more commodity-linked components that have payment features similar to commodity futures contracts, commodity options, or similar instruments. Commodity-linked hybrid instruments may be either equity or
debt securities, and are considered hybrid instruments because they have both security and commodity-like characteristics. A portion of the value of these instruments may be derived from the value of a commodity, futures contract, index or other
economic variable. The Fund would only invest in commodity-linked hybrid instruments that qualify, under applicable rules of the CFTC, for an exemption from the provisions of the CEA.
Certain issuers of structured products such as hybrid instruments may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As
a result, the Funds investments in these products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies and other restrictions contained in the 1940 Act.
16
Structured Notes.
The Fund is permitted to invest in structured notes, which are debt
obligations that also contain an embedded derivative component with characteristics that adjust the obligations risk/return profile. Generally, the performance of a structured note will track that of the underlying debt obligation and the
derivative embedded within it. The Fund has the right to receive periodic interest payments from the issuer of the structured notes at an agreed-upon interest rate and a return of the principal at the maturity date.
Structured notes are typically privately negotiated transactions between two or more parties. The Fund bears the risk that the issuer of
the structured note would default or become bankrupt which may result in the loss of principal investment and periodic interest payments expected to be received for the duration of its investment in the structured notes.
In the case of structured notes on credit default swaps the Fund would be subject to the credit risk of the corporate credit instruments
underlying the credit default swaps. If one of the underlying corporate credit instruments defaults, the Fund may receive the security or credit instrument that has defaulted, or alternatively a cash settlement may occur, and the Funds
principal investment in the structured note would be reduced by the corresponding face value of the defaulted security.
The
market for structured notes may be, or suddenly can become, illiquid. The other parties to the transaction may be the only investors with sufficient understanding of the derivative to be interested in bidding for it. Changes in liquidity may result
in significant, rapid, and unpredictable changes in the prices for structured notes. In certain cases, a market price for a credit-linked security may not be available. The collateral for a structured note may be one or more credit default swaps,
which are subject to additional risks. See Swap Agreements for a description of additional risks associated with credit default swaps.
Spread Transactions
The Fund may purchase covered spread options from securities dealers. Such covered spread options are not presently exchange-listed or exchange-traded. The purchase
of a spread option gives the Fund the right to put, or sell, a security that it owns at a fixed dollar spread or fixed yield spread in relationship to another security that the Fund does not own, but which is used as a benchmark. The risk to the
Fund in purchasing covered spread options is the cost of the premium paid for the spread option and any transaction costs. In addition, there is no assurance that closing transactions will be available. The purchase of spread options will be used to
protect the Fund against adverse changes in prevailing credit quality spreads, i.e., the yield spread between high quality and lower quality securities. Such protection is only provided during the life of the spread option.
Derivatives Regulatory Risk
The laws and regulations that apply to derivatives (
e.g.
, swaps, futures, etc.) and persons who use
them (including the Fund, the Investment Manager and others) are rapidly changing in the U.S. and abroad. As a result, restrictions and additional regulations may be imposed on these parties, trading restrictions may be adopted and additional
trading costs are possible. The impact of these changes on the Fund and its investment strategies is not yet fully ascertainable.
In particular, the Dodd-Frank Act was signed into law on July 21, 2010. The Dodd-Frank Act will change the way in which the U.S. financial system is supervised and regulated. Title VII of the
Dodd-Frank Act sets forth a new legislative framework for OTC derivatives, including financial instruments, such as swaps, in which the Fund may invest. Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act makes broad changes to the OTC derivatives market, grants
significant new authority to the SEC and the CFTC to regulate OTC derivatives and market participants, and will require clearing and exchange trading of many OTC derivatives transactions. The CFTC and SEC recently finalized the definition of
swap and security-based swap. These definitions provide the parameters around which contracts will be subject to further regulation under the Dodd-Frank Act.
Provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act include new capital and margin requirements and the mandatory use of clearinghouse mechanisms for many
OTC derivative transactions. The CFTC, SEC and other federal regulators have been tasked with developing the rules and regulations enacting the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act. Because there is a prescribed phase-in period during which most of the
mandated rulemaking and regulations will be implemented, it is not possible at this time to gauge the exact nature and scope of the impact of the Dodd-Frank Act on any of the Fund. However, it is expected that swap dealers, major market participants
and swap counterparties will experience new and/or additional regulations, requirements, compliance burdens and associated costs. The new law and the rules to be promulgated may negatively impact the Funds ability to meet its investment
objective either through limits or requirements imposed on it or upon its counterparties. In particular, new position limits imposed on the Fund or its counterparties may impact that Funds ability to invest in futures, options and swaps in a
manner that efficiently meets its investment objective. New requirements even if not directly applicable to the Fund, including capital requirements, changes to the CFTC speculative position limits regime and mandatory clearing, may increase the
cost of the Funds investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.
17
Short Sales
The Fund may make short sales against the box in which the Fund
enters into a short sale of a security it owns. At no time will more than 15% of the value of the Funds net assets be in deposits on short sales against the box. If the Fund makes a short sale, the Fund does not immediately deliver from its
own account the securities sold and does not receive the proceeds from the sale. To complete the sale, the Fund must borrow the security (generally from the broker through which the short sale is made) in order to make delivery to the buyer. The
Fund must replace the security borrowed by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement or delivering the security from its own portfolio. The Fund is said to have a short position in securities sold until it delivers
them to the broker at which time it receives the proceeds of the sale.
Short sales by the Fund that are not made
against the box create opportunities to increase the Funds return but, at the same time, involve specific risk considerations and may be considered a speculative technique. Since the Fund in effect profits from a decline in the
price of the securities sold short without the need to invest the full purchase price of the securities on the date of the short sale, the Funds NAV per share tends to increase more when the securities it has sold short decrease in value, and
to decrease more when the securities it has sold short increase in value, than would otherwise be the case if it had not engaged in such short sales. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of
any premium, dividends or interest the Fund may be required to pay in connection with the short sale. Short sales theoretically involve unlimited loss potential, as the market price of securities sold short may continually increase, although the
Fund may mitigate such losses by replacing the securities sold short before the market price has increased significantly. Under adverse market conditions the Fund might have difficulty purchasing securities to meet its short sale delivery
obligations and might have to sell portfolio securities to raise the capital necessary to meet its short sale obligations at a time when fundamental investment considerations would not favor such sales.
The Funds decision to make a short sale against the box may be a technique to hedge against market risks when the
Investment Manager believes that the price of a security may decline, causing a decline in the value of a security owned by the Fund or a security convertible into or exchangeable for such security. In such case, any future losses in the Funds
long position would be reduced by a gain in the short position. The extent to which such gains or losses in the long position are reduced will depend upon the amount of securities sold short relative to the amount of the securities the Fund owns,
either directly or indirectly, and, in the case where the Fund owns convertible securities, changes in the investment values or conversion premiums of such securities. The Fund can close out its short position by purchasing and delivering an equal
amount of the securities sold short, rather than by delivering securities already held by the Fund, because the Fund might want to continue to receive interest and dividend payments on securities in its portfolio that are convertible into the
securities sold short.
In the view of the Commission, a short sale involves the creation of a senior security as
such term is defined in the 1940 Act unless the sale is against the box and the securities sold short (or securities convertible into or exchangeable for such securities) are segregated or unless the Funds obligation to deliver the
securities sold short is covered by segregating cash, U.S. government securities or other liquid assets in an amount equal to the difference between the market value of the securities sold short and any collateral required to be
deposited with a broker in connection with the sale (not including the proceeds from the short sale), which difference is adjusted daily for changes in the value of the securities sold short. The total value of the short sale proceeds, cash, U.S.
government securities or other liquid assets deposited with the broker and segregated with the Custodian may not at any time be less than the market value of the securities sold short. The Fund will comply with these requirements.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
For the purpose of realizing additional income, the Fund may make secured loans
of Fund securities amounting to not more than 33
1
/
3
% of its total assets. Securities loans are made to broker/dealers, institutional investors, or other persons pursuant to
agreements requiring that the loans be continuously secured by collateral at least equal at all times to the value of the securities loaned marked to market on a daily basis. The collateral received will consist of cash, U.S. government securities,
letters of credit or such other collateral as may be permitted under its investment program. While the securities are being loaned, the Fund will continue to receive the equivalent of the interest or dividends paid by the issuer on the securities,
as well as interest on the investment of the collateral or a fee from the borrower, although a portion can be payable to a collateral agent for certain services. When the Fund invests collateral, the Fund will bear the risk of loss and the risk of
loss depends on the nature and type of investment made with the collateral. Costs of underlying securities lending activities are not typically reflected in the Funds fee and expense ratios. The Fund has a right to call each loan and obtain
the securities on five business days notice or, in connection with securities trading on foreign markets, within such longer period of time which coincides with the normal settlement period
18
for purchases and sales of such securities in such foreign markets. The Fund will not have the right to vote securities while they are being loaned, but it will call a loan in anticipation of any
important vote. The risks in lending portfolio securities, as with other extensions of secured credit, consist of possible delay in receiving additional collateral or in the recovery of the securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral
should the borrower fail financially. Loans will only be made to persons deemed by the Investment Manager to be of good standing and will not be made unless, in the judgment of the Investment Manager, the consideration to be earned from such loans
would justify the risk.
Leverage
The Fund may use leverage. Leveraging the Fund creates an opportunity for increased net
income but, at the same time, creates special risk considerations. For example, leveraging may exaggerate changes in the NAV of the Funds shares and in the yield on the Funds portfolio. Since any decline in value of the Funds
investments will be borne entirely by the Funds shareholders (and not by those persons providing the leverage to the Fund), the effect of leverage in a declining market would be a greater decrease in NAV than if the Fund were not so leveraged.
Leveraging will create interest and other expenses for the Fund, which can exceed the investment return from the borrowed funds. To the extent the investment return derived from securities purchased with borrowed funds exceeds the interest the Fund
will have to pay, the Funds investment return will be greater than if leveraging were not used. Conversely, if the investment return from the assets retained with borrowed funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of leveraging, the investment
return of the Fund will be less than if leveraging were not used.
Under the 1940 Act, the Fund is required to maintain
continuous asset coverage of 300% with respect to borrowings and to sell (within three days) sufficient portfolio holdings to restore such coverage if it should decline to less than 300% due to market fluctuations or otherwise, even if such
liquidations of the Funds holdings may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint.
Short-Term Instruments
When
the Fund experiences large cash inflows through the sale of securities and desirable equity securities that are consistent with the Funds investment objectives are unavailable in sufficient quantities or at attractive prices, the Fund may hold
short-term investments for a limited time pending availability of such equity securities. Short-term instruments consist of: (1) short-term obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities or
by any of the states; (2) other short-term debt securities rated AA or higher by S&P or Aa or higher by Moodys or, if unrated, of comparable quality in the opinion of the Investment Manager; (3) commercial paper; (4) bank
obligations, including negotiable certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers acceptances; and (5) repurchase agreements. At the time the Fund invests in commercial paper, bank obligations, or repurchase agreements, the issuer or
the issuers parent must have outstanding debt rated AA or higher by S&P or Aa or higher by Moodys or outstanding commercial paper or bank obligations rated A-1 by S&P or Prime-1 by Moodys, or, if no such ratings are
available, the instrument must be of comparable quality in the opinion of the Investment Manager.
U.S. Government
Securities
Consistent with its investment objective and strategies, the Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, including: (1) direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury and (2) obligations
issued by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities. Included among direct obligations of the U.S. are Treasury Bills, Treasury Notes and Treasury Bonds, which differ in terms of their interest rates, maturities, and dates of issuance. Treasury
Bills have maturities of less than one year, Treasury Notes have maturities of one to 10 years and Treasury Bonds generally have maturities of greater than 10 years from the date of issuance. Included among the obligations issued by agencies and
instrumentalities of the U.S. are: instruments that are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S., such as certificates issued by the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA or Ginnie Mae); instruments that
are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury (such as securities of Federal Home Loan Banks); and instruments that are supported solely by the credit of the instrumentality, such as Federal National Mortgage Association
(FNMA or Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC or Freddie Mac). In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, placing the two
federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality. Under
these Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements (SPAs), the U.S. Treasury has pledged to provide up to $100 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their
liabilities exceed their assets. In May 2009, the U.S. Treasury increased its maximum commitment to each instrumentality under the SPAs to $200 billion per instrumentality. In December 2009, the U.S. Treasury further amended the SPAs to allow the
cap on the U.S. Treasurys funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs net worth through the end of 2012. At the start of 2013, the unlimited support the U.S.
Treasury extended to the two companies will expire Fannie Maes bailout will be capped at $125 billion and Freddie Mac will have a limit of $149 billion. On August 17, 2012, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was again
amending the Agreement to terminate the requirement that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each pay a 10% dividend annually on all amounts of
19
received under the funding commitment. Instead, they will transfer to the U.S. Treasury on a quarterly basis all profits earned during a quarter that exceed a capital reserve amount of $3
billion. It is anticipated that the new amendment would put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in a better position to service their debt.
Also in December 2009, the U.S. Treasury amended the SPAs to provide Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with some additional flexibility to meet the requirement to reduce their mortgage portfolios. The actions of
the U.S. Treasury are intended to ensure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Treasury
initiatives will be successful. Other U.S. government securities the Fund may invest in include (but are not limited to) securities issued or guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Loan Administration, Export-Import Bank of
the U.S., Small Business Administration, General Services Administration, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Farm Credit Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Federal Land Banks, Maritime Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority, District
of Columbia Armory Board and Student Loan Marketing Association. Because the U.S. government is not obligated by law to provide support to an instrumentality it sponsors, the Fund will invest in obligations issued by such an instrumentality only if
the Investment Manager determines that the credit risk with respect to the instrumentality does not make its securities unsuitable for investment by the Fund.
The Fund may also invest in separately traded principal and interest components of securities guaranteed or issued by the U.S. government or its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises if
such components trade independently under the Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities program (STRIPS) or any similar program sponsored by the U.S. government. STRIPS may be sold as zero coupon securities.
Debt Obligations
Yields on short, intermediate, and long-term securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including
the general conditions of the money and bond markets, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation, and the rating of the issue. Debt securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields and are generally subject to
potentially greater capital appreciation and depreciation than obligations with shorter maturities and lower yields. The market prices of debt securities usually vary, depending upon available yields. An increase in interest rates will generally
reduce the value of portfolio investments, and a decline in interest rates will generally increase the value of portfolio investments. The ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objectives is also dependent on the continuing ability of the
issuers of the debt securities in which the Fund invests to meet their obligations for the payment of interest and principal when due.
Variable and Floating Rate Instruments
The Fund may invest in variable or floating rate instruments and variable rate demand
instruments, including variable amount master demand notes. These instruments will normally involve industrial development or revenue bonds that provide that the rate of interest is set as a specific percentage of a designated base rate (such as the
prime rate) at a major commercial bank. In addition, the interest rate on these securities may be reset daily, weekly or on some other reset period and may have a floor or ceiling on interest rate changes. The Fund can demand payment of the
obligation at all times or at stipulated dates on short notice (not to exceed 30 days) at par plus accrued interest.
Debt
instruments purchased by the Fund may be structured to have variable or floating interest rates. These instruments may include variable amount master demand notes that permit the indebtedness to vary in addition to providing for periodic adjustments
in the interest rates.
Other variable and floating rate instruments include but are not limited to certain corporate debt
securities, asset-backed securities (ABSs), MBSs, commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBSs), collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), government and agency securities. The Investment Manager will consider
the earning power, cash flows and other liquidity ratios of the issuers and guarantors of such instruments and, if the instrument is subject to a demand feature, will continuously monitor their financial ability to meet payment on demand. Where
necessary to ensure that a variable or floating rate instrument is equivalent to the quality standards applicable to the Funds fixed income investments, the issuers obligation to pay the principal of the instrument will be backed by an
unconditional bank letter or line of credit, guarantee or commitment to lend. Any bank providing such a bank letter, line of credit, guarantee or loan commitment will meet the Funds investment quality standards relating to investments in bank
obligations. The Investment Manager will also continuously monitor the creditworthiness of issuers of such instruments to determine whether the Fund should continue to hold the investments.
20
The absence of an active secondary market for certain variable and floating rate notes could
make it difficult to dispose of the instruments, and the Fund could suffer a loss if the issuer defaults or during periods in which the Fund is not entitled to exercise its demand rights.
Variable and floating rate instruments held by the Fund will be subject to the Funds limitation on investments in illiquid
securities when a reliable trading market for the instruments does not exist and the Fund may not demand payment of the principal amount of such instruments within seven days.
Risks Associated with Low-Rated and Comparable Unrated Debt Securities (Junk Bonds)
Low-rated and comparable unrated securities, while generally offering higher yields than
investment-grade securities with similar maturities, involve greater risks, including the possibility of default or bankruptcy. They are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuers capacity to pay interest and repay
principal. The Funds may also purchase low rated and comparable unrated securities which are in default when purchased. The special risk considerations in connection with such investments are discussed below. See the Appendix of this Statement of
Additional Information for a discussion of securities ratings.
The low-rated and comparable unrated securities market is
relatively new, and its growth paralleled a long economic expansion. As a result, it is not clear how this market may withstand a prolonged recession or economic downturn. Such a prolonged economic downturn could severely disrupt the market for and
adversely affect the value of such securities.
All interest-bearing securities typically experience appreciation when
interest rates decline and depreciation when interest rates rise. The market values of low-rated and comparable unrated securities tend to reflect individual corporate developments to a greater extent than do higher-rated securities, which react
primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates. Low-rated and comparable unrated securities also tend to be more sensitive to economic conditions than are higher-rated securities. As a result, they generally involve more credit
risks than securities in the higher-rated categories. During an economic downturn or a sustained period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers of low-rated and comparable unrated securities may experience financial stress and may not
have sufficient revenues to meet their payment obligations. The issuers ability to service its debt obligations may also be adversely affected by specific corporate developments, the issuers inability to meet specific projected business
forecasts, or the unavailability of additional financing. The risk of loss due to default by an issuer of low-rated and comparable unrated securities is significantly greater than issuers of higher-rated securities because such securities are
generally unsecured and are often subordinated to other creditors. Further, if the issuer of a low-rated and comparable unrated security defaulted, the Fund might incur additional expenses to seek recovery. Periods of economic uncertainty and
changes would also generally result in increased volatility in the market prices of low-rated and comparable unrated securities and thus in the Funds NAV.
