Fund Summary
The fund seeks to maximize current income exempt from federal income tax to the extent consistent with the preservation of capital.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in certain funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the Shareholder Guide section beginning on page 9 of this prospectus and in the How to Buy Shares section and the Additional Information About How to Buy Shares section beginning on page II-1 and page III-1, respectively, of the fund's Statement of Additional Information. Class Z shared generally are not available for new accounts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
|
|
|
Class A
|
|
Class C
|
Class Z
|
|
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases
(as a percentage of offering price)
|
4.50
|
|
none
|
none
|
|
Maximum deferred sales charge (load)
(as a percentage of lower of purchase or sale price)
|
none
*
|
|
1.00
|
none
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
|
|
|
Class A
|
|
Class C
|
Class Z
|
|
Management fees
|
.55
|
|
.55
|
.55
|
|
Distribution (12b-1) fees
|
none
|
|
.75
|
none
|
|
Other expenses
(including shareholder services fees)
**
|
.37
|
|
.38
|
.32
|
|
Total annual fund operating expenses
|
.92
|
|
1.68
|
.87
|
*
Class A shares bought without an initial sales charge as part of an investment of $1 million or more may be charged a deferred sales charge of 1.00% if redeemed within one year.
**
Other expenses include interest expense associated with the fund's investment in inverse floaters. Not shown in the table is additional income generated by the investments which was approximately the same as the interest expense.
Example
The 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 fund's operating expenses remain the same. 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 A
|
$540
|
$730
|
$936
|
$1,530
|
|
Class C
|
$271
|
$530
|
$913
|
$1,987
|
|
Class Z
|
$89
|
$278
|
$482
|
$1,073
|
1
You would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your shares:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 Year
|
3 Years
|
5 Years
|
10 Years
|
|
Class A
|
$540
|
$730
|
$936
|
$1,530
|
|
Class C
|
$171
|
$530
|
$913
|
$1,987
|
|
Class Z
|
$89
|
$278
|
$482
|
$1,073
|
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 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 16.55% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategy
To pursue its goal, the fund normally invests substantially all of its assets in municipal bonds that provide income exempt from federal income tax. Municipal bonds are debt securities or other obligations issued by states, territories and possessions of the United States (such as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands) and the District of Columbia and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, or multistate agencies and authorities, and certain other specified securities, the interest from which is, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer, exempt from federal income tax. The fund invests at least 70% of its assets in municipal bonds rated investment grade (i.e., Baa/BBB or higher) or the unrated equivalent as determined by The Dreyfus Corporation. For additional yield, the fund may invest up to 30% of its assets in municipal bonds rated below investment grade ("high yield" or "junk" bonds) or the unrated equivalent as determined by The Dreyfus Corporation. The dollar-weighted average maturity of the fund's portfolio normally exceeds ten years, but the fund may invest without regard to maturity.
The portfolio managers focus on identifying undervalued sectors and securities and select municipal bonds by (i) using fundamental credit analysis to estimate the relative value and attractiveness of various sectors and securities and to exploit pricing inefficiencies in the municipal bond market, and (ii) actively trading among various sectors based on their apparent relative values.
Although the fund seeks to provide income exempt from federal income tax, the fund may invest without limitation in municipal bonds the income from which is subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. In addition, the fund may invest temporarily in taxable obligations. During such periods, the fund may not achieve its investment objective.
The fund may buy securities that pay interest at rates that float inversely with changes in prevailing interest rates (inverse floaters) in an effort to increase returns, to manage interest rate risk or as part of a hedging strategy.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. It is not a complete investment program. The fund's share price fluctuates, sometimes dramatically, which means you could lose money.
·
Municipal securities risk
. The amount of public information available about municipal securities is generally less than that for corporate equities or bonds. Special factors, such as legislative changes, and state and local economic and business developments, may adversely affect the yield and/or value of the fund's investments in municipal securities. Other factors include the general conditions of the municipal securities market, the size of the particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. Changes in economic, business or political conditions relating to a particular municipal project, municipality, or state, territory or possession of the United States in which the fund invests may have an impact on the fund's share price. Puerto Rico, for example, is facing significant fiscal challenges, including persistent government deficits, underfunded public pensions, sizable debt service obligations and a high unemployment rate. Many rating agencies have downgraded Puerto Rico's various municipal issuers, including the Commonwealth itself and its general obligation debt. If the economic situation in Puerto Rico persists or worsens, to the extent the fund invests in municipal bonds issued in Puerto Rico, the volatility, credit quality and performance of the fund could be adversely affected.
·
Interest rate risk.
Prices of bonds tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in rates will adversely affect bond prices and, accordingly, the fund's share price. The longer the effective maturity and duration of the fund's fixed-income portfolio, the more the fund's share price is likely to react to interest rates. For example, the
2
market price of a fixed-income security with a duration of three years would be expected to decline 3% if interest rates rose 1%. Conversely, the market price of the same security would be expected to increase 3% if interest rates fell 1%.
·
Credit risk
. Failure of an issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, or a decline or perception of a decline in the credit quality of a bond, can cause the bond's price to fall, potentially lowering the fund's share price. The lower a bond's credit rating, the greater the chance – in the rating agency's opinion – that the bond issuer will default or fail to meet its payment obligations. Although the fund invests primarily in investment grade bonds, the fund may invest to a limited extent in high yield bonds. High yield ("junk") bonds involve greater credit risk, including the risk of default, than investment grade bonds, and are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's ability to make principal and interest payments. The prices of high yield bonds can fall dramatically in response to bad news about the issuer or its industry, or the economy in general.
