Under normal circumstances, we invest:

We invest principally in short-term municipal securities of states, territories and possessions of the United States whose interest is exempt from federal income tax, but not necessarily federal AMT. Some of the securities may be below investment grade or may be unrated and deemed by us to be of comparable quality. We may also invest a portion of the Fund’s assets in securities whose interest is subject to federal AMT. We may use futures for duration and yield curve management. While we may purchase securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, we expect the Fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity to be 1 year or less.

We use a combination of top-down and bottom-up research to cover the four main elements of total return: duration management, yield curve positioning, sector and credit quality allocation, and security selection. Our top-down analysis involves an evaluation of macroeconomic factors that may include, among others, the pace of economic growth, employment conditions, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy. Our bottom-up analysis, which involves intensive research into the credit fundamentals of individual issuers and the relative value of individual issues, is used to uncover solid investment opportunities. Securities are selected based on several factors, including, among others, improving financial trends, positive industry and sector dynamics, improving economic conditions, and specific demographic trends. Securities may be sold based on relative value considerations and could be replaced with a security that presents a better value or risk/reward profile. A security may also be sold due to changes in credit characteristics or outlook, as well as changes in portfolio strategy or cash flow needs.