As previously stated, the value of such a security will decrease in a rising interest rate market and accordingly, so will the Funds NAV. If the Fund experiences unexpected net redemptions in such a
market, it may be forced to liquidate a portion of its portfolio securities without regard to their investment merits. Due to the limited liquidity of high-yield securities (discussed below) the Fund may be forced to liquidate these securities at a
substantial discount. Any such liquidation would reduce the Funds asset base over which expenses could be allocated and could result in a reduced rate of return for the Fund.
Low-rated and comparable unrated securities typically contain redemption, call, or prepayment provisions which permit the issuer of such
securities containing such provisions to, at their discretion, redeem the securities. During periods of falling interest rates, issuers of high-yield securities are likely to redeem or prepay the securities and refinance them with debt securities
with a lower interest rate. To the extent an issuer is able to refinance the securities or otherwise redeem them, the Fund may have to replace the securities with a lower-yielding security, which would result in a lower return for the Fund.
Credit ratings issued by credit-rating agencies evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments of rated securities.
They do not, however, evaluate the market value risk of low-rated and comparable unrated securities and, therefore, may not fully reflect the true risks of an investment. In addition, credit-rating agencies may or may not make timely changes in a
rating to reflect changes in the economy or in the condition of the issuer that affect the market value of the security. Consequently, credit ratings are used only as a preliminary indicator of investment quality. Investments in low-rated and
comparable unrated securities will be more dependent on the Investment Managers credit analysis than would be the case with investments in investment-grade debt securities. The Investment Manager employs its own credit research and analysis,
which includes a study of existing debt, capital structure, ability to service debt and to pay dividends, the issuers
21
sensitivity to economic conditions, its operating history, and the current trend of earnings. The Investment Manager continually monitors the investments in the Funds portfolio and
carefully evaluates whether to dispose of or to retain low-rated and comparable unrated securities whose credit ratings or credit quality may have changed.
The Fund may have difficulty disposing of certain low-rated and comparable unrated securities because there may be a thin trading market for such securities. Because not all dealers maintain markets in
all low-rated and comparable unrated securities, there is no established retail secondary market for many of these securities. The Fund anticipates that such securities could be sold only to a limited number of dealers or institutional investors. To
the extent a secondary trading market does exist, it is generally not as liquid as the secondary market for higher-rated securities. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse impact on the market price of the security. As a result,
the Funds asset value and the Funds ability to dispose of particular securities, when necessary to meet the Funds liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event, may be impacted. The lack of a liquid secondary market
for certain securities may also make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing the Fund. Market quotations are generally available on many low-rated and comparable unrated issues only from a limited
number of dealers and may not necessarily represent firm bids of such dealers or prices for actual sales. During periods of thin trading, the spread between bid and asked prices is likely to increase significantly. In addition, adverse publicity and
investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of low-rated and comparable unrated securities, especially in a thinly-traded market.
Legislation has been adopted, and from time to time, proposals have been discussed regarding new legislation designed to limit the use of
certain low-rated and comparable unrated securities by certain issuers. An example of such legislation is a law which requires federally insured savings and loan associations to divest their investment in these securities over time. New legislation
could further reduce the market because such legislation, generally, could negatively affect the financial condition of the issuers of high-yield securities and could adversely affect the market in general. It is not currently possible to determine
the impact of the recent legislation on this market. However, it is anticipated that if additional legislation is enacted or proposed, it could have a material effect on the value of low-rated and comparable unrated securities and the existence of a
secondary trading market for the securities
Liquidity
Investments are subject to liquidity risk when they are difficult to
purchase or sell. Investments in illiquid securities may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may be unable to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price.
Management
The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. The Investment Manager and each individual portfolio manager will apply
investment techniques and risk analysis in making decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results. Additionally, legislative, regulatory or tax developments may affect the investment
techniques available to the Investment Manager and each individual portfolio manager in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objectives.
I
NVESTMENT
R
E
STRICTIONS
The Fund operates within certain
fundamental policies. These fundamental policies may not be changed without the approval of the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the Funds shares present at a meeting of shareholders if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares
of the Fund are present or represented by proxy or (2) more than 50% of the Funds outstanding voting shares. Other restrictions in the form of operating policies are subject to change by the Funds Board of Directors without
shareholder approval. If a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of an investment or transaction, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from changing values of portfolio securities or amount of total assets will not be
considered a violation of any of the following limitations, except with respect to the borrowing limitation. With regard to the borrowing limitation, the Fund will comply with the applicable restrictions of Section 18 of the 1940 Act. Any
investment restrictions (with the exception of Operating Policy 1 as set forth below) that involve a maximum percentage of securities or assets shall not be considered to be violated unless an excess over percentage occurs immediately after, and is
cause by, an acquisition of securities or assets of, or borrowings by, the Fund. Calculation of the Funds total assets for compliance with any of the following fundamental or operating policies or any other investment restrictions set forth in
the Funds prospectus or Statement of Additional Information will not include cash collateral held in connection with the Funds securities lending activities.
22
Fundamental Policies
The fundamental policies of the Fund are:
|
1.
|
Percent Limit on Assets Invested in Any One Issuer.
Not to invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one issuer (other than obligations
of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities), provided that this limitation applies only with respect to 75% of the Funds total assets.
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|
2.
|
Percent Limit on Share Ownership of Any One Issuer.
Not to purchase a security if, as a result, with respect to 75% of the value of the Funds total assets,
more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any issuer would be held by the Fund (other than obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities).
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|
3.
|
Underwriting.
Not to act as underwriter of securities issued by others, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of
the 1933 Act in the disposition of restricted securities.
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|
4.
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Industry Concentration.
Not to invest in an amount equal to 25% or more of the Funds total assets in a particular industry (other than securities of the
U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities).
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|
5.
|
Real Estate.
Not to purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund
from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).
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|
6.
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Commodities.
Not to purchase or sell physical commodities, except that the Fund may enter into futures contracts and options thereon.
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|
7.
|
Loans.
Not to lend any security or make any other loan if, as a result, more than 33
1
/
3
% of the Funds total assets would be lent to other parties, except (i) through the purchase of a portion of an issue of debt securities in accordance with its investment objectives and policies
or (ii) by engaging in repurchase agreements with respect to portfolio securities.
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|
8.
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Borrowing.
Not to borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to
time.
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|
9.
|
Senior Securities.
Not to issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having
jurisdiction, from time to time. (A senior security generally is an obligation of the Fund that has a claim to the Funds assets or earnings that takes precedence over the claims of the Funds shareholders.)
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For the purposes of Fundamental Policies two and four above, each governmental subdivision, i.e., state,
territory, possession of the United States or any political subdivision of any of the foregoing, including agencies, authorities, instrumentalities, or similar entities, or of the District of Columbia shall be considered a separate issuer if its
assets and revenues are separate from those of the governmental body creating it and the security is backed only by its own assets and revenues. In the case of an industrial development bond, if the security is backed only by the assets and revenues
of a non-governmental user, then such non-governmental user will be deemed to be the sole issuer. If an industrial development bond or government issued security is guaranteed by a governmental or other entity, such guarantee would be considered a
separate security issued by the guarantor.
For the purpose of Fundamental Policy four, industries are determined by reference
to the classifications of industries set forth in the Funds semiannual and annual reports.
For the purpose of
Fundamental Policy eight, if at any time the amount of total Fund assets less all liabilities and indebtedness (but not including the Funds borrowings) (asset coverage) is less than an amount equal to 300% of any such borrowings,
the Fund will reduce its borrowings within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulations so that such asset coverage is again equal to 300% or more.
For the purposes of Fundamental Policies eight and nine, the term as permitted under the 1940 Act indicates that, unless
otherwise limited by non-fundamental policies, the Fund can borrow and issue senior securities to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and interpretations thereof, and that no further action generally would be needed to conform the borrowing and
senior securities policies of the Fund to future change in the 1940 Act and interpretations thereof. Pursuant to the provisions of the 1940 Act and interpretations thereof, the Fund is permitted to borrow from banks and may also enter into certain
transactions that are economically equivalent to borrowing. Under the 1940 Act and interpretations thereof, a borrowing transaction will not be considered to constitute the issuance of a senior security by the Fund, and therefore such
transaction will not be subject to the limitations otherwise applicable to borrowings by the Fund, if the Fund: (1) maintains an offsetting financial position; (2) maintains liquid assets equal (as determined on a daily marked-to-market
basis) in value to the Funds potential economic exposure under the borrowing transaction; or (3) otherwise covers the transaction in accordance with applicable SEC guidance.
23
Operating Policy
The operating policy (
i.e.
, that which
is non-fundamental) of the Fund is:
|
1.
|
Liquidity.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, which are securities that may not be sold or disposed of in the ordinary
course of business within seven days at approximately the value at which the Fund was valuing the security.
|
Under normal
circumstances, the Fund will not hold more than 15% of its assets in illiquid securities; however, if securities that were liquid at the time of purchase subsequently become illiquid and result in the Fund holding illiquid securities in excess of
15% of its net assets, the Fund will no longer purchase additional illiquid securities and may reduce its holdings of illiquid securities in an orderly manner, but it is not required to dispose of illiquid holdings immediately if it is not in the
interest of the Fund.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
It is the policy of the Fund to protect the confidentiality of its holdings and prevent the selective disclosure of non-public information
about its portfolio holdings. The Funds service providers, to which the Fund may disclose non-public information about portfolio holdings, are required to comply with this policy. No information concerning the portfolio holdings of the Fund
may be disclosed to any unaffiliated third party, except as provided below. The policy does not require a delay between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed; however, recipients of non-public information
will be subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or other restrictions on the use and dissemination of non-public portfolio holdings information as described in more detail below. The Board has adopted formal procedures governing compliance with
this policy.
The Fund or its duly authorized service providers may publicly disclose holdings of the Fund in accordance with
regulatory requirements, such as periodic portfolio disclosure in filings with the SEC. A summary or list of the Funds completed purchases and sales may be made available only after the public disclosure of its portfolio holdings.
The Fund publishes a complete list of its month-end portfolio holdings on its website at www.guggenheiminvestments.com generally within
one to two days after the end of each following calendar month. Such information will remain online for four months, or as required by law. The day following such publication, the information is deemed to be publicly disclosed for the purposes of
the policies and procedures adopted by the Fund. The Fund may then forward the information to investors, consultants and others at their request.
Numerous mutual fund evaluation services such as Standard & Poors, Morningstar or Lipper, and due diligence departments of broker/dealers and wirehouses regularly analyze the portfolio
holdings of mutual funds in order to monitor and report on various attributes, including style, capitalization, maturity, yield, beta, etc. These services and departments then distribute the results of their analysis to the public, paid subscribers
and/or in-house brokers. In order to facilitate the review of the Fund by these services and departments, the Fund may at any time as deemed necessary, consistent with its policies and procedures, distribute (or authorize its service providers to
distribute) the Funds securities holdings to such services and departments before their public disclosure is required or authorized, provided that: (1) the recipient does not distribute the portfolio holdings to third parties, other
departments, or persons who are likely to use the information for purposes of purchasing or selling the Fund (or any other fund that invests in the Fund) before the portfolio holdings become public information, and (2) the recipient signs a
written confidentiality agreement, which includes provisions that require the recipient to limit access to such information only to its employees who are subject to a duty not to trade on non-public information. Persons and entities unwilling to
execute an acceptable confidentiality agreement may only receive portfolio holdings information that has otherwise been publicly disclosed.
The Fund also may disclose portfolio holdings information on an ongoing basis to certain service providers of the Fund and others, who either by agreement or because of their respective duties to the Fund
are required to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed. The Funds service providers and others who generally are provided such information in the performance of their contractual duties and responsibilities may include the
Funds custodians, Investment Manager, administrators, independent registered public accountants, attorneys, officers and directors, and each of their respective affiliates. At this time, portfolio holdings information is shared as follows:
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|
|
|
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Individual/Entity
|
|
Frequency
|
|
Time Lag
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Morningstar
|
|
Monthly
|
|
1-10 calendar days
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Lipper
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Monthly
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|
1-10 calendar days
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Bloomberg
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Monthly
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|
1-10 calendar days
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Thompson Financial
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Quarterly
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|
1-10 calendar days
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Standard & Poors
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Quarterly
|
|
1-10 calendar days
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Vickers Stock Research
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|
Quarterly
|
|
1-10 calendar days
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Institutional Shareholder Services
|
|
Weekly
|
|
1-5 business days
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24
In addition, the following entities receive this information on a daily basis: Factset (an
analytical system used for portfolio attribution and performance); State Street Bank and Trust Company (the Funds custodian bank); Interactive Data and Loan Pricing Corporation (the Funds pricing services); and InvestOne (Sungard) (the
Funds accounting system).
Neither the Fund nor its service providers receive any compensation from such services and
departments. Subject to such departures as the Funds chief compliance officer (CCO) believes reasonable and consistent with protecting the confidentiality of the Funds portfolio information, each confidentiality agreement
should generally provide that, among other things: the portfolio information is the confidential property of the Fund (and its service providers, if applicable) and may not be shared or used directly or indirectly for any purpose except as expressly
provided in the confidentiality agreement; the recipient of the portfolio information agrees to limit access to the portfolio information to its employees (and agents) who, on a need to know basis, are (1) authorized to have access to the
portfolio information and (2) subject to confidentiality obligations, including duties not to trade on non-public information, no less restrictive than the confidentiality obligations contained in the confidentiality agreement, and upon written
request, the recipient agrees to promptly return or destroy, as directed, the portfolio information.
Only the Board or CCO
may authorize disclosure of the Funds securities holdings. In addition to the Board, the CCO may, on a case-by-case basis, impose additional restrictions on the dissemination of portfolio information and waive certain requirements. To the
extent required by law, the CCO reports to the Board any violations of the Funds policies and procedures on disclosure of portfolio holdings.
Any disclosure of the Funds securities holdings must serve a legitimate business purpose of the Fund and must be in the best interest of the Funds shareholders. In making such a determination,
the CCO must conclude that the anticipated benefits and risks to the Fund and its shareholders justify the purpose of the disclosure. A further determination must be made to ensure that any conflicts of interest between the Fund, its shareholders,
and any third party are resolved prior to disclosure. The Fund reserves the right to request certifications from senior officers of authorized recipients that the recipient is using the portfolio holdings information only in a manner consistent with
the Funds policy and any applicable confidentiality agreement. Neither the Fund nor the Investment Manager receive any compensation or other consideration in connection with these arrangements.
As an oversight procedure, the CCO reports all arrangements to disclose portfolio holdings information to the Funds Board of
Directors on a periodic basis. If the Board determines that any such arrangement is or would be inappropriate, the Fund will promptly terminate the disclosure arrangement.
M
ANAGEMENT
OF
THE
F
UND
Board
Responsibilities
The management and affairs of Security Equity Fund are overseen by its Board of Directors under the laws of the State of Kansas and the 1940 Act. The Board is responsible for overseeing the management and affairs of
the Fund. The Board has considered and approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential management and administrative services to Security Equity Fund. The day-to-day business of the Fund, including the
day-to-day management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, primarily the Investment Manager and Guggenheim Distributors, LLC, (formerly known as Rydex Distributors, LLC) (the Distributor). The Board is responsible for
overseeing the Funds service providers and, thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to the risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and mitigate the potential effects of risks, i.e.,
events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund. The Board oversees the risk management of the Funds operations, in part, by
requesting periodic reports from and otherwise communicating with various personnel of the Fund and its service providers, including in particular the Funds Chief Compliance Officer, and its independent accountants. The Board and, with respect
to identified risks that relate to its purpose, the Audit Committee, oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Fund may be exposed.
25
Under the oversight of the Board, the service providers to the Fund employ a variety of
processes, procedures and controls to identify risks relevant to the operations of the Fund and to lessen the probability of the occurrence of such risks and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service
provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the business of the Fund and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that activity.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear
certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to seek to achieve the Funds investment objective, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, despite the
periodic reports the Board receives, it may not be made aware of all of the relevant information of a particular risk. Most of the Funds investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Investment Manager,
Distributor and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management, which interest could differ from or conflict with that of other funds that are advised by the Investment Manager. As a result of the foregoing and
other factors, the Boards risk management oversight is subject to limitations.
Directors and
Officers
The Board of Directors of Security Equity Fund is composed of persons experienced in financial matters who meet throughout the year to oversee the activities of the Fund. In addition, the Directors review contractual
arrangements with companies that provide services to the Fund and review the Funds performance. The Directors and officers of the Fund and their principal occupations for at least the last five years are listed below. The Directors have
various experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills that allow the Board to operate effectively in governing the Fund and in protecting the interests of shareholders. Each Director has considerable familiarity with the Fund, its adviser and
distributor, and its operations, as well as the special responsibilities of investment company directors as a result of his or her substantial service as a Director of the Fund. The following is a brief discussion of the specific experience, skills,
attributes, and qualifications of each Director, which in each case led to the Boards conclusion that the Director should serve (or continue to serve) as a Director of the Fund. References to the qualifications, attributes and skills of
Directors are pursuant to requirements of the SEC, do not constitute holding out of the Board or any Director as having special expertise and shall not impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board by reason
thereof.
Donald C. Cacciapaglia.
Mr. Cacciapaglia has served as a Director since 2012. Mr. Cacciapaglia has
nearly 40 years of experience in the investment banking and financial services industries. Mr. Cacciapaglia is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Guggenheim Investments. Prior to 2010, Mr. Cacciapaglia served as Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer of Channel Capital Group, Inc., and its subsidiary broker-dealer Channel Capital Group LLC, a Guggenheim affiliated company. From 1996 until 2002, when he joined Chanel Capital Group, Mr. Cacciapaglia held the position
of Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Investment Banking Group at PaineWebber. Before that, Mr. Cacciapaglia was Chief Operating Officer of the Short and Intermediate Trading Group at CS First Boston from 1995 to
1996. From 1977 to 1995, he held numerous positions at Merrill Lynch & Co., and was a Senior Analyst with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York from 1973 to 1977.
Donald A. Chubb, Jr.
Mr. Chubb has served as a Director since 1994, as Chair of the Nominating Committee since 2005 and as Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2012. Mr. Chubb also
served as Lead Independent Director from 2010 to 2012. Mr. Chubb has worked in the business brokerage and commercial real estate market for over 13 years. Prior he owned and operated electric sign companies and was a director of Fidelity Bank
and Trust.
Harry W. Craig, Jr.
Mr. Craig has served as a Director since 2004 and as Chair of the Contract Renewal
Committee since 2005. Mr. Craig is the retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Martin Tractor Company, Inc., a Caterpillar Dealership. Mr. Craig is currently the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of The Craig Group,
Inc. He is also the Managing Member of Craig Family Investments, LLC. Mr. Craig was Trustee and Treasurer of Sunflower Foundation: Health Care for Kansans for eight years. Mr. Craig is a director, finance committee member, and past
Chairman on the board of Stormont-Vail HealthCare. Mr. Craig practiced as a lawyer prior to his business career.