·
Liquidity risk.
When there is little or no active trading market for specific types of securities, it can become more difficult to sell the securities in a timely manner at or near their perceived value. In such a market, the value of such securities and the fund's share price may fall dramatically, even during periods of declining interest rates. The secondary market for certain municipal bonds tends to be less well developed or liquid than many other securities markets, which may adversely affect the fund's ability to sell such municipal bonds at attractive prices.
·
Inverse floating rate securities risk
. The interest payment received on inverse floating rate securities generally will decrease when short-term interest rates increase. Inverse floaters are derivatives that involve leverage and could magnify the fund's gains or losses.
The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The bar chart shows changes in the performance of the fund's Class A shares from year to year. The table compares the average annual total returns of the fund's shares to those of a broad measure of market performance. The fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future. Sales charges, if any, are not reflected in the bar chart, and if those charges were included, returns would have been less than those shown. More recent performance information may be available at
www.dreyfus.com
.
|
|
|
|
Year-by-Year Total Returns
as of 12/31 each year (%)
Class A
|
|
|
Best Quarter
Q3, 2009: 8.05%
Worst Quarter
Q4, 2010: -5.46%
|
The year-to-date total return of the fund's Class A shares as of June 30, 2013 was -2.75%.
After-tax performance is shown only for Class A shares. After-tax performance of the fund's other share classes will vary. 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 the investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average Annual Total Returns
(as of 12/31/12)
|
|
Class
|
1 Year
|
5 Years
|
10 Years
|
Since Inception
|
|
Class A
returns before taxes
|
2.65%
|
3.94%
|
3.95%
|
-
|
|
Class A
returns after taxes on distributions
|
2.63%
|
3.94%
|
3.94%
|
-
|
|
Class A
returns after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares
|
2.86%
|
3.95%
|
3.98%
|
-
|
|
Class C
returns before taxes
|
5.65%
|
4.15%
|
3.67%
|
-
|
|
Class Z
(inception date - 10/14/04) returns before taxes
|
7.52%
|
4.96%
|
-
|
4.44%
|
|
Barclays Municipal Bond Index
reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes
|
6.78%
|
5.91%
|
5.10%
|
5.15%
*
|
|
*
Based on the life of Class Z. For comparative purposes, the value of the index on September 30, 2004 is used as the beginning value on October 14, 2004.
|
The fund's investment adviser is The Dreyfus Corporation (Dreyfus). The fund's primary portfolio manager is Daniel Rabasco, a position he has held since February 2012. Mr. Rabasco is the Chief Investment Officer for Tax Sensitive Fixed Income at Standish Mellon Asset Management Company LLC, an affiliate of Dreyfus. Mr. Rabasco is also an employee of Dreyfus.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
In general, for each share class, the fund's minimum initial investment is $1,000 and the minimum subsequent investment is $100. You may sell (redeem) your shares on any business day by calling 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only) or by visiting
www.dreyfus.com
. If you invested in the fund through a third party, such as a bank, broker-dealer or financial adviser, you may mail your request to sell shares to Dreyfus Institutional Department, P.O. Box 9882, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8082. If you invested directly through the fund, you may mail your request to sell shares to Dreyfus Shareholder Services, P.O. Box 9879, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8079. If you are an Institutional Direct accountholder, please contact your BNY Mellon relationship manager for instructions.
The fund anticipates that virtually all dividends paid by the fund will be exempt from federal income taxes. However, for federal tax purposes, certain distributions, such as distributions of short-term capital gains, are taxable as ordinary income, while long-term capital gains are taxable as capital gains.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase 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 salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
4
Fund Details
The fund seeks to maximize current income exempt from federal income tax to the extent consistent with the preservation of capital. To pursue its goal, the fund normally invests substantially all of its assets in municipal bonds that provide income exempt from federal income tax.
The fund invests at least 70% of its assets in municipal bonds rated investment grade (Baa/BBB or higher) or the unrated equivalent as determined by The Dreyfus Corporation. For additional yield, the fund may invest up to 30% of its assets in municipal bonds rated below investment grade ("high yield" or "junk" bonds) or the unrated equivalent as determined by The Dreyfus Corporation.
The dollar-weighted average maturity of the fund's portfolio normally exceeds ten years, but the fund may invest without regard to maturity. Dollar-weighted average maturity is an average of the stated maturities of the bonds held by the fund, based on their dollar-weighted proportions in the fund.
The portfolio managers focus on identifying undervalued sectors and securities and minimize the use of interest rate forecasting. The portfolio managers select municipal bonds for the fund's portfolio by:
·
Using fundamental credit analysis to estimate the relative value and attractiveness of various sectors and securities and to exploit pricing inefficiencies in the municipal bond market; and
·
Actively trading among various sectors, such as pre-refunded, general obligation, and revenue, based on their apparent relative values. The fund seeks to invest in several of these sectors.
