LOGO    Summary Prospectus     February 1, 2013

MassMutual Premier Funds

MassMutual Premier Balanced Fund

Ticker: Class S–MBLDX, Class Y–MBAYX, Class L–MMBLX, Class A–MMBDX

 

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus and other information about the Fund online at www.massmutual.com/funds. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-888-309-3539 or by sending an email request to fundinfo@massmutual.com.

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

This Fund seeks to achieve a high total rate of return over an extended period of time consistent with the preservation of capital by investing in a diversified portfolio of equity securities, fixed income securities, and money market instruments.

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. For Class A shares, you may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in MassMutual funds. More information about these and other discounts is available in the section titled Sales Charges by Class on page 118 of the Fund’s Prospectus or from your financial professional.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

 

     Class S   Class Y   Class L   Class A

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

  None   None   None   5.75%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the lower of the original offering price or redemption proceeds)

  None   None   None   None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

      Class S    Class Y    Class L    Class A

Management Fees

   .48%    .48%    .48%    .48%

Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees

   None    None    None    .25%

Other Expenses

   .17%    .33%    .48%    .48%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

   .04%    .04%    .04%    .04%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (1)

   .69%    .85%    1.00%    1.25%

 

(1)   Because Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses include Acquired Fund fees and expenses, they may not correspond to the ratios of expenses to average daily net assets shown in the “Financial Highlights” tables in the Prospectus, which reflect the operating expenses of the Fund and do not include Acquired Fund fees and expenses.

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. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in each share class of the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. For Class A shares, the example includes the initial sales charge. The example also assumes that your investment earns a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses are exactly as described in the preceding table. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

    1 Year     3 Years     5 Years     10 Years  

Class S

  $ 70      $ 221      $ 384      $ 859   

Class Y

  $ 87      $ 271      $ 471      $ 1,049   

Class L

  $ 102      $ 318      $ 552      $ 1,225   

Class A

  $ 695      $ 949      $ 1,222      $ 1,999   
 

 

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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 Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 228% of the average value of its portfolio.

INVESTMENTS, RISKS, AND PERFORMANCE

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund seeks its investment objective by investing across different asset classes (U.S. equity securities, international equity securities, fixed income securities, including bank loans and Rule 144A securities, and money market instruments), each represented by a different segment of the Fund’s portfolio. Under normal market conditions, the Fund’s subadviser, Babson Capital Management LLC (“Babson Capital”), expects that 40%-70% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in U.S. equity securities (the Core U.S. Equity Segment), 1%-15% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in international equity securities (the Core International Equity Segment), 30%-50% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in fixed income securities (the Core Bond Segment), and up to 30% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in money market instruments (the Money Market Segment). Babson Capital typically adjusts the allocation among the four segments, based on its judgment about each segment’s potential for returns in comparison with those of other segments and corresponding risk. The Fund may hold a portion of its assets in cash or cash equivalents. In unusual circumstances the Fund may, for temporary defensive purposes, invest up to 100% of its total assets in money market instruments or cash. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreement transactions.

The equity securities in which the Fund invests may include common stock (both growth and value stocks), preferred stock, securities convertible into common or preferred stock, rights, and warrants of issuers of any size, exchange-traded funds, and American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). The Fund expects normally to invest most of its assets in common stocks of large capitalization U.S. and international companies (generally common stocks of companies whose market capitalizations at the time

of purchase are within the market capitalization range of companies included in the S&P 500 Index (as of December 31, 2012, $1.63 billion to $499.82 billion)), although it may invest in companies of any size.

Fixed income securities in which the Fund invests primarily include U.S. dollar-denominated corporate obligations, securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities, U.S. and foreign issuer (including issuers in emerging markets) dollar-denominated bonds including, but not limited to, corporate obligations, government and agency issues, private placement bonds, securities subject to resale pursuant to Rule 144A, convertible bonds, mortgage-backed, and other asset-backed securities. The Fund expects that most of its fixed-income investments will be of investment-grade, meaning that they will be rated Baa or higher by Moody’s or BBB or higher by Standard & Poor’s or, if unrated, considered to be of comparable quality by the subadviser, although the Fund may invest any portion of its assets in securities below investment grade (“junk” or “high yield” bonds), including securities in default. In the event that a security is downgraded after its purchase by the Fund, the Fund may continue to hold the security if Babson Capital considers that doing so would be consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. The duration of the Fixed Income segment of the Fund will normally be maintained within +/-10% of the benchmark index, the Barclay’s U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The Fund may but will not necessarily engage in foreign currency forward contracts to take long or short positions in foreign currencies in order to enhance the Fund’s investment return or to attempt to protect against adverse changes in currency exchange rates.