Penny A. Lumpkin
. Ms. Lumpkin has served as a Director since 1993 and as Chair of the Audit Committee since 1995.
Ms. Lumpkin has experience with various business and real estate ventures, currently as Partner of Vivians Gift Shop (corporate retail), Vice President, Palmer Companies, Inc. (small business and shopping center development) and Senior
Vice President, PLB (real estate equipment leasing).
26
Maynard F. Oliverius
. Mr. Oliverius has served as a Director since 1998.
Mr. Oliverius is President and Chief Executive Officer of Stormont-Vail HealthCare. From 2005 through 2008 Mr. Oliverius was on the Board of Trustees of the American Hospital Association. Mr. Oliverius has a masters degree in Health
Care Administration.
Dr. Jerry B. Farley
. Dr. Farley has served as a Director since 2005.
Dr. Farley has over 38 years of experience in the administration of the academic, business and fiscal operations of educational institutions. Dr. Farley has served as President of Washburn University since 1997. Prior to 1997,
Dr. Farley worked in various executive positions for the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, including Vice President of Community Relations and Economic Development, Vice President of Administration and Chief Financial
Officer. Dr. Farley holds an MBA and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and is a C.P.A. Dr. Farley serves on the board of Westar Energy, Inc., a NYSE listed company, and CoreFirst Bank and Trust.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Donald A. Chubb, Jr., is not an interested person, as that term is defined by the
1940 Act, of the Fund. The Board has determined that the leadership structure of the Fund is appropriate, given its specific characteristics and circumstances; in particular, the Board has considered that the Independent Directors constitute a
substantial majority of the Board and are advised by independent counsel experienced in 1940 Act matters. The Board also considered that the current structure and processes for developing Board meeting agendas and conducting Board meetings results
in full and constructive discussions of Fund business that focus the Directors on important issues facing the Fund.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name, Address and Age
|
|
Position(s)
held with the
Fund
|
|
Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
1
|
|
Principal Occupation(s)
during the Past 5 Years
|
|
Number of
Portfolios in
Fund
Complex
Overseen
by Director*
|
|
Other
Directorships
held by Director
|
Independent Directors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Donald A. Chubb, Jr.
One
Security Benefit Place
Topeka, KS 66636-0001
(DOB 12/14/46)
|
|
Director, Chairman of the Board, Chair of Nominating Committee
|
|
Since 1994
|
|
Current: Business broker and manager of commercial real estate, Griffith & Blair, Inc.
|
|
32
|
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Harry W. Craig, Jr.
One
Security Benefit Place
Topeka, KS 66636-0001
(DOB 5/11/39)
|
|
Director, Chair of Contract Renewal Committee
|
|
Since 2004
|
|
Current: Chairman, CEO, & Director, The Craig Group, Inc.; Managing Member of Craig Family Investments, LLC.
Prior to November 2009, Chairman, CEO, Secretary & Director, The Martin Tractor
Company, Inc.
|
|
32
|
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Penny A. Lumpkin
One Security
Benefit Place
Topeka, KS 66636-0001
(DOB 8/20/39)
|
|
Director, Chair of Audit Committee
|
|
Since 1993
|
|
Current: Partner, Vivians Gift Shop (Corporate Retail); Vice President, Palmer Companies, Inc. (Small Business and Shopping Center Development); PLB (Real Estate Equipment
Leasing).
|
|
32
|
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maynard F. Oliverius
One
Security Benefit Place
Topeka, KS 66636-0001
(DOB 12/18/43)
|
|
Director
|
|
Since 1998
|
|
Current: President and Chief Executive Officer, Stormont-Vail HealthCare.
|
|
32
|
|
None
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jerry B. Farley
One Security
Benefit Place
Topeka, KS 66636-0001
(DOB 9/20/46)
|
|
Director
|
|
Since 2005
|
|
Current: President, Washburn University.
|
|
32
|
|
Westar Energy; CoreFirst Bank & Trust
|
|
|
|
|
|
Directors who are Interested Persons
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Donald C. Cacciapaglia
2
135 East
57
th
Street, 9
th
Floor
New York, NY 10022
(DOC 7/1/51)
|
|
President, Director
|
|
Since 2012
|
|
President and CEO, Security Investors, LLC; President and Chief Administrative Officer, Guggenheim Investments. Prior to February 2010, Channel Capital Group, Inc.: Chairman and
CEO.
|
|
218
|
|
Rydex Series Funds, Rydex Dynamic Trust, Rydex
Variable Trust, and Rydex ETF Trust
|
1
|
Directors serve until the next annual meeting or their successors are duly elected and qualified.
|
2
|
This Director is deemed to be an interested person of the Fund under the 1940 Act by reason of his position with the Funds Administrator and/or the
parent of the Administrator.
|
*
|
The Fund Complex includes all closed- and open-end funds (including all of their portfolios) advised by the Investment Manager and any funds that have an investment
adviser or servicing agent that is an affiliated person of the Investment Manager.
|
27
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name, Address and Age
|
|
Position(s)
held with
the Fund
|
|
Term of
Office and
Length of
Time Served
1
|
|
Principal Occupation(s) during the Past 5
Years
|
Officers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Elisabeth Miller
One Security
Benefit Place
Topeka, KS 66636-0001
(DOB 06/06/1968)
|
|
Chief Compliance Officer
|
|
Since 2012
|
|
Current: Chief Compliance Officer, Rydex Series Funds, Rydex ETF Trust, Rydex Dynamic Funds, and Rydex Variable Trust; Chief Compliance
Officer, Security Equity Fund, Security Income Fund, Security Large Cap Value Fund, Security Mid Cap Growth Fund, and SBL Fund; Chief Compliance Officer, Security Investors, LLC; and Chief Compliance Officer, Guggenheim Distributors, LLC
Senior Manager, Security Investors, LLC and Guggenheim Distributors, LLC
(2004-2009)
|
|
|
|
|
Nikolaos Bonos
One Security
Benefit Place
Topeka, KS 66636-0001
(DOB 05/30/1963)
|
|
Treasurer
|
|
Since 2010
|
|
Current: Senior Vice President, Security Investors, LLC; Chief Executive Officer & Manager, Rydex Specialized Products, LLC; Chief
Executive Officer & President, Rydex Fund Services, LLC; Vice President, Rydex Holdings, LLC; Vice President & Treasurer, Rydex Series Funds; Rydex ETF Trust; Rydex Dynamic Funds; and Rydex Variable Trust; and Vice President, Security
Benefit Asset Management Holdings, LLC
Senior Vice President, Security
Global Investors, LLC (2010-2011); and Senior Vice President, Rydex Advisors, LLC and Rydex Advisors II, LLC
|
|
|
|
|
Joseph M. Arruda
One Security
Benefit Place
Topeka, KS 66636-0001
(DOB 09/05/1966)
|
|
Assistant Treasurer
|
|
Since 2010
|
|
Current: Vice President, Security Investors, LLC; Chief Financial Officer & Manager, Rydex Specialized Products, LLC; and Assistant
Treasurer, Rydex Series Funds; Rydex Dynamic Funds; Rydex ETF Trust; and Rydex Variable Trust
Vice President, Security Global Investors, LLC (2010-2011); and Vice President, Rydex Advisors, LLC and Rydex Advisors II, LLC (2010)
|
|
|
|
|
Amy J. Lee
One Security
Benefit Place
Topeka, KS 66636-0001
(DOB 6/5/61)
|
|
Secretary and Vice President
|
|
Since 1987 (Secretary)
Since 2007
(Vice President)
|
|
Current: Senior Vice President & Secretary, Security Investors, LLC; Secretary & Chief Compliance Officer, Security
Distributors, Inc.; Vice President, Associate General Counsel & Assistant Secretary, Security Benefit Life Insurance Company and Security Benefit Corporation; Associate General Counsel, First Security Benefit Life Insurance and Annuity of New
York; Vice President & Assistant Secretary, Rydex Series Funds, Rydex ETF Trust, Rydex Dynamic Funds, and Rydex Variable Trust; Vice President & Secretary, Rydex Holdings, LLC Secretary, Advisor Research Center, Inc., Rydex Specialized
Products, LLC, Guggenheim Distributors, LLC and Rydex Fund Services, LLC; and Assistant Secretary, Security Benefit Clinic and Hospital
Senior Vice President & Secretary, Security Global Investors, LLC (2007-2011); Senior Vice President & Secretary, Rydex Advisors, LLC and Rydex
Advisors II, LLC (2010); and Director, Brecek & Young Advisors, Inc. (2004-2008)
|
|
|
|
|
Mark A. Mitchell
One Security
Benefit Place
Topeka, KS 66636-0001
(DOB 8/24/64)
|
|
Vice President
|
|
Since 2003
|
|
Current: Portfolio Manager, Security Investors, LLC
Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Security Benefit Life Insurance Company (2003-2010)
|
|
|
|
|
James P. Schier
One Security
Benefit Place
Topeka, KS 66636-0001
(DOB 12/28/57)
|
|
Vice President
|
|
Since 1998
|
|
Current: Senior Portfolio Manager, Security Investors, LLC
Vice President & Senior Portfolio Manager, Security Benefit Life Insurance Company (1998-2010)
|
1
|
Officers serve until the next annual meeting or their successors are duly elected and qualified.
|
28
C
OMMITTEES
Audit
Committee
The Board of Directors has an Audit Committee, the purpose of which is to meet with the independent registered public accountants, to review the work of the auditors, and to oversee the handling by the Investment Manager of
the accounting functions for Security Equity Fund. The Audit Committee consists of the following Independent Directors: Messrs. Chubb, Craig, Farley and Oliverius and Ms. Lumpkin. The Audit Committee held two meetings during the fiscal
year ended September 30, 2012.
Contract Renewal Committee
The Board of Directors has a
Contract Renewal Committee, the purpose of which is to meet in advance of the annual contract renewal meeting and review relevant information before voting on whether to renew Security Equity Funds investment advisory agreements. The Committee
also considers whether additional information should be requested from management in connection with the annual review of the Funds advisory agreements. The Contract Renewal Committee consists of the following Independent Directors: Messrs.
Craig, Chubb, Farley and Oliverius and Ms. Lumpkin. The Committee met once during the fiscal year ended September
30, 2012.
Nominating Committee
The Board of Directors has established a Nominating Committee for
the purpose of considering and presenting to the Board candidates it proposes for nomination to fill independent director vacancies on the Board. Specific qualifications of candidates for Board membership will be based on the needs of the Board at
the time of nomination. The Nominating Committee is willing to consider nominations received from shareholders and shall assess shareholder nominees in the same manner as it reviews its own nominees. A shareholder nominee for Director should be
submitted in writing to Security Equity Funds Secretary. Any such shareholder nomination should include, at a minimum, the following information as to each individual proposed for nominations as Director: such individuals written consent
to be named in the proxy statement as a nominee (if nominated) and to serve as a Director (if elected) and all information relating to such individual that is required to be disclosed in the solicitation of proxies for election of Directors, or is
otherwise required, in each case under applicable federal securities laws, rules and regulations. The Nominating Committee consists of Messrs. Chubb and Oliverius and Ms. Lumpkin. The Nominating Committee held no meetings during the fiscal
year ended September 30, 2012.
R
EMUNERATION
OF
D
IRECTORS
AND
O
THERS
The Independent Directors of the Fund receive from the Family of Funds an annual retainer of $50,000 and a fee of $6,000 per meeting, plus reasonable travel costs, for each meeting of the board attended.
Mr. Chubb, the Lead Independent Director of the Fund, will receive an additional annual retainer of $5,000. In addition, the Independent Directors of the Fund will receive $8,000 per meeting of the Audit Committee and $3,500 per meeting of any
other Board committee, plus reasonable travel costs, for each Board committee meeting attended. An amount of $2,500 will be paid to Independent Directors who participate in a telephone board meeting for which there is an agenda, minutes, and a
duration of one hour or more. The Fund pays proportionately its respective share of Independent Directors fees and expenses based on relative net assets.
The Investment Manager compensates its officers and directors who may also serve as officers or directors of Security Equity Fund. The Fund does not pay any fees to, or reimburse expenses of, directors
who are considered interested persons of Security Equity Fund. The aggregate compensation paid by Security Equity Fund to each of the directors during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2012, and the aggregate compensation paid to
each of the independent directors during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2012 by the Family of Funds, are set forth below. Each of the directors is a director of each of the other registered investment companies in the Family of Funds, as
defined on page 65 of this Statement of Additional Information.
29
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Compensation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pension or Retirement
|
|
|
Estimated Annual
|
|
|
from the Family of
|
|
Names of Independent
|
|
Aggregate Compensation
|
|
|
Benefits Accrued as Part of
|
|
|
Benefits Upon
|
|
|
Funds, Including the
|
|
Directors of the Fund
|
|
Security Equity Fund
|
|
|
Fund Expenses
|
|
|
Retirement
|
|
|
Fund
|
|
Donald A. Chubb, Jr.
|
|
|
$47,927.73
|
|
|
|
$0
|
|
|
|
$0
|
|
|
|
$103,500.00
|
|
Harry W. Craig, Jr.
|
|
|
41,907.83
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
93,000.00
|
|
Penny A. Lumpkin
|
|
|
43,065.50
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
90,500.00
|
|
Maynard F. Oliverius
|
|
|
43,065.50
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
93,000.00
|
|
Jerry B. Farley
|
|
|
43,065.50
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
93,000.00
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Compensation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pension or Retirement
|
|
|
Estimated Annual
|
|
|
from the Family of
|
|
Names of Directors who are
|
|
Aggregate Compensation
|
|
|
Benefits Accrued as Part of
|
|
|
Benefits Upon
|
|
|
Funds, Including the
|
|
Interested Persons of the Fund
|
|
Security Equity Fund
|
|
|
Fund Expenses
|
|
|
Retirement
|
|
|
Fund
|
|
Richard M. Goldman
1
|
|
|
$0
|
|
|
|
$0
|
|
|
|
$0
|
|
|
|
$0
|
|
Donald C. Cacciapaglia
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
1
|
Mr. Goldman is no longer a Director, effective as of April 16, 2012.
|
P
RINCIPAL
H
OLDERS
OF
S
ECURITIES
[On [
], 2013, the Funds officers and directors (as a group) beneficially owned less than 1% of the total outstanding shares of any class of the Fund.]
[As of [
], 2013, the following entities owned, of record and beneficially unless
otherwise indicated, 5% or more of a class of the Funds outstanding securities]:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name of Shareholder
|
|
Class Owned
|
|
Percentage Owned
|
|
SECURITY FINANCIAL RESOURCES
5801 SW 6TH AVE
TOPEKA KS
66636-1000
|
|
Class A
|
|
|
[54.89
|
]
|
SECURITY BENEFIT CORP RET PROGRAMS
ONE SECURITY BENEFIT PL
TOPEKA KS 66636-1000
|
|
Class C
|
|
|
[17.31
|
]
|
SBL VARIABLE ANNUITY ACCOUNT XIV, SECURITY BENEFIT LIFE INSURANCE CO
5801 SW 6TH AVE
TOPEKA KS 66636-1000
|
|
Class A
|
|
|
[8.46
|
]
|
SECURITY BENEFIT CORPORATION
ONE SECURITY BENEFIT PL
TOPEKA KS
66636-1000
|
|
Institutional Class
|
|
|
[88.55
|
]
|
30
D
IRECTORS
O
WNERSHIP
OF
S
ECURITIES
As of December 31, 2012, the Directors of the Fund beneficially owned shares of the Fund in
the dollar ranges set forth below and also beneficially owned shares of other mutual funds in the family of mutual funds overseen by the Directors in the dollar ranges set forth below:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name of Independent Director
|
|
Name of Fund
|
|
Dollar Range
of Equity Securities
in Fund
|
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in all
Registered Investment
Companies Overseen by
Director in Family of
Investment Companies
|
Donald A. Chubb, Jr.
|
|
Security Equity Fund, World Equity Income Fund
|
|
$10,001-50,000
|
|
Over $100,000
|
Harry W. Craig, Jr.
|
|
Security Equity Fund, World Equity Income Fund
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
Penny A. Lumpkin
|
|
Security Equity Fund, World Equity Income Fund
|
|
$10,001-50,000
|
|
Over $100,000
|
Maynard F. Oliverius
|
|
Security Equity Fund, World Equity Income Fund
|
|
None
|
|
Over $100,000
|
Jerry B. Farley
|
|
Security Equity Fund, World Equity Income Fund
|
|
$50,001-100,000
|
|
Over $100,000
|
31
The following director, an interested person of the Fund, beneficially owned
shares of the Fund in the dollar ranges set forth below and also beneficially owned shares of other mutual funds in the family of mutual funds overseen by the directors in the dollar ranges set forth below:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name of Interested Director
|
|
Name of Fund
|
|
Dollar Range
of Equity Securities
in Fund
|
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in all
Registered Investment
Companies Overseen
by
Director in Family of
Investment Companies
|
Donald C. Cacciapaglia
|
|
Security Equity Fund, World Equity Income Fund
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
32
H
OW
TO
P
URCHASE
S
HARES
Investors may purchase shares of the Fund through broker/dealers, banks, and other financial
intermediaries that have an agreement with the Distributor, or with Rydex Fund Services, LLC (the Transfer Agent). The minimum initial investment is $100 with respect to Class A and C shares. The minimum subsequent investment for
Class A and C shares is $100 except for subsequent investments made via Automated Clearing House (ACH). An application may be obtained from the Transfer Agent.
Effective January 4, 2010, the Fund no longer accepts subscriptions for shares from either existing shareholders or from new
shareholders in Class B shares, although such shareholders who have chosen to reinvest their Class B shares dividends and capital gains may continue to reinvest such dividends and capital gains into Class B shares
(reinvestment shares) and these reinvestment shares will be redeemed or rolled into Class A shares along with the Class B shares from which the dividend or capital gains were derived.
The Fund offers Institutional Class shares, which are offered primarily for direct investment by institutions such as pension and profit
sharing plans, employee benefit trusts, endowments, foundations and corporations. Institutional Class shares may also be offered through certain authorized financial intermediaries that charge their customers transaction or other fees with respect
to their customers investments in the Fund. Institutional Class shares of the Fund may also be offered to directors and officers of the Fund or any other mutual funds managed by the Investment Manager or one or more of its affiliates, and
directors, officers and employees of the Fund Investment Manager or Distributor, and their affiliates (Guggenheim Directors, Officers and Employees). The minimum initial investment for Institutional Class shares is $2 million. The
minimum initial investment amount is waived for Guggenheim Directors, Officers and Employees, and the Fund, at their discretion, may waive the minimum investment amount for other investors.