Although the fund seeks to provide income exempt from federal income tax, the fund may invest without limitation in municipal bonds the income from which is subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. In addition, the fund may invest temporarily in taxable obligations. During such periods, the fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Although not a principal investment strategy, the fund may, but is not required to, use derivatives, such as options, futures and options on futures (including those relating to securities, indexes and interest rates), as a substitute for investing directly in an underlying asset, to increase returns, to manage credit or interest rate risk, or as part of a hedging strategy. The fund may buy securities that pay interest at rates that float inversely with changes in prevailing interest rates (inverse floaters) in an effort to increase returns, to manage interest rate risk or as part of a hedging strategy. Inverse floaters are created by depositing municipal bonds in a trust which divides the bond's income stream into two parts: a short-term variable rate demand note and a residual interest bond (the inverse floater) which receives interest based on the remaining cash flow of the trust after payment of interest on the note and various trust expenses. Interest on the inverse floater usually moves in the opposite direction as the interest on the variable rate demand note. The fund also may make forward commitments in which the fund agrees to buy or sell a security in the future at a price agreed upon today.
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. It is not a complete investment program. The value of your investment in the fund will fluctuate, sometimes dramatically, which means you could lose money.
·
Municipal securities risk
. The amount of public information available about municipal securities is generally less than that for corporate equities or bonds. Special factors, such as legislative changes, and state and local economic and business developments, may adversely affect the yield and/or value of the fund's investments in municipal securities. Other factors include the general conditions of the municipal securities market, the size of the particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. Changes in economic, business or political conditions relating to a particular municipal project, municipality, or state, territory or possession of the United States in which the fund invests may have an impact on the fund's share price. Puerto Rico, for example, is facing significant fiscal challenges, including persistent government deficits, underfunded public pensions, sizable debt service obligations and a high unemployment rate. Many rating agencies have downgraded Puerto Rico's various municipal issuers, including the Commonwealth itself and its general obligation debt. If the economic situation in Puerto Rico persists or worsens, to the extent the fund invests in municipal bonds issued in Puerto Rico, the volatility, credit quality and performance of the fund could be adversely affected.
5
·
Interest rate risk.
Prices of bonds tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in rates will adversely affect bond prices and, accordingly, the fund's share price. The longer the effective maturity and duration of the fund's fixed-income portfolio, the more the fund's share price is likely to react to interest rates. For example, the market price of a fixed-income security with a duration of three years would be expected to decline 3% if interest rates rose 1%. Conversely, the market price of the same security would be expected to increase 3% if interest rates fell 1%. Unlike investment grade bonds, however, the prices of high yield bonds may fluctuate unpredictably and not necessarily inversely with changes in interest rates.
·
Credit risk
. Failure of an issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, or a decline or perception of a decline in the credit quality of a bond, can cause the bond's price to fall, potentially lowering the fund's share price. The lower a bond's credit rating, the greater the chance – in the rating agency's opinion – that the bond issuer will default or fail to meet its payment obligations. Although the fund invests primarily in investment grade bonds, the fund may invest to a limited extent in high yield bonds. High yield ("junk") bonds involve greater credit risk, including the risk of default, than investment grade bonds, and are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's ability to make principal and interest payments. The prices of high yield bonds can fall dramatically in response to bad news about the issuer or its industry, or the economy in general.
·
Liquidity risk.
When there is little or no active trading market for specific types of securities, it can become more difficult to sell the securities in a timely manner at or near their perceived value. In such a market, the value of such securities and the fund's share price may fall dramatically, even during periods of declining interest rates. Liquidity risk also exists when a particular derivative instrument is difficult to purchase or sell. If a derivative transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid (as is the case with many privately negotiated derivatives), it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price. The secondary market for certain municipal bonds tends to be less well developed or liquid than many other securities markets, which may adversely affect the fund’s ability to sell such municipal bonds at attractive prices.
·
Inverse floating rate securities risk
. The interest payment received on inverse floating rate securities generally will decrease when short-term interest rates increase. Inverse floaters are derivatives that involve leverage and could magnify the fund's gains or losses.
In addition to the principal risks described above, the fund is subject to the following additional risks.
·
Call risk
. Some bonds give the issuer the option to call, or redeem, the bonds before their maturity date. If an issuer "calls" its bond during a time of declining interest rates, the fund might have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield, and therefore might not benefit from any increase in value as a result of declining interest rates. During periods of market illiquidity or rising interest rates, prices of "callable" issues are subject to increased price fluctuation.
·
Market sector risk.
The fund may significantly overweight or underweight certain industries or market sectors, which may cause the fund's performance to be more or less sensitive to developments affecting those industries or sectors.
·
Tax risk.
To be tax-exempt, municipal obligations generally must meet certain regulatory requirements. If any such municipal obligation fails to meet these regulatory requirements, the interest received by the fund from its investment in such obligations and distributed to fund shareholders will be taxable.
·
Derivatives risk.
