The fund seeks to achieve its objectives by primarily investing in municipal bonds issued by the state of California and its agencies and municipalities. Consistent with the fund’s objectives, the fund may also invest in municipal securities that are issued by jurisdictions outside California. Municipal bonds are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of public facilities. The fund may also invest in bonds exempt from federal and state taxation that are used to fund private projects.

Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in, or derive at least 80% of its income from, securities that are exempt from both regular federal and California income taxes and that do not subject you to federal alternative minimum tax. The fund may also invest up to 20% of its assets in “private activity bonds” whose interest is generally subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. The fund is intended primarily for taxable residents of California.

The fund will invest primarily in debt securities rated BBB- or better or Baa3 or better by Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations designated by the fund’s investment adviser, or unrated but determined by the fund’s investment adviser to be of equivalent quality. The fund may also invest in debt securities rated BB+ or below and Ba1 or below by Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations designated by the fund’s investment adviser, or unrated but determined by the fund’s investment adviser to be of equivalent quality. Such securities are sometimes referred to as “junk bonds.”

The investment adviser uses a system of multiple portfolio managers in managing the fund’s assets. Under this approach, the portfolio of the fund is divided into segments managed by individual managers.

The fund relies on the professional judgment of its investment adviser to make decisions about the fund’s portfolio investments. The basic investment philosophy of the investment adviser is to seek to invest in attractively priced securities that, in its opinion, represent good, long-term investment opportunities. Securities may be sold when the investment adviser believes that they no longer represent relatively attractive investment opportunities.