Orders for the purchase of shares of the Fund will be confirmed at an offering price equal to the NAV per share next determined after
receipt and acceptance of the order in proper form by the Transfer Agent or the Distributor, generally as of the close of the NYSE on that day, plus the sales charge in the case of Class A shares. Orders received by financial intermediaries
prior to the close of the NYSE and received by the Distributor or Transfer Agent prior to the close of that business day will be confirmed at the offering price effective as of the close of the NYSE on that day. Dealers and other financial services
firms are obligated to transmit orders promptly. In addition, pursuant to contractual arrangements with the Distributor or Transfer Agent, orders received by a financial intermediary prior to the close of the NYSE may be sent on the next following
business day and receive the previous days price. Purchase orders by a fund of funds for which the Investment Manager or an affiliate serves as investment manager will be treated as received by the Fund at the same time that the corresponding
purchase orders are received in proper form by the fund of funds and accepted.
The Fund offers you the option to submit
purchase orders through your financial intermediary or send purchase orders by mail and send purchase proceeds by check, wire transfers or ACH. Purchases may also be made online; please visit www.guggenheiminvestments.com for more information. The
Fund does not accept cash or cash equivalents (such as travelers checks, money orders or bearer bonds), government checks, third-party checks, starter checks or checks drawn on a line of credit (including credit card convenience checks),
cashiers checks, and bank checks. The Fund reserves the right to refuse other payment instruments if, in the sole discretion of Fund management, it is deemed to be in the best interests of the Fund. Retirement contributions will be coded for
the year in which they are received unless otherwise instructed in writing at the time of contribution.
The Fund reserves the
right to withdraw all or any part of the offering made by this prospectus and to reject purchase orders. If you do not specify which fund(s) in the Family of Funds you want to purchase, your investment will be credited to the Rydex U.S. Government
Money Market Fund which is offered in a separate prospectus.
As a convenience to investors and to save operating expenses,
the Fund does not issue certificates for Fund shares.
Cancelled Purchase Orders
The Transfer
Agent will ordinarily cancel your purchase order under the following circumstances:
|
|
|
If your bank does not honor your check for any reason
|
|
|
|
If the Transfer Agent does not receive your wire transfer
|
|
|
|
If the Transfer Agent does not receive your ACH transfer
|
|
|
|
If your bank does not honor your ACH transfer
|
33
If your purchase order is cancelled for any of these reasons, you will not be entitled to
benefit from any increase in NAV that the Fund may have experienced from the time of your order to the time of its cancellation. In addition, if the Fund NAV decreases in value from the time of your order to the time of its cancellation, the Fund
will hold you liable for any losses that it incurs as a result of your cancelled order.
A $50 returned check fee may be
imposed on purchase checks returned for insufficient funds.
To obtain same day credit (to get that business days NAV)
for your wire purchase order, you should call the Transfer Agent and provide the following information prior to the cutoff time for the fund you are purchasing:
|
|
|
Fed wire reference number
|
You will receive a confirmation number to verify that your purchase order has been accepted.
If you do not notify the Transfer Agent of the incoming wire, your purchase order may not be processed until the next business day following the receipt of the wire.
Alternative Purchase Options
As explained above, the Fund offers four classes of shares described below:
Cl
a
ss A Shares
Front-End Load Option
. Class A shares
are sold with a sales charge at the time of purchase. Class A shares are not subject to a sales charge when they are redeemed (except that shares sold in an amount of $1,000,000 or more without a front-end sales charge will be subject to a
contingent deferred sales charge of up to 1% in the event of a redemption within one year of the purchase).
Class B Shares
Back-End Load Option
. Effective January 4, 2010, Class B shares were no longer open for new subscriptions of shares although such shareholders who have chosen to reinvest their Class B
shares dividends and capital gains may continue to reinvest such dividends and capital gains into Class B shares (reinvestment shares), and these reinvestment shares will be redeemed or rolled into Class A shares along
with the Class B shares from which the dividend or capital gains were derived.
Class B shares are subject to a
deferred sales charge if they are redeemed within five years of the date of purchase. Class B shares will automatically convert to Class A shares at the end of eight years after purchase.
Class C Shares
. Class C shares are sold without a sales charge at the time of purchase, but
are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge if they are redeemed within one year of the date of purchase.
Class C Shares Level Load Option
. If your intermediary has entered into an agreement to forego receipt of an
initial 1.00% sales commission, the Distributor will waive any applicable deferred sales charge when you redeem your Class C shares.
Institutional Class Shares
. Institutional Class shares are sold without a sales charge at the time of purchase and are not subject to a contingent deferred sales charge.
Class A Shares
Class A shares are offered at NAV plus an initial sales charge as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amount of Purchase at Offering Price
|
|
Sales Charge
|
|
Percentage of Offering
Price
|
|
Percentage of Net
Amount Invested
|
|
Percentage
Reallowable to
Dealers
|
Less than $100,000
|
|
4.75%
|
|
4.99%
|
|
4.00%
|
$100,000 but less than $250,000
|
|
3.75
|
|
3.90
|
|
3.00
|
$250,000 but less than $500,000
|
|
2.75
|
|
2.83
|
|
2.25
|
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000
|
|
2.00
|
|
2.04
|
|
1.75
|
34
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amount of Purchase at Offering Price
|
|
Sales Charge
|
|
|
Percentage of Offering
Price
|
|
Percentage of Net
Amount Invested
|
|
Percentage
Reallowable to
Dealers
|
$1,000,000 and over
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
(See Below)
|
*
|
For investments of $1 million or more, Class A shares are sold at NAV, without any up-front sales charge. However, a 1% CDSC based on the initial purchase price or
current market value, whichever is lower, will be applied to shares sold within 12 months of purchase.
|
Purchases of Class A shares of these Fund in amounts of $1,000,000 or more are at NAV (without a sales charge), but are subject to a
contingent deferred sales charge of 1% in the event of redemption within one year following purchase. For a discussion of the contingent deferred sales charge, see Calculation and Waiver of Contingent Deferred Sales Charges.
As discussed in the prospectus, the Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan for its Class A shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the
1940 Act. The Plan authorizes the Fund to pay as compensation an annual fee to the Distributor of 0.25% of the average daily NAV of the Class A shares of the Fund to finance various activities relating to the distribution of such shares to
investors and the provision of services to such investors. These expenses include, but are not limited to, the payment of compensation in the form of a service fee as discussed below (including compensation to securities dealers and other financial
institutions and organizations) to obtain various administrative services for the Fund. These services include, among other things, processing new shareholder account applications and serving as the primary source of information to customers in
answering questions concerning the Fund and their transactions with the Fund.
Amounts paid by the Fund are currently used to
pay dealers and other firms that make Class A shares available to their customers a service fee for account maintenance and personal service to shareholders. The service fee is payable quarterly in the amount of 0.25%, on an annual basis, of
Aggregate Account Value. Aggregate Account Value is the average daily NAV of Class A accounts opened after July 31, 1990 that were sold by such dealers and other firms and remain outstanding on the books of the Fund. The
service fee may also be used to pay for sub-administration and/or sub-transfer agency services provided for the benefit of the Fund.
Class B Shares
Effective January 4, 2010, Class B shares were no longer open for new subscriptions of shares. With
certain exceptions, the Fund may impose a deferred sales charge on shares redeemed within five years of the date of purchase. No deferred sales charge is imposed on amounts redeemed thereafter. If imposed, the deferred sales charge is deducted from
the redemption proceeds otherwise payable to you. The deferred sales charge is retained by the Distributor.
Whether a
contingent deferred sales charge is imposed and the amount of the charge will depend on the number of years since the investor made a purchase payment from which an amount is being redeemed, according to the following schedule:
|
|
|
Year Since Purchase Payment Was Made
|
|
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge
|
First
|
|
5%
|
Second
|
|
4%
|
Third
|
|
3%
|
Fourth
|
|
3%
|
Fifth
|
|
2%
|
Sixth and Following
|
|
0%
|
Class B shares (including shares purchased through the reinvestment of dividends and other
distributions paid with respect to Class B shares) will automatically convert, on the eighth anniversary of the date such shares were purchased, to Class A shares which are subject to a lower distribution fee. This automatic conversion of
Class B shares will take place without imposition of a front-end sales charge or exchange fee. (Conversion of Class B shares represented by stock certificates will require the return of the stock certificates to the Investment Manager.)
All shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and other distributions paid with respect to Class B shares (reinvestment shares) will be considered to be held in a separate subaccount. Each time any Class B shares
(other than those held in the subaccount) convert to Class A shares, a pro rata portion of the reinvestment shares held in the subaccount will also convert to Class A shares. Class B shares so converted will no longer be subject to
the higher expenses borne by Class B shares. Because the NAV per share of the Class A shares may be higher or lower than that of the Class B shares at the time of conversion,
35
although the dollar value will be the same, a shareholder may receive more or fewer Class A shares than the number of Class B shares converted. Under current law, it is the Funds
opinion that such a conversion will not constitute a taxable event under federal income tax law. In the event that this ceases to be the case, the Board of Directors will consider what action, if any, is appropriate and in the best interests of
Class B shareholders.
The Fund bears some of the costs of selling its Class B shares under a Distribution Plan
adopted with respect to its Class B shares (Class B Distribution Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. This Plan provides for payments of compensation to the Distributor at an annual rate of 1.00% of the average
daily NAV of Class B shares. Amounts paid by the Fund are used to pay dealers and other firms that make Class B shares available to their customers (1) a commission at the time of purchase typically equal to 4.00% of the value of each
share sold and (2) a service fee for account maintenance and personal service to shareholders payable for the first year, initially, and for each year thereafter, quarterly, in an amount equal to 0.25% annually of the average daily NAV of
Class B shares sold by such dealers and other firms and remaining outstanding on the books of the Fund. The service fee may also be used to pay for sub-administration and/or sub-transfer agency services provided for the benefit of the Fund.
Class B shares are closed to new investors and investments. The Distributor may also use the fees payable under the Class B Distribution Plan to make payments to brokers and other financial intermediaries for past sales and distribution
efforts, as well as the provision of ongoing services to shareholders.
Class C Shares
Class C shares are offered
at NAV, without an initial sales charge. With certain exceptions, the Fund may impose a deferred sales charge on shares redeemed within one year of the date of purchase (If your intermediary has entered into an agreement to forego receipt of an
initial 1.00% sales commission, the Distributor will waive any applicable deferred sales charge when you redeem your Class C shares). No deferred sales charge is imposed on amounts redeemed thereafter. If imposed, the deferred sales charge is
deducted from the redemption proceeds otherwise payable to you and is retained by the Distributor.
The Fund bears some of the
costs of selling its Class C shares under a Distribution Plan adopted with respect to its Class C shares (Class C Distribution Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. This Plan provides for payments of
compensation to the Distributor at an annual rate of 1.00% of the average daily NAV of Class C shares. Amounts paid by the Fund are used to pay dealers and other firms that make Class C shares available to their customers: (1) a
commission at the time of purchase normally equal to 0.75% of the value of each share sold, and for each year thereafter, quarterly, in an amount equal to 0.75% annually of the average daily NAV of Class C shares sold by such dealers and other
firms and remaining outstanding on the books of the Fund and (2) a service fee payable for the first year initially, and for each year thereafter, quarterly, in an amount equal to 0.25% annually of the average daily NAV of Class C shares
sold by such dealers and other firms and remaining outstanding on the books of the Fund. The service fee may also be used to pay for sub-administration and/or sub-transfer agency services provided for the benefit of the Fund. In the case the Fund or
Class C shares are closed to new investors or investments, the Distributor also may use the fees payable under the Class C Distribution Plan to make payments to brokers and other financial intermediaries for past sales and distribution
efforts, as well as the provision of ongoing services to shareholders.
Institutional Class Shares
Shares are priced at the
NAV next determined after receipt and acceptance of a purchase order by the Funds transfer agent, Distributor or an authorized financial intermediary. Authorized financial intermediaries of the Fund may also designate further intermediaries to
accept purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund. A broker/dealer or other financial intermediary may charge fees in connection with an investment in the Fund. The minimum initial investment is $2 million. Fund shares purchased directly
from the Fund are not assessed such additional charges.
Specific eligibility requirements that apply to prospective investors
of Institutional Class shares include:
|
|
|
Employee benefit plan programs that have at least $25 million in plan assets.
|
|
|
|
Guggenheim Directors, Officers and Employees.
|
|
|
|
Broker/dealer managed account or wrap programs that charge an asset-based fee, have program assets of at least $50 million, and invest in the Fund via
omnibus accounts.
|
|
|
|
Registered investment adviser mutual fund wrap programs that charge an asset-based fee, have program assets of at least $50 million, and invest in the
Fund via omnibus accounts.
|
|
|
|
Section 529 college savings plan accounts pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code).
|
|
|
|
Funds of Funds advised by Security Investors, LLC or its affiliates.
|
36
|
|
|
Funds of Funds advised by unaffiliated investment advisers.
|
|
|
|
Institutions that invest the minimum initial investment amount in the Fund.
|
The Fund reserves the right to waive the minimum initial investment amount of $2 million or to grant other investors eligibility to
invest in the shares of the Fund at its discretion.
Minimum Account Balance
The
Institutional Class shares have a minimum account balance of $1 million. Due to the relatively high cost of maintaining accounts below the minimum account balance, the Fund reserves the right to redeem shares if an account balance falls below the
minimum account balance for any reason. Investors will be given 60 days advance notice to reestablish the minimum account balance. If the account balance is not increased, the account may be closed, and the proceeds sent to the investor. Fund
shares will be redeemed at NAV on the day the account is closed.
Distribution Plans
The Fund
has adopted Distribution Plans pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Fund has enacted a distribution plan applicable to its Class A, Class B, and Class C shares.
Under these Distribution Plans, the Distributor is authorized to pay service fees and commissions to dealers and other firms that sell
(or have sold) shares of the applicable class, engage in advertising, prepare and distribute sales literature and engage in other promotional activities on behalf of the Fund. The Distributor is required to report in writing to the Board of
Directors regarding the payments made and services provided under the Plans, and the Board will review at least quarterly, the amounts and purposes of any payments made under each Plan. The Distributor is also required to furnish the Board with such
other information as may reasonably be requested in order to enable the Board to make an informed determination of whether the Plan should be continued.
Each Plan will continue from year to year, provided that such continuance is approved at least annually by a vote of a majority of the Board of Directors of the Fund, including a majority of the
independent directors cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such continuance. Any agreement relating to the implementation of the Plan terminates automatically if it is assigned. The Plan may not be amended to increase
materially the amount of distribution payments thereunder without approval of the shareholders of the applicable class of the Fund.
Because all amounts paid pursuant to the Distribution Plan are paid to the Distributor, the Investment Manager and its officers, directors and employees, all may be deemed to have a direct or indirect
financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Plan. None of the Independent Directors has a direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Plan.
Benefits from the Distribution Plan may accrue to the Fund and its shareholders from the growth in assets due to sales of shares to the
public and/or retention of existing fund assets, which may benefit shareholders by reducing per share expenses, permitting increased investment flexibility and diversification of the Funds assets, and facilitating economies of scale (e.g.,
block purchases) in the Funds securities transactions.
Rules established by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
(FINRA) limit the aggregate amount that the Fund may pay annually in distribution costs for the sale of its shares to 6.25% of gross sales of shares since the inception of the Distribution Plan, plus interest at the prime rate plus 1% on
such amount (less any contingent deferred sales charges paid by shareholders to the Distributor or distribution fee (other than service fees) paid by the Fund to the Distributor). The Distributor monitors this limit with regard to each of the
Funds share classes. The Distributor intends, but is not obligated, to continue to pay or accrue distribution charges incurred in connection with a Distribution Plan which exceed current annual payments permitted to be received by the
Distributor from the Fund. The Distributor intends to seek full payment of such charges from the Fund (together with annual interest thereon at the prime rate plus 1%) at such time in the future as, and to the extent that, payment thereof by the
Fund would be within permitted limits.
A Distribution Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of directors who are not
interested persons of the Fund as defined in the 1940 Act or by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the applicable class. In the event a Distribution Plan is terminated by the shareholders or the Funds Board of Directors, the
payments made to the Distributor pursuant to the Plan up to that time would be retained by the Distributor. Any expenses incurred by the Distributor in excess of those payments would be absorbed by the Distributor. The Fund makes no payments in
connection with the sales of its shares other than the distribution fee paid to the Distributor.
37
Rule 12b-1 Plan Expense
s For the fiscal year ended
September 30, 2012, the following 12b-1 payments were made for the Fund to the Distributor under the Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plans:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Compensation to
Distributor
2
|
|
|
|
Class A
|
|
|
Class B
|
|
|
Class C
|
|
World Equity Income Fund
|
|
$
|
156,920
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
1
|
|
$
|
33,448
|
|
The 12b-1 Plans are compensation plans which means that all amounts generated under the plans are paid to the
Distributor irrespective of the actual costs incurred by the Distributor in distributing the Fund. The Distributor is the Underwriter of the Fund. Because all the 12b-1 payments are made to the Distributor, the Fund that adopted the Distribution
Plans pay no fees directly for advertising, printing and mailing of prospectuses to prospective shareholders, compensation to broker/dealers, compensation to sales personnel, or interest carrying or other financing charges. The Distributor may use
part or all of the amounts received from the Fund to pay for these services and activities.
1
|
Effective August 25, 2005, Class B shares ceased charging 12b-1 fees. This fee may be reinstated at any time.
|
2
|
The Compensation to Distributor was paid to the Funds former underwriter, Security Distributors, Inc. Effective March 16, 2009, Guggenheim Distributors, LLC
became a distributor of the Fund, and after October 16, 2009, all Compensation to Distributor will be paid solely to Guggenheim Distributors, LLC.
|
Calculation and Waiver of Contingent Deferred Sales Charges
Any contingent deferred sales charge imposed upon redemption of Class A shares (purchased in
amounts of $1,000,000 or more), Class B shares or Class C shares is a percentage of the lesser of (1) the NAV of the shares redeemed or (2) the net cost of such shares. No contingent deferred sales charge is imposed upon
redemption of amounts derived from (1) increases in the value above the net cost of such shares due to increases in the NAV per share of the Fund; (2) shares acquired through reinvestment of income dividends and capital gain distributions;
or (3) Class A shares or Class C shares held for more than one year, or Class B shares held for more than five years. Upon request for redemption, shares not subject to the contingent deferred sales charge will be redeemed first.
Thereafter, shares held the longest will be the first to be redeemed.