A small investment in derivatives could have a potentially large impact on the fund's performance. The use of derivatives involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying assets. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value, and there is the risk that changes in the value of a derivative held by the fund will not correlate with the underlying instruments or the fund's other investments. Derivative instruments, such as inverse floaters and over-the-counter options, also involve the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the derivative instruments to make required payments or otherwise comply with the derivative instruments' terms. Many of the regulatory protections afforded participants on organized exchanges for futures contracts and exchange-traded options, such as the performance guarantee of an exchange clearing house, are not available in connection with over-the-counter derivative transactions. Certain types of derivatives, including over-the-counter transactions, involve greater risks than the underlying obligations because, in addition to general market risks, they are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk, credit risk and pricing risk. Because many derivatives have a leverage component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. The fund may be required to segregate liquid assets, or otherwise cover its obligations, relating to the fund's transactions in derivatives. These requirements assume the obligation is for full payment of the value of the underlying instrument, in cash or by physical delivery, at the settlement date; thus, the fund must set aside liquid assets equal to such derivatives contract's full notional value (generally, the total numerical value of the asset underlying a derivatives contract at the time of valuation) while the positions are open. If the derivatives contract provides for
6
periodic cash settlement during the term of the transaction or cash payment of the gain or loss under the transaction at the settlement date, the fund may segregate liquid assets in an amount equal to the fund's daily marked-to-market net obligation (i.e., the fund's daily net liability) under the contract, if any. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations, the fund may employ leverage to a greater extent than if the fund were required to segregate assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts. Future rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission may impact the fund's operations as described in this prospectus. Certain derivatives may cause taxable income.
·
Leverage risk.
The use of leverage, such as lending portfolio securities, entering into futures contracts, investing in inverse floaters, and engaging in forward commitment transactions, may cause taxable income and may magnify the fund's gains or losses.
·
Other potential risks.
The fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In connection with such loans, the fund will receive collateral from the borrower equal to at least 100% of the value of loaned securities. If the borrower of the securities fails financially, there could be delays in recovering the loaned securities or exercising rights to the collateral.
Under adverse market conditions, the fund could invest some or all of its assets in U.S. Treasury securities or money market securities. Although the fund would do this for temporary defensive purposes, it could reduce the benefit from any upswing in the market. During such periods, the fund may not achieve its investment objective.
The investment adviser for the fund is The Dreyfus Corporation, 200 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10166. Founded in 1947, Dreyfus manages approximately $265 billion in 167 mutual fund portfolios. The fund paid Dreyfus a management fee at the annual rate of .55% of the fund's average daily net assets. A discussion regarding the basis for the board's approving the fund's management agreement with Dreyfus is available in the fund's semiannual report for the six-month period ended October 31, 2012. Dreyfus is the primary mutual fund business of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (BNY Mellon), a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and service their financial assets, operating in 35 countries and serving more than 100 markets. BNY Mellon is a leading investment management and investment services company, uniquely focused to help clients manage and move their financial assets in the rapidly changing global marketplace. BNY Mellon has $27.6 trillion in assets under custody and administration and $1.6 trillion in assets under management. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. BNY Mellon Investment Management is one of the world's leading investment management organizations, and one of the top U.S. wealth managers, encompassing BNY Mellon's affiliated investment management firms, wealth management services and global distribution companies. Additional information is available at
www.bnymellon.com
.
The Dreyfus asset management philosophy is based on the belief that discipline and consistency are important to investment success. For each fund, Dreyfus seeks to establish clear guidelines for portfolio management and to be systematic in making decisions. This approach is designed to provide each fund with a distinct, stable identity.
The fund's primary portfolio manager is Daniel Rabasco, a position he has held since February 2012. Mr. Rabasco is the Chief Investment Officer for Tax Sensitive Fixed Income at Standish Mellon Asset Management Company LLC, an affiliate of Dreyfus, where he has been employed since 1998. Mr. Rabasco also manages certain other municipal bond funds managed by Dreyfus, where he has been employed since February 2012.
The fund's Statement of Additional Information (SAI) provides additional portfolio manager information, including compensation, other accounts managed and ownership of fund shares.
MBSC Securities Corporation (MBSC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dreyfus, serves as distributor of the fund and of the other funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds. Any Rule 12b-1 fees and shareholder services fees, as applicable, are paid to MBSC for financing the sale and distribution of fund shares and for providing shareholder account service and maintenance, respectively. Dreyfus or MBSC may provide cash payments out of its own resources to financial intermediaries that sell shares of funds in the Dreyfus Family of Funds or provide other services. Such payments are separate from any sales charges, 12b-1 fees and/or shareholder services fees or other expenses that may be paid by a fund to those intermediaries. Because those payments are not made by fund shareholders or the fund, the fund's total expense ratio will not be affected by any such payments. These payments may be made to intermediaries, including affiliates, that provide shareholder servicing, sub-administration, recordkeeping and/or sub-transfer agency services, marketing support and/or access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the financial intermediary. Cash compensation also may be paid from Dreyfus' or MBSC's own resources to intermediaries for inclusion of a fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list or in other sales programs. These payments sometimes are referred to as "revenue sharing." From time to time, Dreyfus or MBSC also may provide cash or non-cash compensation to financial intermediaries or their representatives in the form of occasional gifts; occasional meals,
7
tickets or other entertainment; support for due diligence trips; educational conference sponsorships; support for recognition programs; technology or infrastructure support; and other forms of cash or non-cash compensation permissible under broker-dealer regulations. In some cases, these payments or compensation may create an incentive for a financial intermediary or its employees to recommend or sell shares of the fund to you. Please contact your financial representative for details about any payments they or their firm may receive in connection with the sale of fund shares or the provision of services to the fund.
The fund, Dreyfus and MBSC have each adopted a code of ethics that permits its personnel, subject to such code, to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the fund. Each code of ethics restricts the personal securities transactions of employees, and requires portfolio managers and other investment personnel to comply with the code's preclearance and disclosure procedures. The primary purpose of the respective codes is to ensure that personal trading by employees does not disadvantage any fund managed by Dreyfus or its affiliates.
