To pursue its goals, the Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in securities of municipal issuers within the U.S. and its territories; however, the Fund may invest without limit in municipal securities the interest on which may be an item of tax preference for purposes of the federal alternative minimum tax (“Tax Preference Item”). The Fund’s dividends are generally exempt from federal income tax, although shareholders may have to pay an alternative minimum tax on income deemed to be a Tax Preference Item. A portion of the dividends you receive may also be exempt from state and local income taxes, depending on where you live.

Municipal securities include securities issued by U.S. states, any of their political subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities, or by U.S. territories and possessions, such as Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, and their political subdivisions and public corporations.

The Fund may invest in debt securities across the credit spectrum, including investment grade securities, below investment grade securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”), and unrated securities. The Fund normally will not invest more than 15% of its total assets in below investment grade securities. The Fund considers debt securities to be below investment grade if, at the time of investment, they are rated below the four highest categories by at least one independent credit rating agency or, if unrated, are determined by the Portfolio Managers to be of comparable quality. The Fund may invest in or continue to hold securities that the Portfolio Managers believe have ratings or other factors that imply an imminent risk of default or that are in default or have defaulted with respect to the payment of interest or repayment of principal, depending on the Portfolio Managers’ evaluation of the investment opportunity.

The Fund seeks to minimize its exposure to credit risk by diversifying its assets among many municipal issuers and among the different types and maturities of municipal securities available. The Portfolio Managers monitor national trends in the municipal securities market, as well as a range of economic, financial and political factors. As part of the investment process, the Portfolio Managers analyze individual issues and look for securities that they believe offer compelling risk-adjusted return potential (based on some or all of the following, among other things, an analysis of cash flows, ability to pay principal and interest, balance sheet composition, and market positioning), with a secondary emphasis on duration control (i.e., monitoring and managing interest rate risk) and yield curve positioning (i.e., seeking attractive maturities on the yield curve). As part of their fundamental investment analysis the Portfolio Managers consider Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors they believe are financially material to individual investments, where applicable, as described below. While this analysis is inherently subjective and may be informed by internally generated and third-party metrics, data and other information, the Portfolio Managers believe that the consideration of financially material ESG factors, alongside traditional financial metrics, may improve credit analysis, security selection, relative value analysis and enhance the Fund’s overall investment process. The specific ESG factors considered and scope and application of integration may vary depending on the specific investment and/or investment type. The consideration of ESG factors does not apply to certain instruments, such as certain derivative instruments, other registered investment companies, cash and cash equivalents. The consideration of ESG factors as part of the investment process does not mean that the Fund pursues a specific “impact” or “sustainable” investment strategy.

The Fund may sell securities if the Portfolio Managers find an opportunity they believe is more compelling or if the Portfolio Managers’ outlook on the investment or the market changes.

The Fund may invest in tender option bonds (which include inverse floaters created as part of tender option bond transactions). The Fund may also invest in derivative instruments as a means of hedging risk and/or for investment or efficient portfolio management purposes, which may include altering the Fund’s exposure to interest rates, sectors and individual issuers and increasing the Fund’s investment exposure beyond that which it could achieve by investing directly in more conventional securities. These derivative instruments may include options, futures (including Treasury futures), inverse floating rate securities and swaps, such as total return swaps, credit default swaps and interest rate swaps. In an effort to achieve its goal, the Fund may engage in active and frequent trading.

Although it may invest in securities of any maturity, the Fund normally seeks to maintain an average weighted portfolio duration of between three and seven years.

The Fund may not change its fundamental policy of normally investing at least 80% of its total assets in securities of municipal issuers without shareholder approval. This test is applied at the time the Fund invests; later percentage changes caused by a change in Fund assets or market values will not require the Fund to dispose of a holding.

The Fund is not an appropriate investment for tax-advantaged retirement accounts, such as 401(k) plan accounts or individual retirement accounts or for investors subject to the federal alternative minimum tax, and may not be beneficial for investors in low tax brackets.