The contingent deferred sales charge is waived:
(1) following the death of a shareholder; (2) upon the disability (as defined in section 72(m)(7) of the Code) of a shareholder prior to age 65 if redemption is made within one year after the disability, provided such disability
occurred after the shareholder opened the account; (3) in connection with required minimum distributions in the case of an IRA, SARSEP or Keogh or any other retirement plan qualified under Section 401(a), 401(k) or 403(b) of the Code; and
(4) in the case of distributions from retirement plans qualified under Section 401(a) or 401(k) of the Code due to (i) returns of excess contributions to the plan, (ii) retirement of a participant in the plan, (iii) a loan
from the plan (repayment of loans, however, will constitute new sales for purposes of assessing the contingent deferred sales charge), (iv) financial hardship of a participant in the plan, as that term is defined in Treasury
Regulation Section 1.401(k)-1(d)(2), as amended from time to time, (v) termination of employment of a participant in the plan, (vi) any other permissible withdrawal under the terms of the plan. The contingent deferred sales charge
will also be waived in the case of certain redemptions of Class B or Class C shares of the Fund pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan. (See Systematic Withdrawal Plan)
Arrangements With Broker/Dealers and Others
The Investment Manager or Distributor, from time to time, will
pay a bonus to certain dealers whose representatives have sold or are expected to sell significant amounts of the Fund and/or certain other funds managed by the Investment Manager. Bonus compensation may include reallowance of the entire sales
charge and may also include, with respect to Class A shares, an amount which exceeds the entire sales charge and, with respect to Class C shares, an amount which exceeds the maximum commission. The Distributor, or the Investment Manager,
may also provide financial assistance to certain dealers in connection with conferences, sales or training programs for their employees, seminars for the public, advertising, sales campaigns, and/or shareholder services and programs regarding one or
more of the funds managed by the Investment Manager. In addition, the Investment Manager or Distributor may sponsor training or education meetings at various locations. In connection with such meetings it is expected that the Investment Manager or
Distributor would pay the travel, lodging and other expenses of representatives of the dealers in attendance. The Funds Transfer Agent or Distributor may also pay certain transaction or order processing costs incurred by dealers who sell Fund
shares through clearing dealers. Certain of the foregoing arrangements may be financed by payments to the Distributor under a Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan. These arrangements do not change the price an investor will pay for shares or the amount that
the Fund will receive from such sale. No compensation will be offered to the extent it is prohibited by the laws of any state or self-regulatory agency, such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). A dealer to whom
substantially the entire sales charge of Class A shares is reallowed may be deemed to be an underwriter under federal securities laws.
38
The Distributor also may pay banks and other financial services firms that facilitate
transactions in shares of the Fund for their clients a transaction fee up to the level of the payments made allowable to dealers for the sale of such shares as described above.
Other Distribution or Service Arrangements
The Investment Manager, Distributor or their affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of Fund assets
(i.e., without additional cost to the Fund or its shareholders), may provide additional cash payments or non-cash compensation to some, but not all, broker/dealers and other financial intermediaries (including payments to affiliates of the
Investment Manager or Distributor) who sell shares of the Fund or render investor services to Fund shareholders (directly or indirectly via sales of variable insurance contracts or the provision of services in connection with retirement plans). Such
payments and compensation are in addition to any sales charges paid by investors or Rule 12b-1 plan fees, service fees and other fees paid, directly or indirectly, by the Fund to such brokers and other financial intermediaries. These
arrangements are sometimes referred to as revenue sharing arrangements. Revenue sharing arrangements are not financed by the Fund, and thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed
in the fees and expenses sections of the Funds prospectuses, and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of the Funds shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Fund shares.
Such compensation may be paid to intermediaries that provide services to the Fund and/or shareholders in the Fund, including
(without limitation) shareholder servicing, marketing support and/or access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the intermediary. Such compensation may also be paid to intermediaries for inclusion of the Fund
on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, in other sales programs, or as an expense reimbursement or compensation in cases where the intermediary provides services to Fund shareholders. To the extent permitted by applicable law,
the Distributor and other parties may pay or allow other incentives and compensation to such financial intermediaries. The Distributor generally periodically assesses the advisability of continuing to make these payments.
These payments may take a variety of forms, including (without limitation) compensation for sales, trail fees for shareholder
servicing and maintenance of investor accounts, and finders fees. Revenue sharing payments may be structured: (1) as a percentage of net sales; (2) as a percentage of net assets; and/or (3) as a fixed dollar-amount.
As of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, the Distributor and/or Investment Manager have revenue sharing arrangements
with the following financial intermediaries:
|
|
|
Financial Intermediary
|
|
Basis of Payment
|
Legend Equities Corporation
|
|
For calendar year, 0.10% of sales if less than $10 million; 0.15% of sales if $10 million or more but less than $30 million; and 0.25% of sales if $30
million or more; plus 0.05% of assets.
|
|
|
NEXT Financial Group, Inc.
|
|
0.20% of sales
|
|
|
Retirement Plan Advisors
|
|
$8,000 per month up to assets under management of $100 million; $10,000 per month after assets under management of $100 million
|
|
|
First Security Benefit Life Insurance and Annuity Company of New York
|
|
0.25% of average daily net assets
|
|
|
Security Benefit Life Insurance Company
|
|
0.25% of average daily net assets
|
|
|
Security Financial Resources, Inc.
|
|
0.25% of average daily net assets
|
The Distributor may enter into revenue sharing arrangements with other financial intermediaries and may
modify existing revenue sharing arrangements with the intermediaries indicated above.
In addition, while the Distributor
typically pays most of the sales charge applicable to the sale of fund shares to brokers and other financial intermediaries through which purchases are made, the Distributor may, on occasion, pay the entire sales charge.
From time to time, the Distributor and its affiliates may also pay non-cash compensation to brokers and other financial intermediaries in
the form of, for example: (1) occasional gifts; (2) occasional meals, tickets or other entertainment; and/or (3) sponsorship support of regional or national events. For example, representatives of the Distributor visit brokers and
other financial intermediaries on a regular basis to educate them about the Fund and to encourage the sale of Fund shares to their clients. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational
seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law.
39
The compensation or reimbursement received by brokers and other financial intermediaries
through sales charges, fees payable from the Fund, and/or revenue sharing arrangements for selling shares of the Fund may be more or less than the overall compensation or reimbursement on similar or other products and may influence your broker or
other financial intermediary to present and recommend the Fund over other investment options available in the marketplace. In addition, depending on the arrangements in place at any particular time, your broker or other financial intermediary may
have a financial incentive for recommending a particular class of Fund shares over other share classes.
Shareholders may
obtain more information about these arrangements, including the conflicts of interests that such arrangements may create, from their brokers and other financial intermediaries and should so inquire if they would like additional information. A
shareholder may ask his/her broker or financial intermediary how he/she will be compensated for investments made in the Fund.
Although the Fund may use financial firms that sell Fund shares to effect transactions for the Funds portfolio, the Fund and the
Investment Manager will not consider the sale of Fund shares as a factor when choosing financial firms to effect those transactions.
Purchases At Net Asset Value
Class A shares of the Fund may be purchased at NAV by (1) directors and officers of the Fund or other mutual funds managed by the Investment Manager or one or more of its affiliates;
directors, officers and employees of the Funds Investment Manager or Distributor and their affiliates; spouses or minor children of any such agents; as well as the following relatives of any such directors, officers and employees (and their
spouses): spouses, grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces and nephews; (2) any trust, pension, profit sharing or other benefit plan established by any of the foregoing corporations for persons described above;
(3) retirement plans where third party administrators of such plans have entered into certain arrangements with the Distributor or its affiliates; and (4) officers, directors, partners or registered representatives (and their spouses and
minor children) of broker/ dealers who have a selling agreement with the Distributor. Such sales are made upon the written assurance of the purchaser that the purchase is made for investment purposes and that the securities will not be transferred
or resold except through redemption or repurchase by or on behalf of the Fund.
Class A shares of the Fund may be
purchased at net asset value when the purchase is made on the recommendation of (1) a registered investment adviser, trustee or financial intermediary who has authority to make investment decisions on behalf of the investor; or (2) a
certified financial planner or registered broker/dealer who either charges periodic fees to its customers for financial planning, investment advisory or asset management services, or provides such services in connection with the establishment of an
investment account for which a comprehensive wrap fee is imposed. Class A shares may be purchased at net asset value by customers of financial intermediaries that have a contractual arrangement with the Distributor or Investment
Manager where such contract provides for the waiver of the front-end sales charge, including shares offered in self-directed brokerage accounts that may or may not charge a transaction fee to its customers.
The Distributor must be notified when a purchase is made that qualifies under any of the above provisions. The availability of
Class
A sales charge waivers may depend upon the policies, procedures, and trading platforms of your financial intermediary.
Purchases for Retirement Plans
Prior to February 1, 2012, Class A shares of the Fund could also be purchased at net asset value when the purchase was made by a retirement plan that would (1) buy shares of funds in
the Family of Funds worth $500,000 or more; (2) have 100 or more eligible employees at the time of purchase; (3) certify it expected to have annual plan purchases of shares of funds in the Family of Funds of $200,000 or more; (4) be
provided administrative services by certain third party administrators that had entered into a special service arrangement with funds in the Family of Funds relating to such plans; or (5) have at the time of purchase, aggregate assets of at
least $1,000,000. Any retirement plan that had such an arrangement in place effective as of February 1, 2012 may continue such arrangement for the life of the plan or until the Funds Board of Directors elects to terminate such
arrangement, whichever is earlier. Purchases made pursuant to this provision may be subject to a deferred sales charge of up to 1% in the event of a redemption within one year of the purchase.
40
S
YSTEMATIC
W
ITHDRAWAL
P
LAN
(Not available for Institutional Class shares.) A Systematic Withdrawal Plan may be established by shareholders who wish
to receive regularly scheduled payments. Please refer to the Systematic Withdrawal Plan Request form for additional payment options. The form can be found within the Customer Service section of the www.guggenheiminvestments.com website. There is no
service charge on the Plan.
Sufficient shares will be liquidated at NAV to meet the specified withdrawals. Liquidation of
shares may deplete or possibly use up the investment, particularly in the event of a market decline. Payments cannot be considered as actual yield or income since part of such payments is a return of capital and may constitute a taxable event to the
shareholder. The maintenance of a Withdrawal Plan concurrently with purchases of additional shares of the Fund would be disadvantageous because of the sales commission payable in respect to such purchases. During the withdrawal period, no payments
will be accepted under an Automatic Investment Plan. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are automatically reinvested at NAV.
The shareholder receives confirmation of each transaction showing the source of the payment and the share balance remaining in the Plan. A Plan may be terminated on written notice by the shareholder or by
the Fund, and it will terminate automatically if all shares are liquidated or withdrawn from the account.
I
NVESTMENT
M
ANAGEMENT
The Investment Manager, Security
Investors, LLC, located at 805 King Farm Boulevard, Suite 600, Rockville, Maryland, has served as investment adviser to Security Equity Fund since January 1, 1964. The Investment Manager also acts as investment adviser to Security Large
Cap Value Fund, Security Mid Cap Growth Fund, Security Income Fund and SBL Fund, and since January 2011, to the Rydex ETF Trust, Rydex Series Funds, Rydex Dynamic Funds and the Rydex Variable Trust. The Investment Manager is a wholly owned
subsidiary of SBC. On July 30, 2010, Guggenheim SBC Holdings, LLC, an investor group managed by Guggenheim Partners, LLC (Guggenheim), acquired control of SBC. On February 29, 2012, Guggenheim Capital, LLC, the parent company
of Guggenheim, acquired Security Benefit Asset Management Holdings, LLC, the indirect holding company of Security Investors and certain affiliated businesses. Guggenheim is a global, independent, privately held, diversified financial services firm
with more than $100 billion in assets under supervision.
Investment Management Agreement
Pursuant to the Investment
Management Agreement (the Agreement), the Investment Manager has in place with Security Equity Fund World Equity Income Fund, the Investment Manager furnishes investment advisory, statistical and research services to the Fund,
supervises and arranges for the purchase and sale of securities on behalf of the Fund, and provides for the compilation and maintenance of records pertaining to the investment advisory function.
The Investment Manager has agreed to reimburse the Fund or waive a portion of its management fee for any amount by which the total annual
expenses of the Fund (including management fees, but excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, extraordinary expenses and Class A, Class B and Class C distribution fees) for any fiscal year exceeds the level of expenses which
the Fund are permitted to bear under the most restrictive expense limitation imposed by any state in which shares of the Fund are then qualified for sale. (The Investment Manager is not aware of any state that currently imposes limits on the level
of mutual fund expenses.)
In addition, the Investment Manager has agreed to reduce its advisory fees and make payments to the
extent necessary to limit the ordinary operating expenses (including distribution fees but not brokerage costs, dividends on securities sold short, interest, taxes, litigation, indemnification, acquired fund fees and expenses, or extraordinary
expenses) of the Fund share Classes listed below to the listed percentages of the Funds average daily net assets.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class
|
|
Expense Cap
|
|
|
|
A
|
|
|
1.46
|
%
|
World Equity Income Fund
|
|
B
|
|
|
2.21
|
%
|
|
|
C
|
|
|
2.21
|
%
|
|
|
Institutional
|
|
|
1.21
|
%
|
41
Pursuant to these fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangements, the Investment Manager is
entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of fees waived or expenses reimbursed during any of the previous 36 months beginning on the date of the expense limitation agreement if on any day the estimated annualized operating expenses are less than the
indicated percentages.
Separate fees are paid by the Fund to the Investment Manager for investment advisory, administrative
and transfer agency services.
|
|
|
|
|
Contractual Management Fees
(expressed as a percentage of average net assets, calculated daily
and paid monthly)
|
|
World Equity Income Fund
|
|
|
0.70
|
%
|
The Funds Agreement is renewable annually by the Funds Board of Directors or by a vote of a
majority of the individual Funds outstanding securities and, in either event, by a majority of the Board who are not parties to the Agreement or interested persons of any such party. The Agreement provides that it may be terminated without
penalty at any time by either party on 60 days notice and is automatically terminated in the event of assignment.
Pursuant to a Fund Accounting and Administration Agreement with the Fund, as amended, the Investment Manager acts as the administrative
agent for the Fund and, as such, performs administrative functions and bookkeeping, accounting and pricing functions for the Fund. For these services, the Investment Manager receives, on an annual basis, a fee of:
|
1.
|
0.15% for the World Equity Income Fund, based on average daily net assets, or $60,000 per year, whichever is greater.
|
Pursuant to a Transfer Agency Agreement with the Fund, as amended, the Rydex Fund Services, LLC (the Transfer Agent) also
acts as the transfer agent for the Fund. As such, the Transfer Agent performs all shareholder servicing functions, including transferring record ownership, processing purchase and redemption transactions, answering inquiries, mailing shareholder
communications, and acting as the dividend disbursing agent. For these services, the Transfer Agent receives the following fees with respect to each Class of the Fund:
|
1.
|
Account Set-Up Charge
A fee of $4 to open an account on the Transfer Agents transfer agency system to hold shares of the Fund.
|
|
2.
|
Annual Maintenance Charge
An annual per account fee of (1) $8 per open account for regular accounts; (2) $6.50 per open account with
respect to accounts which are Matrix Level III pursuant to the National Securities Clearing Corporation networking systems; and (3) $5 per account for closed accounts that remain outstanding on the I Transfer Agents transfer agency system
(regardless of whether such accounts are regular or Matrix Level III).
|
|
3.
|
Transaction Charge
A per transaction charge of (1) $1.10 per transaction for regular accounts and (2) $0.60 per transaction for accounts
that are Matrix Level III.
|
The Fund is also subject to a minimum fee per year of $25,000. In addition, the Fund
has agreed to reimburse the Transfer Agent for expenses the Transfer Agent pays to third-party administrators, broker/dealers, banks, insurance companies or other entities for providing sub-transfer agency services to beneficial shareholders in the
Fund.
The Fund pays all of its respective expenses not assumed by the Transfer Agent or the Distributor, including
organization expenses; directors fees; fees of the Funds custodian; taxes and governmental fees; interest charges; any membership dues; brokerage commissions; expenses of preparing and distributing reports to shareholders; costs of
shareholder and other meetings; Class A, Class B and Class C distribution fees; and legal, auditing and accounting expenses. The Fund also pays for the preparation and distribution of the prospectus to its shareholders and all
expenses in connection with registration under federal and state securities laws. The Fund pays nonrecurring expenses that may arise, including litigation expenses affecting the Fund.
Prior to February 11, 2011, the Investment Manager served as the Funds transfer agent and the Fund paid the Investment Manager
in its role as transfer agent. Therefore the Fund did not pay the Transfer Agent any transfer agency service fees prior to February 11, 2011. During the period February 11, 2011, the Fund paid the following amounts to the
42
Transfer Agent and during the period October 1, 2010 through February 1, 2011, and the fiscal years ended September 30, 2010 and 2009, the Fund paid the following amounts to the
Investment Manager for its transfer agency services:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fund
|
|
Year
|
|
Investment
Advisory Fees
Paid to
Investment
Manager
|
|
|
Investment Advisory
Fees Waived by and
Reimbursements from
Investment Manager
|
|
|
Administrative
Service Fees Paid to
Investment Manager
|
|
|
Transfer Agency Service
Fees Paid to Investment
Manager
|
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
$487,029
|
|
|
|
$314,425
|
|
|
|
$104,364
|
|
|
|
$188,902
|
|
World Equity Income Fund
1
|
|
2/11/2011- 9/30/2011
|
|
|
$807,696
|
|
|
|
$26,732
|
|
|
|
$137,401
|
|
|
|
$ 85,504
|
|
|
10/1/2010- 2/10/2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
89,323
|
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
986,496
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
151,213
|
|
|
|
252,325
|
|
1
|
The amounts of investment advisory fees paid by World Equity Income Fund to the Investment Manager for the periods shown were based on the World Equity Income
Funds investment advisory fee of 1.00%. Effective April 29, 2011, the investment advisory fee payable by World Equity Income Fund was lowered to 0.70% of average daily net assets on an annual basis.
|
S
UB
-A
DVISER
Prior to January 14, 2011, Security Global Investors, LLC (SGI) served as a sub-adviser to the Fund. Effective January 14, 2011, SGIs business was acquired by the Investment
Manager. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010 the Investment Manager paid the following amounts to SGI for its services:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fund
|
|
Year
|
|
|
Sub-Advisory Fees Paid to Sub-Adviser
|
|
|
Sub-Advisory Fees Waived by Sub-Adviser
|
|
World Equity Income Fund
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
|
$337,719
|
|
|
|
$0
|
|
C
ODE
OF
E
THICS
The Fund, the Investment Manager
and the Distributor each has adopted a written code of ethics (the Code of Ethics) which governs the personal securities transactions of access persons of the Fund. Access persons may invest in securities, including
securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund, provided that they obtain prior clearance before engaging in securities transactions, subject to certain de minimis exceptions. Access persons include officers and directors of the Fund and
Investment Manager and employees that participate in, or obtain information regarding, the purchase or sale of securities by the Fund or whose job relates to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales. All access
persons must report their personal securities transactions within thirty days of the end of each calendar quarter.