8
Shareholder Guide
The fund is designed primarily for people who are investing through a third party, such as a bank, broker-dealer or financial adviser. Third parties with whom you open a fund account may impose policies, limitations and fees that are different from those described in this prospectus. Consult a representative of your financial institution for further information.
This prospectus offers Class A, C and Z shares of the fund.
Your financial representative may receive different compensation for selling one class of shares than for selling another class. It is important to remember that any contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) or Rule 12b-1 fees have the same purpose as the front-end sales charge: to compensate the distributor for concessions and expenses it pays to dealers and financial institutions in connection with the sale of fund shares. A CDSC is not charged on fund shares acquired through the reinvestment of fund dividends. Because the Rule 12b-1 fee is paid out of the fund's assets on an ongoing basis, over time it will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
The different classes of fund shares represent investments in the same portfolio of securities, but the classes are subject to different expenses and will likely have different share prices. When choosing a class, you should consider your investment amount, anticipated holding period, the potential costs over your holding period and whether you qualify for any reduction or waiver of the sales charge.
A complete description of these classes follows. You should review these arrangements with your financial representative before determining which class to invest in.
Class A Shares
When you invest in Class A shares,
you pay the public offering price, which is the share price, or net asset value (NAV), plus the initial sales charge that may apply to your purchase. The amount of the initial sales charge is based on the size of your investment, as the following table shows. We also describe below how you may reduce or eliminate the initial sales charge (see "Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers"). Class A shares are subject to an annual shareholder services fee of .25% paid to the fund's distributor for shareholder account service and maintenance.
Since some of your investment
goes to pay an up-front sales charge when you purchase Class A shares, you purchase fewer shares than you would with the same investment in Class C shares. Nevertheless, you are usually better off purchasing Class A shares, rather than Class C shares, and paying an up-front sales charge if you:
·
plan to own the shares for an extended period of time, since the ongoing Rule 12b-1 fees on Class C shares may eventually exceed the cost of the up-front sales charge; and
·
qualify for a reduced or waived sales charge
If you invest $1 million or more
(and are not eligible to purchase Class Z shares), Class A shares will always be the most advantageous choice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Sales Load -- Class A Shares
|
|
Amount of Transaction
|
As a % of Offering
Price per Share
|
As a % of
Net Asset Value per Share
|
|
Less than $50,000
|
4.50
|
4.71
|
|
$50,000 to less than $100,000
|
4.00
|
4.17
|
|
$100,000 to less than $250,000
|
3.00
|
3.09
|
|
$250,000 to less than $500,000
|
2.50
|
2.56
|
|
$500,000 to less than $1,000,000
|
2.00
|
2.04
|
|
$1,000,000 or more
|
-0-
|
-0-
|
No sales charge applies on investments of $1 million or more, but a CDSC of 1% may be imposed on certain redemptions of such shares within one year of the date of purchase.
9
Sales Charge Reductions and Waivers
To receive a reduction or waiver of your initial sales charge, you must let your financial intermediary or the fund know at the time you purchase shares that you qualify for such a reduction or waiver. If you do not let your financial intermediary or the fund know that you are eligible for a reduction or waiver, you may not receive the reduction or waiver to which you are otherwise entitled. In order to receive a reduction or waiver, you may be required to provide your financial intermediary or the fund with evidence of your qualification for the reduction or waiver, such as records regarding shares of certain Dreyfus Funds held in accounts with that financial intermediary and other financial intermediaries. Additional information regarding reductions and waivers of sales loads is available, free of charge, at
www.dreyfus.com
and in the SAI.
You can reduce your initial sales charge in the following ways:
·
Rights of accumulation.
You can count toward the amount of your investment your total account value in all share classes of the fund and certain other Dreyfus Funds that are subject to a sales charge. For example, if you have $1 million invested in shares of certain other Dreyfus Funds that are subject to a sales charge, you can invest in Class A shares of any fund without an initial sales charge. We may terminate or change this privilege at any time on written notice.
·
Letter of intent.
You can sign a letter of intent, in which you agree to invest a certain amount (your goal) in the fund and certain other Dreyfus Funds over a 13-month period, and your initial sales charge will be based on your goal. A 90-day back-dated period can also be used to count previous purchases toward your goal. Your goal must be at least $50,000, and your initial investment must be at least $5,000. The sales charge will be adjusted if you do not meet your goal.
·
Combine with family members.
You can also count toward the amount of your investment all investments in certain other Dreyfus Funds, in any class of shares that is subject to a sales charge, by your spouse and your children under age 21 (family members), including their rights of accumulation and goals under a letter of intent. Certain other groups may also be permitted to combine purchases for purposes of reducing or eliminating sales charges. See "How to Buy Shares" in the SAI.