The Fund may (but is not obligated to) use a wide variety of exchange-traded and over-the-counter derivatives, including futures contracts (for hedging purposes, to adjust various portfolio characteristics, including the duration (interest rate volatility) of the Fund’s portfolio of debt securities, or as a substitute for direct investments); interest rate swaps (for hedging purposes or as a substitute for direct investments); total return swaps (for hedging purposes or to gain exposure to securities or markets in which it might not be able to invest directly); and credit default swaps (for hedging purposes, to adjust various portfolio characteristics, including the duration (interest rate volatility) of the Fund’s

 

 

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portfolio of debt securities, or as a substitute for direct investments). Use of derivatives by the Fund may create investment leverage. The Fund may enter into dollar roll and reverse repurchase agreement transactions.

The equity portions of the Fund combine value and growth approaches to achieve a core exposure to the equity markets.

The Fund expects that it will engage in active and frequent trading and so will typically have a relatively high portfolio turnover rate.

Principal Risks

The following are the Principal Risks of the Fund. You have the potential to make money by investing in the Fund, but you can also lose money.

Bank Loans Risk Bank loans in which the Fund may invest have similar risks to lower-rated fixed income securities. Changes in the financial condition of the borrower or economic conditions or other circumstances may reduce the capacity of the borrower to make principal and interest payments on such instruments and may lead to defaults. Senior secured bank loans are supported by collateral; however the value of the collateral may be insufficient to cover the amount owed to the Fund. If the Fund relies on a third party to administer a loan, the Fund is subject to the risk that the third party will fail to perform its obligations. In addition, if the Fund holds only a participation interest in a loan made by a third party, the Fund’s receipt of payments on the loan will be dependent on the third party’s willingness and ability to make those payments to the Fund.

Cash Position Risk The ability of the Fund to meet its objective may be limited to the extent that it holds assets in cash or otherwise uninvested.

Convertible Securities Risk  Convertible securities are subject to the risks of both debt securities and equity securities. The values of convertible securities tend to decline as interest rates rise and, due to the conversion feature, tend to vary with fluctuations in the market value of the underlying common or preferred stock.

Credit Risk  The Fund is subject to the risk that the issuer of an investment held by the Fund or the counterparty to a transaction entered into by the Fund will be unable or unwilling to honor its obligations.

Derivatives Risk Derivatives involve risks different from, and potentially greater than, direct investments, including risks of imperfect correlation between the value of derivatives and underlying assets, counterparty default, potential losses that partially or completely offset gains, and illiquidity. Derivatives can create investment leverage and be highly volatile. Derivatives may result in losses greater than the amount invested. If the value of a derivative does not correlate well with the particular market or asset class the derivative is designed to provide exposure to, the derivative may not have the effect anticipated. Many derivatives are traded in the over-the-counter market and not on exchanges.

Dollar Roll and Reverse Repurchase Agreement Transaction Risk These transactions may create leverage and subject the Fund to the credit risk of the counterparty.

Fixed Income Securities Risk The values of fixed income securities typically will decline during periods of rising interest rates, and can also decline in response to changes in the financial condition of the issuer, borrower, counterparty, or underlying collateral assets, or changes in market, economic, industry, political, and regulatory conditions affecting a particular type of security or issuer or fixed income securities generally. Fixed income securities are subject to interest rate risk (the risk that the value of a fixed income security will fall when interest rates rise), extension risk (the risk that the average life of a security will be extended through a slowing of principal payments), prepayment risk (the risk that a security will be prepaid and the Fund will be required to reinvest at a less favorable rate), and credit risk.