Subject to
certain de minimis exceptions for access persons not involved in the fund accounting or asset management activities of the Investment Manager, access persons will not be permitted to effect transactions in a security if it: (1) is being
considered for purchase or sale by the Fund; (2) is being purchased or sold by the Fund; or (3) is being offered in an initial public offering. Portfolio managers, research analysts and traders are also prohibited from purchasing or
selling a security within seven calendar days before or after any fund in the Family of Funds or other fund managed by an affiliated investment adviser trades in that security. Any material violation of the Code of Ethics is reported to the Board of
the Fund. The Board also reviews the administration of the Code of Ethics on an annual basis and approves any material changes to the Code of Ethics Pursuant to the requirements of Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. The Code of Ethics is on public file
with the SEC and is available from the Commission.
P
ORTFOLIO
M
ANAGERS
Other
Accounts Managed by Portfolio Managers
Each Portfolio Manager may also manage other registered investment companies, other pooled investment vehicles and other accounts, and each portfolio manager may own shares of the Fund he/she
manages. Including the Fund, as of [
], 2013, the portfolio managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as follows:
43
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Portfolio Manager
|
|
Registered
Investment
Companies
|
|
Other Pooled
Investment
Vehicles
|
|
Other Accounts
|
|
Number
|
|
Total Assets
|
|
Number
|
|
Total Assets
|
|
Number
|
|
Total Assets
|
Fahran Sharaff
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
Nardin Baker
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
Ole Jakob Wold
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
Scott Hammond
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
The following table identifies, as of [
], 2013, the
number of, and total assets of, the registered investment companies, vehicles and accounts with respect to which the advisory fee is based on performance. As of [
], 2013, only those Portfolio
Managers listed below manage the registered investment companies, vehicles and accounts with respect to which the advisory fee is based on performance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Portfolio Manager
|
|
Registered
Investment
Companies
|
|
Other
Pooled
Investment Vehicles
|
|
Other Accounts
|
|
Number
|
|
Total Assets
|
|
Number
|
|
Total Assets
|
|
Number
|
|
Total Assets
|
Fahran Sharaff
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
Nardin Baker
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
Ole Jakob Wold
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
Scott Hammond
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
|
[
]
|
Information Regarding Conflicts of Interest and Compensation of Portfolio
Managers
Security Investors, LLC
Conflicts of Interest
.
From time to time, potential conflicts of interest may arise between a portfolio managers management of the investments of the Fund on the one hand and the
management of other registered investment companies, pooled investment vehicles and other accounts (collectively, other accounts) on the other. The other accounts might have similar investment objectives or strategies as the Fund, track
the same indices the Fund tracks or otherwise hold, purchase, or sell securities that are eligible to be held, purchased or sold by the Fund. The other accounts might also have different investment objectives or strategies than the Fund.
Allocation of Limited Time and Attention
. A portfolio manager who is responsible for managing multiple funds and/or
accounts may devote unequal time and attention to the management of those funds and/or accounts. As a result, the portfolio manager may not be able to formulate as complete a strategy or identify equally attractive investment opportunities for each
of those accounts as might be the case if he or she were to devote substantially more attention to the management of a single fund. The effects of this potential conflict may be more pronounced where funds and/or accounts overseen by a particular
portfolio manager have different investment strategies.
Knowledge and Timing of Fund Trades
. A potential
conflict of interest may arise as a result of the portfolio managers day-to-day management of the Fund. Because of his or her position with the Fund, the portfolio manager knows the size, timing and possible market impact of the Funds
trades. It is theoretically possible that the portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the possible detriment of the Fund.
Investment Opportunities
. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the portfolio managers management of a number of accounts with comparable investment guidelines. An
investment opportunity may be suitable for both the Fund and other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, but may not be available in sufficient quantities for both the Fund and the other accounts to participate fully. Similarly, there may be
limited opportunity to sell an investment held by the Fund and another account. The Investment Manager has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to allocate investment opportunities on a fair and equitable basis over time.
Selection of Brokers/Dealers
. Portfolio managers may be able to select or influence the selection of the brokers and
dealers that are used to execute securities transactions for the Fund and/or accounts that they supervise. In addition to executing trades, some brokers and dealers provide portfolio managers with brokerage and research services (as those terms
44
are defined in Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act), which may result in the payment of higher brokerage fees than might otherwise be available. These services may be more beneficial to certain
funds or accounts than to others. Although the payment of brokerage commissions is subject to the requirement that the portfolio manager determine in good faith that the commissions are reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and
research services provided to the Fund, a portfolio managers decision as to the selection of brokers and dealers could yield disproportionate costs and benefits among the funds and/or accounts that he/she manages.
Performance Fees
. A portfolio manager may advise certain accounts with respect to which the advisory fee is based entirely
or partially on performance. Performance fee arrangements may create a conflict of interest for the portfolio manager in that the manager may have an incentive to allocate the investment opportunities that he/she believes might be the most
profitable to accounts with a heavily performance-oriented fee.
Compensation Information
.
The Investment
Manager compensates portfolio management staff for their management of the Funds portfolio. Compensation is evaluated qualitatively based on their contribution to investment performance and factors such as teamwork and client service efforts.
The Investment Managers staff incentives may include: a competitive base salary, bonus determined by individual and firm wide performance, equity participation, co-investment options, and participation opportunities in various investments. The
Investment Managers deferred compensation program includes equity that vests over a period of years. All employees of the Investment Manager are also eligible to participate in a 401(k) plan to which a discretionary match may be made after the
completion of each plan year.
P
ROXY
V
OTING
The Board of Directors of the Fund
has delegated to the Investment Manager, the final authority and responsibility for voting proxies with respect to the Funds underlying securities holdings.
The Investment Managers Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures are designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interests of the applicable Fund client.
The Investment Manager has adopted Proxy Voting Guidelines which it uses in voting specific proposals. However, the vote entered on the
Funds behalf with respect to a particular proposal may differ from the Proxy Voting Guidelines if it is determined to be in the best interest of the Fund. In addition, the manner in which specific proposals are to be voted may differ based on
the type of fund that it manages. For example, a specific proposal may be considered on a case-by-case basis for one fund, while all other funds may always vote in favor of the proposal. The Proxy Voting Guidelines cannot provide an exhaustive list
of all the issues that may arise, nor can the Investment Manager anticipate all future situations. The Guidelines cover such agenda items as the election of directors, ratification of auditors, management and director compensation, anti-takeover
mechanisms, mergers and corporate restructuring, and social and corporate policy issues.
The Investment Manager has delegated
to an independent third party (the Service Provider) the responsibility to review proxy proposals and to vote proxies in a manner consistent with the Proxy Voting Guidelines. The Service Provider notifies the Investment Manager of all
proxy proposals that do not fall within the Proxy Voting Guidelines (i.e., proposals which are either not addressed in the Proxy Voting Guidelines or proposals for which the Investment Manager has indicated that a decision will be made on a
case-by-case basis), and the Investment Manager then directs the Service Provider how to vote on that particular proposal.
The Investment Manager may occasionally be subject to conflicts of interest in the voting of proxies. Accordingly each has adopted
procedures to identify potential conflicts and to ensure that the vote made is in the best interest of the Fund and is not a result of the conflict.
Pursuant to such procedures, the Investment Manager may resolve a conflict in a variety of ways, including the following: voting in accordance with its established voting guidelines; voting in accordance
with the recommendation of an independent fiduciary appointed for that purpose; or abstaining. Ultimately, if the Investment Manager cannot resolve a conflict of interest, it will seek guidance from the Board of Directors of the Fund.
Proxy materials from an issuer or its information agent are forwarded to registered owners of record, typically the Funds custodian
bank. The Investment Manager may be unable to vote or may determine not to vote a proxy on behalf of the Fund. For example, the Investment Manager will generally abstain from voting a proxy in circumstances where, in its respective judgment, the
costs exceed the expected benefits to the Fund.
45
The Fund will be required to file SEC Form N-PX, with its complete proxy voting records for
the 12 months ended June 30th, no later than August 31st of each year. Once filed, the Form will be available without charge: (1) from the Fund, upon request by calling 1-800-820-0888, and (2) on the SECs website at
www.sec.gov.
D
ISTRIBUTOR
Guggenheim Distributors, LLC
(formerly known as Rydex Distributors, LLC) (the Distributor), 805 King Farm Boulevard, Suite 600, Rockville, Maryland 20850, a Maryland corporation serves as the principal underwriter for shares of the Fund pursuant to a
Distribution Agreement. The Distributor acts in such capacity on a best-efforts basis and offers shares of the Fund on a continuous basis. The Distributor also acts as principal underwriter for Security Large Cap Value Fund, Security Mid Cap Growth
Fund, Security Income Fund, Rydex Series Funds, Rydex Dynamic Funds, Rydex Variable Trust, and Rydex ETF Trust and as co-underwriter for SBL Fund.
The Distributor receives a maximum commission on sales of Class A shares of 4.75% and allows a maximum discount of 4% from the offering price to authorized dealers on the Fund shares sold. The
discount is the same for all dealers, but the Distributor at its discretion may increase the discount for specific periods.
The Distributor does not receive any compensation from the Fund for the distribution of Institutional Class shares.
For the fiscal years ended September 30, 2012, 2011 and 2010, the Distributor and/or Funds former distributor, Security
Distributors, Inc. (1) received gross underwriting commissions on Class A shares, (2) retained net underwriting commissions on Class A shares, and (3) received contingent deferred sales charges on redemptions of Class B
and Class C shares in the amounts set forth in the tables below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Security Distributors, Inc. Gross
Underwriting Commissions
|
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
2010
|
|
World Equity Income Fund
|
|
|
$0
|
|
|
|
$0
|
|
|
|
$20,806
|
|
|
Security Distributors, Inc. Net
Underwriting Commissions
|
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
2010
|
|
World Equity Income Fund
|
|
|
$0
|
|
|
|
$0
|
|
|
|
$20,101
|
|
|
Security Distributors, Inc. Compensation
on Redemptions
|
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
2010
|
|
World Equity Income Fund
|
|
|
$0
|
|
|
|
$0
|
|
|
|
$426
|
|
|
Guggenheim Distributors, LLC Gross
Underwriting Commissions
|
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
2010
|
|
World Equity Income Fund
|
|
|
$26,400
|
|
|
|
$31,158
|
|
|
|
$31,864
|
|
|
Guggenheim Distributors, LLC Net
Underwriting Commissions
|
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
2010
|
|
World Equity Income Fund
|
|
|
$20,019
|
|
|
|
$28,883
|
|
|
|
$4,949
|
|
|
Guggenheim Distributors, LLC
Compensation on Redemptions
|
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
2010
|
|
World Equity Income Fund
|
|
|
$1,724
|
|
|
|
$138
|
|
|
|
$9,214
|
|
The Distributor, on behalf of the Fund, may act as a broker in the purchase and sale of securities not
effected on a securities exchange, provided that any such transactions and any commissions shall comply with requirements of the 1940 Act and all rules and regulations of the SEC. The Distributor has not acted as a broker and thus received no
brokerage commissions.
46
The Funds Distribution Agreement is renewable annually either by its Board of
Directors or by the vote of a majority of the Funds outstanding securities, and, in either event, by a majority of the Board who are not parties to the contract or interested persons of any such party. The contract may be terminated by either
party upon 60 days written notice.
A
LLOCATION
OF
P
ORTFOLIO
B
ROKERAGE
Transactions in portfolio securities shall be effected in such manner as deemed to be in the best interests of the Fund. In reaching a judgment relative to the qualifications of a broker/dealer
(broker) to obtain the best execution of a particular transaction, all relevant factors and circumstances will be taken into account by the Investment Manager, including the overall reasonableness of commissions paid to a broker, the
firms general execution and operational capabilities, its responsiveness (which may include such things as the brokers willingness to commit capital and whether the brokers representatives are accommodating), and its reliability
and financial condition. Subject to the foregoing considerations, the execution of portfolio transactions may be directed to brokers who furnish investment information or research services to the Investment Manager. Such investment information and
research services include advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities and purchasers or sellers of securities, and furnishing analyses and reports
concerning issues, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy and performance of accounts. Such investment information and research services may be furnished by brokers in many ways, including: (1) on-line database
systems and the equipment for which is provided by the broker that enable the Investment Manager to have real-time access to market information, including quotations; (2) economic research services, such as publications, chart services and
advice from economists concerning macroeconomic information; and (3) analytical investment information concerning particular corporations.
In some cases, the computer and other equipment furnished by the broker may have additional uses that are not related to the investment services and research information. In such cases, the Investment
Manager must allocate the value of the computer and other equipment into research and non-research categories. Since that portion allocable to research can be paid from Fund brokerage commissions rather than being paid by the Investment Manager, the
Investment Manager will have a conflict of interest in making the allocation. Finally, the investment services or research information provided to the Investment Manager may be produced by parties other than the broker effecting the portfolio
transaction.
If a transaction is directed to a broker supplying investment services or research information, the transaction
charges (i.e., a commission or a charge that is deemed to be the equivalent of a commission) paid for such transaction may be in excess of the transaction charges another broker would have charged for effecting that transaction provided that the
Investment Manager shall have determined in good faith that the transaction charges are reasonable in relation to the value of the investment information or the research services provided, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the
overall responsibilities of the Investment Manager with respect to all accounts as to which it exercises investment discretion. The Investment Manager may use all, none, or some of such information and services in providing investment advisory
services to each of the mutual funds under its management, including the Fund. Portfolio transactions may also be placed with the Distributor to the extent and in the manner permitted by applicable law.
In addition, brokerage transactions may be placed with broker/dealers who sell shares of the Fund managed by the Investment Manager who
may or may not also provide investment information and research services.
The Fund may also buy securities from, or sell
securities to, dealers acting as principals or market makers. Except as noted below, the Investment Manager generally will not purchase investment information or research services in connection with such principal transactions. The Investment
Manager, however, may purchase investment information or research services in connection with riskless principal transactions that are reported pursuant to certain FINRA rules that ensure transparency as to security price and transaction charges, or
in connection with transactions in other markets having regulations that ensure comparable transparency of security prices and charges. In addition, the Investment Manager may obtain investment information or research services in connection with
investments in underwritten fixed price offerings consistent with certain FINRA rules.
The Investment Manager may enter into
agreements with certain brokers, called Commission Sharing Agreements, pursuant to which the Investment Manager may place trades on behalf of its clients with these brokers for negotiated brokerage commission rates. In turn, under the
terms of the agreements, the brokers retain a portion of the brokerage commissions to cover the trades execution costs and then credit a negotiated portion of the brokerage commissions to accounts used by the brokers to pay other firms for
research products or services for the benefit of the Investment Manager and its clients.
47
Securities held by the Fund may also be held by other investment advisory clients of the
Investment Manager, including other investment companies. When selecting securities for purchase or sale for the Fund, the Investment Manager may at the same time be purchasing or selling the same securities for one or more of such other accounts.
Subject to the Investment Managers obligation to seek best execution, such purchases or sales may be executed simultaneously or bunched. It is the policy of the Investment Manager not to favor one account over the other. Any
purchase or sale orders executed simultaneously are allocated at the average price and as nearly as practicable on a pro rata basis (transaction costs will also be shared on a pro rata basis) in proportion to the amounts ordered to be purchased or
sold by each account. In those instances where it is not practical to allocate purchase or sale orders on a pro rata basis, the allocation will be made on a rotating or other equitable basis. While it is conceivable that in certain instances this
procedure could adversely affect the price or number of shares involved in the Funds transaction, it is believed that the procedure generally contributes to better overall execution of the Funds portfolio transactions. The Board of
Directors of the Fund has adopted guidelines governing this procedure and will monitor the procedure to determine that the guidelines are being followed and that the procedure continues to be in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders.
With respect to the allocation of initial public offerings (IPO), the Investment Manager may determine not to purchase such offerings for certain of its clients (including investment company clients) due to the limited number of shares
typically available to the Investment Manager in an IPO.
The following table sets forth the brokerage fees paid by the Fund
during the last three fiscal years and certain other information:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fund
|
|
Year
|
|
|
Fund Total
Brokerage
Commissions
Paid
|
|
|
Fund Brokerage Commissions Paid to
Security Distributors, Inc.
and
Guggenheim Distributors, LLC, the
former and current Underwriters
|
|
|
Fund Transactions Directed to and
Commissions Paid to
Broker/Dealers who
also Performed Services
|
|
|
|
|
|
Transactions
|
|
|
Brokerage
Commissions
|
|
Security Equity Fund World Equity Income Fund
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
|
$46,510
|
|
|
|
$0
|
|
|
|
$206,892,495
|
|
|
|
$19,067
|
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
|
235,872
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
13,944,416
|
|
|
|
18,506
|
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
|
446,482
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
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353,788,373
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233,376
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H
OW
N
ET
A
SSET
V
ALUE
I
S
D
ETERMINED
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled Determination of Net Asset Value. The NAV of the Fund serves as the basis
for the purchase and redemption price of the Funds shares. The NAV of the Fund is calculated by dividing the market value of the Funds securities plus the value of its other assets, less all liabilities, by the number of outstanding
shares of the Fund. With respect to portfolio securities and assets of the Fund for which market quotations are not readily available, or which cannot be accurately valued with the established pricing procedures, the Fund will fair value those
securities and assets.
Equity securities traded on a domestic securities exchange (including ETFs) are usually valued at the
last sale price on that exchange on the day the valuation is made. If no sale is reported, the last current bid price is usually used. Over-the-counter (OTC) securities held by the Fund are typically valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing
Price (NOCP) on the valuation date or, if no NOCP is reported, the last reported bid price is used. The portfolio securities of the Fund that are usually valued on multiple exchanges or markets are taken at the last sales price of such
securities on the principal exchange or market on which they are traded.
Debt securities with a remaining maturity greater
than 60 days will be generally valued based on independent pricing services, except as specified below. The Fund will utilize the amortized cost method in valuing its commercial paper and discount notes with maturities of 60 days or less for
purposes of determining the NAV of its shares even though the portfolio securities may increase or decrease in market value, generally, in connection with changes in interest rates. The amortized cost method of valuation involves valuing a security
at its cost adjusted by a constant amortization to maturity of any discount or premium, regardless of the impact of fluctuating interest rates on the market value of the instrument. While this method provides certainty in valuation, this method may
result in periods during which value, as determined by amortized cost, is higher or lower than the price that the Fund would receive if the Fund sold the instrument.