Class A shares may be purchased at NAV without payment of a sales charge by the following individuals and entities:
·
full-time or part-time employees, and their family members, of Dreyfus or any of its affiliates
·
board members of Dreyfus and board members of the Dreyfus Family of Funds
·
full-time employees, and their family members, of financial institutions that have entered into selling agreements with the fund's distributor
·
"wrap" accounts for the benefit of clients of financial institutions, provided they have entered into an agreement with the fund's distributor specifying operating policies and standards
·
qualified separate accounts maintained by an insurance company; any state, county or city or instrumentality thereof; and charitable organizations investing $50,000 or more in fund shares and charitable remainder trusts, provided that such Class A shares are purchased directly through the fund's distributor
·
investors who purchase Class A shares directly through the fund's distributor, and either (i) have, or whose spouse or minor children have, beneficially owned shares and continuously maintained an open account with the distributor in a Dreyfus-managed fund since on or before February 28, 2006, or (ii) such purchase is for a self-directed investment account that may or may not be subject to a transaction fee
·
investors who participate in a self-directed investment brokerage account program offered by a financial intermediary that has entered into an agreement with the fund's distributor. Financial intermediaries offering self-directed investment brokerage accounts may or may not charge their customers a transaction fee
·
investors with the cash proceeds from the investor's exercise of stock options and/or disposition of stock related to employment-based stock plans, whether invested in the fund directly or indirectly through an exchange from a Dreyfus money market fund, provided that the proceeds are processed through an entity that has entered into an agreement with the fund's distributor specifically relating to administering employment-based stock plans. Upon establishing the account in the fund or the Dreyfus money market fund, the investor and the investor's spouse and minor children become eligible to purchase Class A shares of the fund at NAV, whether or not the investor uses the proceeds of the employment-based stock plan to establish the account
·
members of qualified affinity groups who purchase Class A shares directly through the fund's distributor, provided that the qualified affinity group has entered into an affinity agreement with the distributor
10
Class C Shares
Since you pay no initial sales charge, an investment of less than $1 million in Class C shares buys more shares than the same investment would in Class A shares. However, Class C shares are subject to an annual Rule 12b-1 fee of .75% and an annual shareholder services fee of .25%. Because the Rule 12b-1 fees are paid out of the fund's assets attributable to Class C shares on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges, such as the initial sales charge on Class A shares. Class C shares redeemed within one year of purchase are subject to a 1% CDSC.
Because Class A shares will always be a more favorable investment than Class C shares for investments of $1 million or more, the fund will generally not accept a purchase order for Class C shares in the amount of $1 million or more. While the fund will take reasonable steps to prevent investments of $1 million or more in Class C shares, it may not be able to identify such investments made through certain financial intermediaries or omnibus accounts.
Class Z Shares
Class Z shares generally are offered only to shareholders of the fund who received Class Z shares in exchange for their shares of the General Municipal Bond Fund, Inc. as a result of the reorganization of such fund. Class Z shares are subject to an annual shareholder services fee of .20%.
CDSC Waivers
The fund's CDSC on Class A and C shares may be waived in the following cases:
·
permitted exchanges of shares, except if shares acquired by exchange are then redeemed within the period during which a CDSC would apply to the initial shares purchased
·
redemptions made within one year of death or disability of the shareholder
·
redemptions due to receiving required minimum distributions from retirement accounts upon reaching age 70½
·
redemptions made through the fund's Automatic Withdrawal Plan, if such redemptions do not exceed 12% of the value of the account annually
Buying and Selling Shares
Dreyfus calculates fund NAVs as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on days the NYSE is open for regular business. Your order will be priced at the next NAV calculated after your order is received in proper form by the fund's transfer agent or other authorized entity. When calculating NAVs, Dreyfus generally values fixed-income investments based on values supplied by an independent pricing service approved by the fund's board. The pricing service's procedures are reviewed under the general supervision of the board. If market quotations or official closing prices or valuations from a pricing service are not readily available, or are determined not to reflect accurately fair value, the fund may value those investments at fair value as determined in accordance with procedures approved by the fund's board. Fair value of investments may be determined by the fund's board, its pricing committee or its valuation committee in good faith using such information as it deems appropriate under the circumstances. Using fair value to price investments may result in a value that is different from a security's most recent closing price and from the prices used by other mutual funds to calculate their net asset values. Funds that seek tax-exempt income are not recommended for purchase in IRAs or other qualified retirement plans.
Investments in certain types of thinly traded securities may provide short-term traders arbitrage opportunities with respect to the fund's shares. For example, arbitrage opportunities may exist when trading in a portfolio security or securities is halted and does not resume, or the market on which such securities are traded closes before the fund calculates its NAV. If short-term investors in the fund were able to take advantage of these arbitrage opportunities, they could dilute the NAV of fund shares held by long-term investors. Portfolio valuation policies can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that such valuation policies will prevent dilution of the fund's NAV by short-term traders. While the fund has a policy regarding frequent trading, it too may not be completely effective to prevent short-term NAV arbitrage trading, particularly in regard to omnibus accounts. Please see "Shareholder Guide — General Policies" for further information about the fund's frequent trading policy.
Orders to buy and sell shares received by an authorized entity (such as a bank, broker-dealer or financial adviser that has entered into an agreement with the fund's distributor) by the close of trading on the NYSE and transmitted to the distributor or its designee by the close of its business day (usually 5:15 p.m. Eastern time) will be based on the NAV determined as of the close of trading on the NYSE that day.
11
How to Buy Shares
By Mail.
To open a regular account, complete an application and mail it, together with a check payable to The Dreyfus Family of Funds, to the appropriate address below. To purchase additional shares in a regular account, mail a check payable to The Dreyfus Family of Funds (with your account number on your check), together with an investment slip, to the appropriate address below.
Mailing Address.