Foreign Investment Risk; Emerging Markets Risk; Currency Risk Foreign securities, including ADRs, are subject to additional risks compared to securities of U.S. issuers, including international trade, currency, political, regulatory, and diplomatic risks. In addition, fluctuations in currency exchange rates may adversely affect the values of foreign securities and the price of the Fund’s shares. Emerging markets securities are subject to greater risks than securities issued in developed foreign markets, including less liquidity, greater price volatility, higher relative rates of inflation, greater political, economic, and social instability, greater custody and operational risks, and greater volatility in currency exchange rates.

 

 

 

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Frequent Trading/Portfolio Turnover Risk Portfolio turnover generally involves some expense to the Fund and may result in the realization of taxable capital gains (including short-term gains). The trading costs and tax effects associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.

Growth Company Risk The prices of growth securities are often more sensitive to market fluctuations because of their heavy dependence on future earnings expectations, and can be more volatile than the market in general.

Leveraging Risk  Instruments and transactions, including derivatives and dollar roll and reverse repurchase agreement transactions, that create leverage may cause the value of an investment in the Fund to be more volatile and all other risks will tend to be compounded.

Liquidity Risk  Certain securities may be difficult (or impossible) to sell or positions difficult to close out at a desirable time and price, and the Fund may be required to hold an investment that is declining in value or be prevented from realizing capital gains.

Lower-Rated Fixed Income Securities Risk Lower-rated securities, commonly known as “junk” or “high yield” bonds, have speculative characteristics and involve greater volatility of price and yield, greater risk of loss of principal and interest, and generally reflect a greater possibility of an adverse change in financial condition that could affect an issuer’s ability to honor its obligations.

Management Risk The Fund relies on the manager’s ability to achieve its investment objective. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve the desired results and the Fund may incur significant losses.

Market Risk The value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may decline, at times sharply and unpredictably, as a result of unfavorable market-induced changes affecting particular industries, sectors, or issuers. Stock market prices in general may decline over short or extended periods, subjecting the Fund to unpredictable declines in the value of its shares and poor performance. The Fund is subject to risks affecting issuers, such as management performance, financial leverage, industry problems, and reduced demand for goods or services.

Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk Investments in mortgage- and asset-backed securities subject the Fund to credit risk, interest rate risk,

extension risk, and prepayment risk, among other risks. Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities not issued by a government agency generally involve greater credit risk than securities issued by government agencies. The types of mortgages (for example, residential or commercial mortgages) underlying securities held by the Fund may differ and be affected differently by market factors. Investments that receive only the interest portion or the principal portion of payments on the underlying assets may be more volatile than other investments. The market for mortgage- and asset- backed securities has recently experienced high volatility and a lack of liquidity. As a result, the value of many of these securities has significantly declined.

Preferred Stock Risk  Preferred stocks are subject to the risks associated with other types of equity securities, as well as additional risks, such as potentially greater volatility and risks related to deferral, non-cumulative dividends, subordination, liquidity, limited voting rights, and special redemption rights.

Repurchase Agreement Risk These transactions must be fully collateralized at all times, but involve some risk to a Fund if the other party should default on its obligation and the Fund is delayed or prevented from recovering the collateral.

Risk of Investment in Other Funds or Pools The Fund is indirectly exposed to all of the risks of the underlying funds, including exchange-traded Funds, in which it invests, including the risk that the underlying funds will not perform as expected. The Fund indirectly pays a portion of the expenses incurred by the underlying funds.

Smaller and Mid-Cap Company Risk  Market risk and liquidity risk are particularly pronounced for securities of smaller companies, which may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than more widely-held securities, and may fluctuate in price more than other securities. Smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources and may be dependent on a limited management group; they may have been recently organized and have little or no track record of success.

U.S. Government Securities Risk Obligations of certain U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, and there can be no assurance that the U.S. government would provide

 

 

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financial support to such agencies and instrumentalities.

Valuation Risk The Fund is subject to the risk of mispricing or improper valuation of its investments, in particular to the extent that its securities are fair valued.

Value Company Risk The value investment approach entails the risk that the market will not recognize a security’s intrinsic value for a long time, or that a stock judged to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced.