For investments in an underlying open-end mutual fund, the Fund usually values its investment in the underlying fund at its NAV. The NAV of each underlying fund is calculated by dividing the market value
of the underlying funds securities plus the value of its other assets, less all liabilities, by the number of outstanding shares of the underlying fund.
48
Options on securities and indices purchased by the Fund generally are valued at their last
sales price on the exchange in the case of exchange-traded options; in the case of options traded in the OTC market, the Fund will seek a quote from broker-dealers and the option generally will be valued at the average of prices unless there is only
one dealer, in which case that dealers price may be used. An exchange-traded futures contract will be valued based upon the first tick after the close of regular trading on the NYSE. Options on futures contracts traded on an exchange will be
valued at the last trade price prior to the close of regular trading on the NYSE.
The value of total return index swaps will
usually be computed based on the current index value as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, with the swap value being adjusted to include dividends accrued, financing charges and/or interest associated with the swap agreement. The value of
credit default swaps will be marked to the price at which orders are then being filled (or, if the orders are being filled at different prices, the average of such prices). If no comparable trade has occurred, the Fund will seek a quote from three
broker-dealers, and the swap will be valued at the average of the three prices so provided, unless it is concluded that any such quote does not represent fair value, in which case the swap will be valued at the average of the remaining prices.
The loans (including syndicated bank loans) in which the Fund may invest are not usually listed on any securities exchange or
board of trade. Typically, such loans are valued using information provided by an independent third party pricing service.
For valuation purposes, assets initially expressed in foreign currency values will be converted into U.S. dollar values at the rate at
which local currencies can be sold to buy U.S. dollars as obtained from a third-party pricing service/vendor as set forth in the Funds procedures.
The Fund may fair value an asset when a market quotation is not available or if it is believed that the valuation of an assets does not reflect the assets fair value. The Fund also may value its
foreign securities at fair value when a significant event is deemed to have occurred. The Board has adopted fair valuation procedures for the Fund and has delegated responsibility for fair value determinations to the Valuation Committee, which
consists of members of the Investment Manager and other committee members as designated by the Valuation Committee chair from time to time.
H
OW
TO
R
EDEEM
S
HARES
Shareholders may turn in their
shares directly to the Transfer Agent for redemption at NAV (which may be more or less than the investors cost, depending upon the market value of the portfolio securities at the time of redemption). The redemption price in cash will be the
NAV next determined after the time when such shares are tendered for redemption less any applicable contingent deferred sales charge. Orders by a fund of funds for which the Investment Manager or an affiliate serves as investment manager will be
treated as received by the Fund at the same time that the corresponding orders are received in proper form by the fund of funds.
Shares will be redeemed on request of the shareholder in proper order to the Transfer Agent. A request is made in proper order by submitting the following items to the Transfer Agent: (1) a written
request for redemption signed by all registered owners exactly as the account is registered, including fiduciary titles, if any, and specifying the account number and the dollar amount or number of shares to be redeemed; (2) a guarantee of all
signatures on the written request or on the share certificate or accompanying stock power; (3) any share certificates issued for any of the shares to be redeemed; and (4) any additional documents which may be required by the Transfer Agent
for redemption by corporations or other organizations, executors, administrators, trustees, custodians or the like. Transfers of shares are subject to the same requirements. A signature guarantee is not required for redemptions of $25,000 or less
($100,000 or less for Institutional Class shares), requested by and payable to all shareholders of record for an account, to be sent to the address of record. The signature guarantee must be provided by an eligible guarantor institution, such as a
bank, broker, credit union, national securities exchange or savings association. The Transfer Agent reserves the right to reject any signature guarantee pursuant to its written procedures, which may be revised in the future. To avoid delay in
redemption or transfer, shareholders having questions should contact the Transfer Agent.
The Articles of Incorporation of
Security Equity Fund provide that the Board of Directors, without the vote or consent of the shareholders, may adopt a plan to redeem at NAV all shares in any shareholder account in which there has been no investment (other than the reinvestment of
income dividends or capital gains distributions) for the last six months and in which there are fewer than 25 shares or such fewer number of shares as may be specified by the Board of Directors. Any plan of involuntary redemption adopted by the
Board of Directors shall provide that the plan is in the economic best interests of the Fund or is necessary to reduce disproportionately burdensome expenses in servicing shareholder accounts.
49
Such plan shall further provide that prior notice of at least six months shall be given to a shareholder before involuntary redemption, and that the shareholder will have at least six months from
the date of the notice to avoid redemption by increasing his or her account to at least the minimum number of shares established in the Articles of Incorporation, or such fewer shares as are specified in the plan.
The amount due on redemption will be the NAV of the shares next computed after the redemption request in proper order is received by the
Fund or its agent, less any applicable deferred sales charge. Payment of the redemption price will be made by check (or by wire at the sole discretion of the Transfer Agent if wire transfer is requested, including name and address of the bank and
the shareholders account number to which payment is to be wired) within seven days after receipt of the redemption request in proper order. The check will be mailed to the shareholders registered address (or as otherwise directed).
Remittance by wire (to a commercial bank account in the same name(s) as the shares are registered) or by express mail, if requested, will be at a charge of $20, which will be deducted from the redemption proceeds. Redemption proceeds can be sent by
ACH, free of charge, to the shareholders bank account.
When investing in the Fund, shareholders are required to furnish
their tax identification number and to state whether or not they are subject to withholding for prior underreporting, certified under penalties of perjury as prescribed by the Internal Revenue Code.
Payment in cash of the amount due on redemption, less any applicable deferred sales charge, for shares redeemed will be made within seven
days after tender, except that the Fund may suspend the right of redemption during any period when trading on the NYSE is restricted or such Exchange is closed for other than weekends or holidays, or any emergency is deemed to exist by the SEC. When
a redemption request is received in good order, the redemption proceeds are deposited into a redemption account established by the Distributor, and the Distributor sends a check in the amount of redemption proceeds to the shareholder. The
Distributor earns interest on the amounts maintained in the redemption account. Conversely, the Distributor may cause payments to be made to the Fund in the case of orders for purchase of Fund shares before it actually receives federal funds.
In addition to the foregoing redemption procedure, the Fund repurchases shares from brokers and other financial
intermediaries at the price determined as of the close of business on the day such offer is confirmed. The Distributor and Transfer Agent have been authorized, as agent, to make such repurchases for the Funds account. Dealers may charge a
commission or other fee on the repurchase of shares.
The repurchase or redemption of shares held in a tax-qualified
retirement plan must be effected through the trustee of the plan and may result in adverse tax consequences. (See Purchases for Retirement Plans)
At various times the Fund may be requested to redeem shares for which they have not yet received good payment. Accordingly, the Fund may delay the mailing of a redemption check until such time as it has
assured itself that good payment (e.g., cash or certified check on a U.S. bank) has been collected for the purchase of such shares, which may take up to 15 days from the purchase date.
The Fund has agreed to redeem shares of the Fund solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1.00% of the NAV of the Fund during any
90-day period for any one shareholder. The Fund reserves the right to pay other redemptions, either total or partial, by a distribution in-kind of securities (instead of cash) from the Funds portfolio (redemption in kind). The
securities distributed in such a redemption in kind distribution would be valued at the same value as that assigned to them in calculating the NAV of the shares being redeemed. In the event a shareholder were to receive a redemption in kind of
portfolio securities of the
Telephone Redemptions
A shareholder may redeem uncertificated
shares. The proceeds of a telephone redemption will be sent to the shareholder at his or her address as set forth in the application or in a subsequent written authorization with a signature guarantee. Once authorization has been received by the
Transfer Agent, a shareholder may redeem shares by calling the Fund at (800) 888-2461, on weekdays (except holidays) between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Redemption requests received by telephone after the close of the NYSE
(normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) will be treated as if received on the next business day. Telephone redemptions are not accepted for retirement accounts. A shareholder who authorizes telephone redemptions authorizes the Transfer Agent to act upon
the instructions of any person identifying himself as the owner of the account or the owners broker. The Transfer Agent has established procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine and will be liable for any
losses due to fraudulent or unauthorized instructions if it fails to comply with its procedures. The Transfer Agents procedures require that any person requesting a redemption by telephone provide the account registration and number, the
owners tax identification number, and the dollar
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amount or number of shares to be redeemed, and such instructions must be received on a recorded line. Neither the Fund, the Transfer Agent, nor the Distributor will be liable for any loss,
liability, cost or expense arising out of any redemption request, provided that the Transfer Agent complied with its procedures. Thus, a shareholder who authorizes telephone redemptions may bear the risk of loss from a fraudulent or unauthorized
request. The telephone redemption privilege may be changed or discontinued at any time by the Transfer Agent or the Fund.
During periods of severe market or economic conditions, telephone redemptions may be difficult to implement, and shareholders should make
redemptions by mail as described under How to Redeem Shares.
H
OW
TO
E
XCHANGE
S
HARES
Shareholders of the Fund may exchange their shares for shares of the same class of shares of another series of Security Equity Fund or for shares of certain other mutual funds, including funds in the
Family of Funds, or as described below. You may exchange shares for the same class of shares of the series of Rydex Series Funds and the Rydex Dynamic Funds (together with the Funds, the Family of Funds). Exchanges may be made only in
those states where shares of the fund into which an exchange is to be made are available for sale. Such transactions generally have the same tax consequences as ordinary sales and purchases and are not tax-free exchanges.
Class A, Class B, Class C and Institutional Class shares of the Fund may be exchanged for Class A, Class B,
Class C and Institutional Class shares, respectively, of another of the available funds. Shareholders of Class A shares may exchange their shares for Institutional Class shares if the shareholders meet the minimum initial investment and
the specific eligibility requirements. Shareholders of Institutional Class shares may exchange their shares for Class A shares of the funds in the Family of Funds. The Class A shares will subject to all of the Class A Share
conditions, including any applicable sales charges. No exchanges of Class C shares are allowed with a Fund that does not offer such Class of shares. Any contingent deferred sales charge applicable to exchanged Class A, Class B or
Class C shares will be calculated from the date of the initial purchase. Such transactions generally have the same tax consequences as ordinary sales and purchases. No service fee is presently imposed on such an exchange. They are not tax-free
exchanges.
Exchanges are made promptly upon receipt of a properly completed Exchange Authorization form and (if issued) share
certificates in good order for transfer. If the shareholder is a corporation, partnership, agent, fiduciary or surviving joint owner, additional documentation of a customary nature, such as a stock power and guaranteed signature, will be required.
(See How to Redeem Shares)
The exchange privilege is not intended as a vehicle for short-term or excessive
trading. At the discretion of the management of the Fund, upon notice to shareholders, this privilege may be changed or discontinued at any time.
Before exchanging your shares for shares of another mutual fund in the Family of Funds that is distributed by the Distributor and offered through another prospectus, you should request the prospectus of
the mutual fund into which you are contemplating exchanging your shares and review it carefully, as the other mutual fund may be subject to fees, charges or expenses that are different from the shares that you are exchanging.
Exchange By Telephone
A shareholder may exchange shares by telephone by calling the Fund at
(800) 820-0888, on weekdays (except holidays) between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Exchange requests received after the close of the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) will be treated as if received on the
next business day. Shares which are held in certificate form may not be exchanged by telephone.
The Transfer Agent has
established procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine and may be liable for any losses due to fraudulent or unauthorized instructions if it fails to comply with its procedures. The Transfer Agents procedures
require that any person requesting an exchange by telephone provide the account registration and number, the tax identification number, the dollar amount or number of shares to be exchanged, and the names of the fund(s) in the Family of Funds from
which and into which the exchange is to be made, and such instructions must be received on a recorded line. Neither the Fund, the Transfer Agent nor the Distributor will be liable for any loss, liability, cost or expense arising out of any request,
including any fraudulent request, provided the Transfer Agent complied with its procedures. Thus, a shareholder who authorizes telephone exchanges may bear the risk of loss from a fraudulent or unauthorized request. This telephone exchange privilege
may be changed or discontinued at any time at the discretion of the management of the Fund. In particular, the Fund may set limits on the amount and frequency of such exchanges, in general or as to any individual who abuses such privilege.
51
D
IVIDENDS
AND
T
AXES
It is the
Funds policy to pay dividends from net investment income as from time to time declared by the Board of Directors and to distribute realized capital gains (if any) in excess of any capital losses and capital loss carryovers, at least once a
year. Because Class A shares of the Fund bear most of the costs of distribution of such shares through payment of a front-end sales charge and Institutional Class shares bear no distribution expenses, while Class B and Class C shares
of the Fund bear such costs through a higher distribution fee, expenses attributable to Class B and Class C shares, generally, will be higher and as a result, income distributions paid by the Fund with respect to Class B and
Class C shares generally will be lower than those paid with respect to Class A and Institutional Class shares. Because the value of a share is based directly on the amount of the net assets rather than on the principle of supply and
demand, any distribution of capital gains or payment of an income dividend will result in a decrease in the value of a share equal to the amount paid. All such dividends and distributions are automatically reinvested on the payable date in shares of
the Fund at NAV as of the record date (reduced by an amount equal to the amount of the dividend or distribution), unless the Transfer Agent is previously notified in writing by the shareholder that such dividends or distributions are to be received
in cash. A shareholder may request that such dividends or distributions be directly deposited to the shareholders bank account. A shareholder who elected not to reinvest dividends or distributions paid with respect to Class A shares may,
at any time within 30 days after the payment date, reinvest a dividend check without imposition of a sales charge.
The Fund
will not pay dividends or distributions of less than $25 in cash but will automatically reinvest them. Distributions of net investment income and any short-term capital gains by the Fund are taxable as ordinary income whether received in cash or
reinvested in additional shares.
Tax Considerations
The following summarizes certain federal
income tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here is not intended as a substitute for
careful tax planning. The discussion is based upon present provisions of the Code, the regulations promulgated thereunder, and judicial and administrative ruling authorities, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect.
Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisers with regard to the federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, and disposition of Fund shares, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, foreign country,
or other taxing jurisdiction.
The Fund intends to qualify annually and to elect to be treated as a regulated investment
company under the Code. To qualify as a regulated investment company, the Fund must, among other things: (i) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities
loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such
stock, securities, or currencies (Qualifying Income Test); (ii) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the taxable year (or within 30 days after such quarter), (a) at least 50% of the market value of the
Funds assets is represented by cash, cash items, U.S. government securities, the securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities, with such other securities of any one issuer limited for the purposes of this
calculation to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Funds total assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities of
any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other regulated investment companies), of two or more issuers which the Fund controls (as that term is defined in the relevant provisions of the Code) and which are
determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships; and (iii) distribute at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable
income (which includes, among other items, dividends, interest, and net short-term capital gains in excess of any net long-term capital losses), determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and its net tax-exempt interest each
taxable year.
The Treasury Department is authorized to promulgate regulations under which foreign currency gains would
constitute qualifying income for purposes of the Qualifying Income Test only if such gains are directly related to investing in securities (or options and futures with respect to securities). To date, no such regulations have been issued.
Certain requirements relating to the qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company may limit the extent to
which the Fund will be able to engage in certain investment practices, including transactions in futures contracts and other types of derivative securities transactions. In addition, if the Fund were unable to dispose of portfolio securities due to
settlement problems relating to foreign investments or due to the holding of illiquid securities, the Funds ability to qualify as a regulated investment company might be affected.
52
The Fund qualifying as a regulated investment company generally will not be subject to U.S.
federal income tax on its investment company taxable income and net capital gains (any net long-term capital gains in excess of the net short-term capital losses), if any, that it distributes to shareholders. The Fund intends to distribute to its
shareholders, at least annually, all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net capital gains.
Generally, regulated investment companies, like the Fund, must distribute amounts on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year
distribution requirement in order to avoid a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax. Generally, to avoid the tax, a regulated investment company must distribute during each calendar year: (i) at least 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into
account any capital gains or losses) for the calendar year, (ii) at least 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the 12-month period ending on October 31 of the calendar year,
and (iii) all ordinary income and capital gains for previous years that were not distributed or taxed during such years. To avoid application of the excise tax, the Fund intends to make its distributions in accordance with the calendar year
distribution requirement. A distribution will be treated as paid on December 31 of the calendar year if it is declared by the Fund in October, November or December of that year to shareholders of record on a date in such a month and paid by the
Fund during January of the following calendar year. Such distributions are taxable to shareholders in the calendar year in which the distributions are declared, rather than the calendar year in which the distributions are received.
If the Fund were unable to distribute an amount equal to substantially all of its investment company taxable income (as determined for
U.S. tax purposes) within applicable time periods, the Fund would not qualify for the favorable federal income tax treatment afforded regulated investment companies, or, even if it did so qualify, it might become liable for federal taxes on
undistributed income. In addition, the ability of the Fund to obtain timely and accurate information relating to its investments is a significant factor in complying with the requirements applicable to regulated investment companies in making
tax-related computations. Thus, if the Fund were unable to obtain accurate information on a timely basis, it might be unable to qualify as a regulated investment company, or its tax computations might be subject to revisions (which could result in
the imposition of taxes, interest and penalties).
All dividends from net investment income, together with distributions of
any realized net short-term capital gains, whether paid direct to the shareholder or reinvested in shares of the Fund, are generally taxable as ordinary income.
For federal income tax purposes, dividends paid by the Fund from net investment income may qualify for the corporate stockholders dividends received deduction to the extent the Fund reports the
amount distributed as a qualified dividend. The aggregate amount reported as a qualified dividend by the Fund cannot exceed the aggregate amount of dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations for the taxable year. The corporate
dividends received deduction will be limited if the shares with respect to which the dividends are received are treated as debt-financed or are deemed to have been held less than 46 days. In addition, a corporate stockholder must hold Fund shares
for at least 46 days to be eligible to claim the dividends received deduction.
The excess of net long-term capital gains over
short-term capital losses realized and distributed by the Fund or reinvested in Fund shares will generally be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain. Net capital gains from assets held for one year or less will be taxed as ordinary
income. Distributions will be subject to these capital gains rates regardless of how long a shareholder has held Fund shares. Advice as to the tax status of each years dividends and distributions will be mailed annually. A purchase of shares
shortly before payment of a dividend or distribution may be disadvantageous because the dividend or distribution to the purchaser has the effect of reducing the per share NAV of the shares by the amount of the dividends or distributions. In
addition, all or a portion of such dividends or distributions (although in effect a return of capital) may be taxable.