If you are investing directly through the fund, mail to:
Dreyfus Shareholder Services
P.O. Box 9879
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8079
If you are investing through a third party, such as a bank, broker-dealer or financial adviser, mail to:
Dreyfus Institutional Department
P.O. Box 9882
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8082
If you are applying for an Institutional Direct account, please contact your BNY Mellon relationship manager for mailing instructions.
Electronic Check or Wire.
To purchase shares in a regular account by wire or electronic check, please call 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only) for more information.
Telephone or Online.
To purchase additional shares by telephone or online, you can call 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only) or visit
www.dreyfus.com
to request your transaction. In order to do so, you must have elected the Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege on your account application or a Shareholder Services Form. See "Services for Fund Investors — Wire Redemption and Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privileges" for more information. Institutional Direct accounts are not eligible for online services.
Automatically.
You may purchase additional shares in a regular account by selecting one of Dreyfus' automatic investment services made available to the fund on your account application or service application. See "Services for Fund Investors."
The minimum initial and subsequent investment for regular accounts is $1,000 and $100, respectively. Subsequent investments made through Dreyfus TeleTransfer are subject to a $100 minimum and a $150,000 maximum. All investments must be in U.S. dollars. Third-party checks, cash, travelers' checks or money orders will not be accepted. You may be charged a fee for any check that does not clear.
How to Sell Shares
You may sell (redeem) shares at any time. Your shares will be sold at the next NAV calculated after your order is received in proper form by the fund's transfer agent or other authorized entity. Any certificates representing fund shares being sold must be returned with your redemption request. Your order will be processed promptly and you will generally receive the proceeds within a week.
To keep your CDSC as low as possible, each time you request to sell shares we will first sell shares that are not subject to a CDSC, and then those subject to the lowest charge. The CDSC is based on the lesser of the original purchase cost or the current market value of the shares being sold, and is not charged on fund shares you acquired by reinvesting your fund dividends. As described above in this prospectus, there are certain instances when you may qualify to have the CDSC waived. Consult your financial representative or refer to the SAI for additional details.
Before selling or writing a check against shares recently purchased by check, Dreyfus TeleTransfer or Automatic Asset Builder, please note that:
·
if you send a written request to sell such shares, the fund may delay sending the proceeds for up to eight business days following the purchase of those shares
·
the fund will not honor redemption checks, or process wire, telephone, online or Dreyfus TeleTransfer redemption requests for up to eight business days following the purchase of those shares
By Mail.
To redeem shares in a regular account by mail, send a letter of instruction that includes your name, your account number, the name of the fund, the share class, the dollar amount to be redeemed and how and where to send the proceeds. Mail your request to the appropriate address below.
Mailing Address.
If you invested directly through the fund, mail to:
12
Dreyfus Shareholder Services
P.O. Box 9879
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8079
If you invested through a third party, such as a bank, broker-dealer or financial adviser, mail to:
Dreyfus Institutional Department
P.O. Box 9882
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-8082
If you are an Institutional Direct accountholder, please contact your BNY Mellon relationship manager for mailing instructions.
A medallion signature guarantee is required for some written sell orders. These include:
·
amounts of $10,000 or more on accounts whose address has been changed within the last 30 days
·
requests to send the proceeds to a different payee or address
·
amounts of $100,000 or more
A medallion signature guarantee helps protect against fraud. You can obtain one from most banks or securities dealers, but not from a notary public. For joint accounts, each signature must be guaranteed. Please call to ensure that your medallion signature guarantee will be processed correctly.
Telephone or Online.
To redeem shares by telephone or online, call 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only) or visit
www.dreyfus.com
to request your transaction. Institutional Direct accounts are not eligible for online services.
By calling 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only), you may speak to a Dreyfus representative and request that redemption proceeds be paid by check and mailed to your address of record (maximum $250,000 per day). For redemption requests made online through
www.dreyfus.com
or through Dreyfus Express
®
automated account access system, there is a $100,000 per day limit.
If the fund has your bank account information on file, you may request a wire via the Wire Redemption Privilege ($1,000 minimum) or electronic check via the Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege ($500 minimum) and proceeds will be wired or sent by electronic check, as applicable, to your bank account. See "Services for Fund Investors — Wire Redemption and Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privileges" for more information.
Automatically.
You may sell shares in a regular account by completing a Dreyfus Automatic Withdrawal Form which you can obtain by calling 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only), visiting
www.dreyfus.com
or contacting your financial representative. See "Services for Fund Investors — Automatic Services."
The fund and the fund's transfer agent are authorized to act on telephone or online instructions from any person representing himself or herself to be you and reasonably believed by the transfer agent to be genuine. You may be responsible for any fraudulent telephone or online order as long as the fund or the fund's transfer agent (as applicable) takes reasonable measures to confirm that the instructions are genuine.
The fund reserves the right to reject any purchase or exchange request in whole or in part. All shareholder services and Privileges offered to shareholders may be modified or terminated at any time, except as otherwise stated in the fund's SAI. Please see the fund's SAI for additional information on buying and selling shares, Privileges and other shareholder services.
The fund is designed for long-term investors.
Frequent purchases, redemptions and exchanges may disrupt portfolio management strategies and harm fund performance by diluting the value of fund shares and increasing brokerage and administrative costs. As a result, Dreyfus and the fund's board have adopted a policy of discouraging excessive trading, short-term market timing and other abusive trading practices (frequent trading) that could adversely affect the fund or its operations. Dreyfus and the fund will not enter into arrangements with any person or group to permit frequent trading.