When-Issued, Delayed Delivery, and Forward Commitment Transaction Risk These transactions may create leverage and involve a risk of loss if the value of the securities declines prior to settlement.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class S shares. The table shows how the Fund’s average annual returns for 1, 5, and 10 years compare with those of a broad measure of market performance (S&P 500 ® Index) and additional indexes, including an index that provides a comparison relevant to the Fund’s allocation to international investments, an index that provides a comparison relevant to the Fund’s allocation to fixed income investments, and a hypothetical custom index which comprises the S&P 500, MSCI ® EAFE ® , and Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Indexes. Performance for Class A shares of the Fund reflects any applicable sales charge. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. More up-to-date performance information is available at http://www.massmutual.com/funds or by calling 1-888-309-3539 .

Annual Performance

Class S Shares

 

LOGO

 

Highest
Quarter:
    3Q  ’09,        11.34%       Lowest Quarter:     4Q  ’08,        -12.73%   

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Class S only. After-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Average Annual Total Returns

(For the periods ended December 31, 2012)

 

          One
Year
    Five
Years
    Ten
Years
 
Class S   Return Before Taxes     12.45%        3.71%        6.59%   
 

 

 
  Return After Taxes on Distributions     12.06%        3.15%        5.93%   
 

 

 
  Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares     8.41%        2.94%        5.47%   

 

 
Class Y   Return Before Taxes     12.18%        3.52%        6.41%   
Class L   Return Before Taxes     11.92%        3.36%        6.23%   
Class A   Return Before Taxes     5.38%        1.92%        5.37%   
S&P 500 Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes.)     16.00%        1.66%        7.10%   
MSCI EAFE Index (Reflects no deduction for fees or expenses.)     17.32%        -3.69%        8.21%   
Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes.)     4.21%        5.95%        5.18%   
Lipper Balanced Fund Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes.)     11.87%        2.80%        6.50%   
Custom Balanced Index     11.57%        3.72%        6.51%   

MANAGEMENT

Investment Adviser: Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company

Subadviser: Babson Capital Management LLC

Portfolio Managers:

William M. Awad, III is a Managing Director and member of Babson Capital’s Fixed Income Team and manages the Core Bond Segment of the Fund. He has managed the Fund since April 2005.

Chris C. Cao is a Managing Director and member of Babson Capital’s Quantitative Management Equity Team and manages the Core Equity Segment of the Fund. He has managed the Fund since June 2001.

 

 

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Michael F. Farrell is a Managing Director and Head of Babson Capital’s Quantitative Equity Team, manages the Core Equity Segment of the Fund and as lead manager of the Fund is responsible for the Fund’s asset allocation. He has managed the Fund since October 2000.

Mary Wilson Kibbe is a Managing Director and Head of the Fixed Income Team at Babson Capital and manages the Money Market and Core Bond Segments of the Fund. She has managed the Fund since inception.

David L. Nagle is a Managing Director and member of Babson Capital’s Fixed Income Team and manages the Core Bond Segment of the Fund. He has managed the Fund since its inception.

Scott Riecke is a Director and member of the Fixed Income Team at Babson Capital and manages the Money Market Segment of the Fund. He has managed the Fund since July 2009.

Charles S. Sanford is a Managing Director and member of Babson Capital’s Fixed Income Team and manages the Core Bond Segment of the Fund. He has managed the Fund since June 2006.

Scott Simler is a Director and member of the Fixed Income Team at Babson Capital and manages the Money Market Segment of the Fund. He has managed the Fund since July 2009.

Douglas M. Trevallion, II is a Managing Director and member of Babson Capital’s Fixed Income Team and manages the Core Bond Segment of the Fund. He has managed the Fund since October 2008.

PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES

Shares of the Fund are generally available to retirement plans, other institutional investors, and individual retirement accounts. Fund shares are redeemable on any business day by written request, telephone or internet (available to certain customers).

TAX INFORMATION

The Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are an investor eligible for preferential tax treatment.

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the intermediary may receive a one-time or continuing payments from the Fund, MassMutual or its affiliates, or others for the sale of Fund shares or continuing shareholder services provided by the intermediary. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary to recommend the Fund over another investment. You should contact your intermediary to obtain more information about the compensation it may receive in connection with your investment.

 

 

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