For
taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, the maximum individual rate applicable to qualified dividend income and long-term capital gains is either 15% or 20%, depending on whether the individuals income exceeds certain
threshold amounts. The aggregate amount designated as qualified dividend income by the Fund cannot exceed the aggregate amount of dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations for the taxable
year. Qualified dividend income will be limited if the shares with respect to which the dividends are received are deemed to have been held less than 61 days. The rate reductions do not apply to corporate taxpayers or to foreign shareholders. The
Fund will be able to separately report distributions of any qualifying long-term capital gains or qualifying dividends earned by the Fund that would be eligible for the lower maximum rate. A Fund shareholder would also have to satisfy a more than
60-day holding period with respect to any distributions of qualifying dividends in order to obtain the benefit of the lower rate. Distributions from income derived from interest on bonds and other debt instruments will not generally qualify for the
lower rates. Further, because many companies in which the Fund invests do not pay significant dividends on their stock, the Fund may not derive significant amounts of qualifying dividend income that would be eligible for the lower rate on qualifying
dividends.
53
For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, an additional 3.8% Medicare tax
will be imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts
to the extent that such persons modified adjusted gross income (in the case of an individual) or adjusted gross income (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds certain threshold amounts.
Generally, gain or loss realized upon the sale or redemption of shares (including the exchange of shares for shares of another fund) will
be capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholders hands and will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains or losses if the shares had been held for more than one year at the time of sale or redemption.
Net capital gains on shares held for less than one year will be taxable to shareholders as short-term capital gains. Investors should be aware that any loss realized upon the sale, exchange or redemption of shares held for six months or less will be
treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distribution of long-term capital gain to the shareholder with respect to such shares. In addition, any loss realized on a sale, exchange or redemption of shares will be disallowed to the
extent the shares disposed of are replaced within a period of 61 days, beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date the shares are disposed of, such as pursuant to the reinvestment of dividends. In such case, the basis of the shares
acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
Under certain circumstances, the sales charge incurred in acquiring
Class A shares of the Fund may not be taken into account in determining the gain or loss on the disposition of those shares. This rule generally applies in circumstances when shares of the Fund are disposed of within 90 days after the date they
were purchased and new shares in a regulated investment company are acquired before January 31 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the original stock was disposed of without a sales charge or at a reduced sales charge. In
that case, the gain or loss recognized on the exchange will be determined by excluding from the tax basis of the shares exchanged all or a portion of the sales charge incurred in acquiring those shares. This exclusion applies to the extent that the
otherwise applicable sales charge with respect to the newly acquired shares is reduced as a result of having incurred the sales charge initially. Instead, the portion of the sales charge affected by this rule will be treated as an amount paid for
the new shares.
Cost Basis Reporting
Shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012 are generally considered covered shares.
The Fund must report cost basis information to you and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) when covered shares are redeemed. The Fund will use a default average cost method for reporting your cost basis for covered shares, unless you
instruct us otherwise in writing, to use another method. If you wish to choose another default cost basis method for your account you may select among: FIFO (first-in-first-out), LIFO (last-in-first-out) and HIFO
(highest-cost-in-first-out). For redemptions of shares acquired before January 1, 2012 (non-covered shares), the Fund is not required to report cost basis information to you or the IRS.
Accounts opened through a financial intermediary may be subject to different cost basis policies. For more information about your financial
intermediarys rules and procedures, you should contact your financial intermediary directly.
Fund shareholders should consult with
their tax advisors to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the new cost basis rules apply to their particular circumstances.
Back-up Withholding
The Fund generally will be required to withhold federal income tax (currently, at a
rate of 28%) (back-up withholding) from dividends paid (other than exempt-interest dividends), capital gain distributions and redemption proceeds to shareholders if (1) the shareholder fails to furnish the Fund with the
shareholders correct taxpayer identification number or social security number; (2) the IRS notifies the shareholder or the Fund that the shareholder has failed to report properly certain interest and dividend income to the IRS and to
respond to notices to that effect; or (3) when required to do so, the shareholder fails to certify that he or she is not subject to back-up withholding. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholders federal income tax
liability.
Passive Foreign Investment Companies
The Fund may invest in stocks of foreign
companies that are classified under the Code as passive foreign investment companies (PFICs). In general, a foreign company is classified as a PFIC if at least one half of its assets constitutes investment-type assets or 75% or more of
its gross income is investment-type income. Under the PFIC rules, an excess distribution received with respect to PFIC stock is treated as having been realized ratably over a period during which the Fund held the PFIC stock. The Fund
itself will be subject to tax on the portion, if any, of the excess distribution that is allocated to the Funds holding period in prior taxable years (an interest factor will be added to
54
the tax, as if the tax had actually been payable in such prior taxable years) even though the Fund distributes the corresponding income to shareholders. Excess distributions include any gain from
the sale of PFIC stock as well as certain distributions from a PFIC. All excess distributions are taxable as ordinary income.
The Fund may be able to elect alternative tax treatment with respect to PFIC stock. Under an election that may be available, the Fund
generally would be required to include in its gross income its share of the earnings of a PFIC on a current basis, regardless of whether any distributions are received from the PFIC. If this election is made, the special rules, discussed above,
relating to the taxation of excess distributions, would not apply. In addition, another election may be available that would involve marking to market the Funds PFIC stock at the end of each taxable year (and on certain other dates prescribed
in the Code) with the result that unrealized gains are treated as though they were realized. If this election were made, tax at the Fund level under the PFIC rules would be eliminated, but the Fund could, in limited circumstances, incur
nondeductible interest charges. The Funds intention to qualify annually as a regulated investment company may limit the Funds elections with respect to PFIC stock.
Although not required to do so, it is likely that the Fund will choose to make the mark to market election with respect to PFIC stock acquired and held. If this election is made, the Fund may be required
to make ordinary dividend distributions to its shareholders based on the Funds unrealized gains for which no cash has been generated through disposition or sale of the shares of PFIC stock.
Because the application of the PFIC rules may affect, among other things, the character of gains, the amount of gain or loss and the
timing of the recognition of income with respect to PFIC stock, as well as subject the Fund itself to tax on certain income from PFIC stock, the amount that must be distributed to shareholders and which will be taxed to shareholders as ordinary
income or long-term capital gain, may be increased or decreased substantially as compared to a fund that did not invest in PFIC stock.
Options, Futures, Forward Contracts and Swap Agreements
Certain options, futures contracts, and forward contracts in which the Fund may invest may be Section 1256 contracts. Gains or losses on Section 1256
contracts generally are considered 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses; however, foreign currency gains or losses arising from certain Section 1256 contracts may be treated as ordinary income or loss. Also,
Section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of each taxable year (and at certain other times as prescribed pursuant to the Code) are marked to market with the result that unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they
were realized.
Generally, the hedging transactions undertaken by the Fund may result in straddles for U.S.
federal income tax purposes. The straddle rules may affect the character of gains (or losses) realized by the Fund. The transactions may increase the amount of short-term capital gain realized by the Fund which is taxed as ordinary income when
distributed to shareholders. In addition, losses realized by the Fund on positions that are part of a straddle may be deferred under the straddle rules, rather than being taken into account in calculating the taxable income for the taxable year in
which such losses are realized. Certain carrying charges (including interest expense) associated with positions in a straddle may be required to be capitalized rather than deducted currently. Because only a few regulations implementing the straddle
rules have been promulgated, the tax consequences of transactions in options, futures, forward contracts, swap agreements and other financial contracts to the Fund are not entirely clear.
The Fund may make one or more of the elections available under the Code which are applicable to straddles. If the Fund makes any of the
elections, the amount, character and timing of the recognition of gains or losses from the affected straddle positions will be determined under rules that vary according to the election(s) made. The rules applicable under certain of the elections
may operate to accelerate the recognition of gains or losses from the affected straddle positions.
Because application of the
straddle rules may affect the character of gains or losses, defer losses and/or accelerate the recognition of gains or losses from the affected straddle positions, the amount which must be distributed to shareholders, and which will be taxed to
shareholders as ordinary income or long-term capital gain, may be increased or decreased as compared to a fund that did not engage in such hedging transactions.
Because only a few regulations regarding the treatment of swap agreements and related caps, floors and collars have been implemented, the tax consequences of such transactions are not entirely clear. The
Fund intends to account for such transactions in a manner deemed by them to be appropriate, but the Internal Revenue Service might not necessarily accept such treatment. If it did not, the status of the Fund as a regulated investment company might
be affected or taxes and interest may be imposed upon the examination and challenged by the Internal Revenue Service.
55
Certain of the Funds investments may be subject to special U.S. federal income tax
provisions that may, among other things, (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (ii) convert lower-taxed long-term capital gain into higher-taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary income,
(iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss, the deductibility of which is more limited, (iv) adversely affect when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (v) adversely alter the intended
characterization of certain complex financial transactions and (vi) produce income that will not constitute qualifying income for purposes of the Qualifying Income Test. The application of these rules could cause the Fund to be subject to U.S.
federal income tax or the nondeductible 4% excise tax and, under certain circumstances, could affect the Funds status as a regulated investment company. The Fund will monitor its investments and may make certain tax elections in order to
mitigate the effect of these provisions.
The requirements applicable to the Funds qualification as a regulated
investment company may limit the extent to which the Fund will be able to engage in transactions in options, futures contracts, forward contracts, swap agreements and other financial contracts.
Market Discount
If the Fund purchases a debt security at a price lower than the stated redemption price of
such debt security, the excess of the stated redemption price over the purchase amount is market discount. If the amount of market discount is more than a
de minimis
amount, a portion of such market discount must be included as
ordinary income (not capital gain) by the Fund in each taxable year in which the Fund owns an interest in such debt security and receives a principal payment on it. In particular, the Fund will be required to allocate that principal payment first to
a portion of the market discount on the debt security that has accrued but has not previously been includable in income. In general, the amount of market discount that must be included for each period is equal to the lesser of (i) the amount of
market discount accruing during such period (plus any accrued market discount for prior periods not previously taken into account) or (ii) the amount of the principal payment with respect to such period. Generally, market discount accrues on a
daily basis for each day the debt security is held by the Fund at a constant rate over the time remaining to the debt securitys maturity or, at the election of the Fund, at a constant yield to maturity which takes into account the semi-annual
compounding of interest. Gain realized on the disposition of a market discount obligation must be recognized as ordinary interest income (not capital gain) to the extent of the accrued market discount. The Fund may elect to include
market discount in income currently. If this election is made, it will apply to all debt securities that the Fund holds which have market discount.
Original Issue Discount
Certain debt securities acquired by the Fund may be treated as debt securities that were originally issued at a discount. Very
generally, original issue discount is defined as the difference between the price at which a security was issued and its stated redemption price at maturity. Although no cash income on account of such discount is actually received by the Fund,
original issue discount that accrues on a debt security in a given year generally is treated for federal income tax purposes as interest, and, therefore, such income would be subject to the distribution requirements applicable to regulated
investment companies.
Some debt securities may be purchased by the Fund at a discount that exceeds the original issue
discount on such debt securities, if any. This additional discount represents market discount for federal income tax purposes (see above).
Constructive Sales
These rules may affect timing and character of gain if the Fund engages in transactions that reduce or eliminate its risk of loss with respect to appreciated financial positions. If the Fund enters into
certain transactions in property while holding substantially identical property, the Fund would be treated as if it had sold and immediately repurchased the property and would be taxed on any gain (but not loss) from the constructive sale. The
character of gain from a constructive sale would depend upon the Funds holding period in the property. Loss from a constructive sale would be recognized when the property was subsequently disposed of, and its character would depend on the
Funds holding period and the application of various loss deferral provisions of the Code.
Foreign
Taxation
Income received by the Fund from sources within a foreign country may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by that country. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such
taxes.
The payment of such taxes will reduce the amount of dividends and distributions paid to the Funds shareholders.
If more than 50% of the value of the Funds total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of securities of foreign corporations, the Fund will be eligible and may elect to treat a proportionate amount of certain foreign taxes paid by
it as a distribution to each shareholder which would generally permit each shareholder (1) to credit this amount (subject to applicable limitations) or (2) to deduct this amount for purposes of computing its U.S. federal income tax
liability. The Fund will notify you if it makes this election.
56
Furthermore, the amount of the foreign tax credit that is available may be limited to the
extent that dividends from a foreign corporation qualify for the lower tax rate on qualifying dividends.
Foreign Currency Transactions
Under the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange
rates, which occur between the time the Fund accrues income or other receivables or accrues expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time that 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 futures contracts, forward contracts and options, 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 also are 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 Funds investment company taxable income to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income.
Foreign Shareholders
Taxation of a shareholder who, as to the United States, is a nonresident alien individual, foreign trust or estate, foreign corporation,
or foreign partnership (foreign shareholder) depends on whether the income from the Fund is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by such shareholder. If the income from the Fund is not effectively
connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, ordinary income dividends (including distributions of any net short-term capital gains) will generally be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or lower
treaty rate) upon the gross amount of the dividend. Note that the preferential rate of tax applicable to certain dividends (discussed above) does not apply to dividends paid to foreign shareholders. Such a foreign shareholder would generally be
exempt from U.S. federal income tax on gains realized on the sale of shares of the fund, and distributions of net long-term capital gains that are designated as capital gain dividends. If the income from the Fund is effectively connected with a U.S.
trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, then ordinary income dividends, capital gain dividends and any gains realized upon the sale of shares of the Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S.
citizens or domestic corporations.
For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2014 (unless further extended by
Congress), properly designated dividends received by a nonresident alien or foreign entity are generally exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax when they (a) are paid in respect of the Funds qualified net interest income
(generally, the Funds U.S. source interest income, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income), or (b) are paid in connection with the Funds qualified short-term capital gains (generally, the excess of the
Funds net short-term capital gain over the Funds long-term capital loss for such taxable year). However, depending on the circumstances, the Fund may designate all, some or none of the Funds potentially eligible dividends as such
qualified net interest income or as qualified short-term capital gains, and a portion of the Funds distributions (e.g. interest from non-U.S. sources or any foreign currency gains) would be ineligible for this potential exemption from
withholding. There can be no assurance as to whether or not legislation will be enacted to extend this exemption.
Effective
January 1, 2014, the Fund will be required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30% rate) on payments of dividends and (effective January 1, 2017) redemption proceeds made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant
with) with extensive new reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to the Fund to enable
the Fund to determine whether withholding is required.
The tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the
benefits of any applicable tax treaty may be different from those described herein. Foreign shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund, including the
applicability of foreign taxes and the potential applicability of the U.S. estate tax.
Other
Taxes
The foregoing discussion is general in nature and is not intended to provide an exhaustive presentation of the tax consequences of investing in the Fund. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign
taxes, depending on each shareholders particular situation. Depending upon the nature and extent of the Funds contacts with a state or local jurisdiction, the Fund may be subject to the tax laws of such jurisdiction if it is regarded
under applicable law as doing business in, or as having income derived from, the jurisdiction. Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.
57
O
RGANIZATION
The Articles of Incorporation of
Security Equity Fund provide for the issuance of an indefinite number of shares of common stock in one or more classes or series. The shares of each series of Security Equity Fund represent a pro rata beneficial interest in the Funds net
assets and in the earnings and profits or losses derived from the investment of such assets.
Each of the series of Security
Equity Fund may issue different classes of shares which participate proportionately based on their relative NAVs in dividends and distributions and have equal voting, liquidation and other rights except that (1) expenses related to the
distribution of each class of shares or other expenses that the Board of Directors may designate as class expenses from time to time are borne solely by each class; (2) each class of shares has exclusive voting rights with respect to any
Distribution Plan adopted for that class; (3) each class has different exchange privileges; and (4) each class has a different designation. When issued and paid for, the shares will be fully paid and non-assessable by the Fund. Shares may
be exchanged as described under How to Exchange Shares, but will have no other preference, conversion, exchange or preemptive rights. Shares are transferable, redeemable and assignable and have cumulative voting privileges for the
election of directors.
On certain matters, such as the election of directors, all shares of the series of Security Equity
Fund vote together, with each share having one vote. On other matters affecting only a particular Fund, such as the investment advisory contract or the Funds fundamental policies, only shares of that Fund are entitled to vote, and a majority
vote of the shares of that Fund is required for approval of the proposal, except as otherwise required by law.
The Fund does
not generally hold annual meetings of shareholders and will do so only when required by law. Shareholders may remove directors from office by vote cast in person or by proxy at a meeting of shareholders. Such a meeting will be called at the written
request of 10% of the outstanding shares of Security Equity Fund.
C
USTODIANS
,
T
RANSFER
A
GENT
AND
D
IVIDEND
-
PAYING
A
GENT
State Street Bank and Trust Company, 225 Franklin, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, acts as custodian for the portfolio securities of the Fund
including those held by foreign banks and foreign securities depositories which qualify as eligible foreign custodians under the rules adopted by the SEC.
Rydex Fund Services, LLC, an affiliate of the Investment Manager, serves as the transfer and dividend-paying agent for the Fund.
I
NDEPENDENT
R
EGISTERED
P
UBLIC
A
CCOUNTING
F
IRM
The firm of [] serves as the
Funds independent registered public accounting firm and, as such, audits the Funds financial statements and performs other audit-related and tax services.
58
F
INANCIAL
S
TATEMENTS
The current financial statements of
the Fund, which are contained in the Funds March 28, 2013 Semi-Annual Report, are incorporated herein by reference into this Statement of Additional Information. A copy of the Funds Annual Report is provided to every person
requesting a Statement of Additional Information.
Family of Funds
, for disclosure purposes in this Statement of Additional
Information, includeFund of Security Equity Fund: Guggenheim StylePlus Large Core Fund (formerly, Guggenheim Large Cap Core Fund), Guggenheim Alpha Opportunity Fund, Guggenheim World Equity Income Fund (formerly, Guggenheim MSCI EAFE
Equal Weight Institutional Fund) , Guggenheim Mid Cap Value Fund, Guggenheim Mid Cap Value Institutional Fund and Guggenheim Small Cap Value Fund; Guggenheim Large Cap Value Fund; Guggenheim StylePlus - Mid Growth Fund (formerly Guggenheim Mid Cap
Growth Fund); Fund of Security Income Fund: Guggenheim High Yield Fund, Guggenheim Investment Grade Bond Fund (formerly, Guggenheim U.S. Intermediate Bond Fund), Guggenheim Municipal Income Fund, Guggenheim Total Return Bond Fund, Guggenheim Macro
Opportunities Fund, and Guggenheim Floating Rate Strategies Fund; the Rydex Fund Funds; and the Rydex Dynamic Funds.
59