The fund also reserves the right to:
·
change or discontinue fund exchanges, or temporarily suspend exchanges during unusual market conditions
·
change its minimum or maximum investment amounts
·
delay sending out redemption proceeds for up to seven days (generally applies only during unusual market conditions or in cases of very large redemptions or excessive trading)
13
·
"redeem in kind," or make payments in securities rather than cash, if the amount redeemed is large enough to affect fund operations (for example, if it exceeds 1% of the fund's assets)
·
refuse any purchase or exchange request, including those from any individual or group who, in Dreyfus' view, is likely to engage in frequent trading
More than four roundtrips within a rolling 12-month period generally is considered to be frequent trading. A roundtrip consists of an investment that is substantially liquidated within 60 days. Based on the facts and circumstances of the trades, the fund may also view as frequent trading a pattern of investments that are partially liquidated within 60 days.
Transactions made through Automatic Investment Plans, Automatic Withdrawal Plans, Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privileges and automatic non-discretionary rebalancing programs generally are not considered to be frequent trading. For employer-sponsored benefit plans, generally only participant-initiated exchange transactions are subject to the roundtrip limit.
Dreyfus monitors selected transactions to identify frequent trading. When its surveillance systems identify multiple roundtrips, Dreyfus evaluates trading activity in the account for evidence of frequent trading. Dreyfus considers the investor's trading history in other accounts under common ownership or control, in other Dreyfus Funds and BNY Mellon Funds and, if known, in non-affiliated mutual funds and accounts under common control. These evaluations involve judgments that are inherently subjective, and while Dreyfus seeks to apply the policy and procedures uniformly, it is possible that similar transactions may be treated differently. In all instances, Dreyfus seeks to make these judgments to the best of its abilities in a manner that it believes is consistent with shareholder interests. If Dreyfus concludes the account is likely to engage in frequent trading, Dreyfus may cancel or revoke the purchase or exchange on the following business day. Dreyfus may also temporarily or permanently bar such investor's future purchases into the fund in lieu of, or in addition to, canceling or revoking the trade. At its discretion, Dreyfus may apply these restrictions across all accounts under common ownership, control or perceived affiliation.
Fund shares often are held through omnibus accounts maintained by financial intermediaries, such as brokers, where the holdings of multiple shareholders, such as all the clients of a particular broker, are aggregated. Dreyfus' ability to monitor the trading activity of investors whose shares are held in omnibus accounts is limited. However, the agreements between the distributor and financial intermediaries include obligations to comply with the terms of this prospectus and to provide Dreyfus, upon request, with information concerning the trading activity of investors whose shares are held in omnibus accounts. If Dreyfus determines that any such investor has engaged in frequent trading of fund shares, Dreyfus may require the intermediary to restrict or prohibit future purchases or exchanges of fund shares by that investor.
Certain intermediaries that maintain omnibus accounts with the fund may have developed policies designed to control frequent trading that may differ from the fund's policy. At its sole discretion, the fund may permit such intermediaries to apply their own frequent trading policy. If you are investing in fund shares through an intermediary, please contact the intermediary for information on the frequent trading policies applicable to your account.
To the extent the fund significantly invests in thinly traded securities, certain investors may seek to trade fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities (referred to as price arbitrage). Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the fund's portfolio to a greater degree than funds that invest in highly liquid securities, in part because the fund may have difficulty selling these portfolio securities at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent redemption requests. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of fund shares held by other shareholders.
Although the fund's frequent trading and fair valuation policies and procedures are designed to discourage market timing and excessive trading, none of these tools alone, nor all of them together, completely eliminates the potential for frequent trading.
Small Account Policies
To offset the relatively higher costs of servicing smaller accounts, the fund charges regular accounts with balances below $2,000 an annual fee of $12. The fee will be imposed during the fourth quarter of each calendar year. The fee will be waived for: any investor whose aggregate Dreyfus mutual fund investments total at least $25,000; accounts participating in automatic investment programs; and accounts opened through a financial institution.
If your account falls below $500, the fund may ask you to increase your balance. If it is still below $500 after 30 days, the fund may close your account and send you the proceeds.
14
The fund earns dividends, interest and other income from its investments, and distributes this income (less expenses) to shareholders as dividends. The fund also realizes capital gains from its investments, and distributes these gains (less any losses) to shareholders as capital gain distributions. The fund normally pays dividends monthly and capital gain distributions, if any, annually. Fund dividends and capital gain distributions will be reinvested in the fund unless you instruct the fund otherwise. There are no fees or sales charges on reinvestments.
The fund anticipates that virtually all dividends paid by the fund will be exempt from federal income taxes. However, for federal tax purposes, certain fund distributions, including distributions of short-term capital gains, are taxable as ordinary income, while long-term capital gains are taxable as capital gains. High portfolio turnover and more volatile markets can result in significant taxable distributions to shareholders, regardless of whether their shares have increased in value.
The tax status of any distribution generally is the same regardless of how long you have been in the fund and whether you reinvest your distributions or take them in cash.
If you buy shares of a fund when the fund has realized but not yet distributed income or capital gains, you will be "buying a dividend" by paying the full price for the shares and then receiving a portion back in the form of a taxable distribution.
Your sale of shares, including exchanges into other funds, may result in a capital gain or loss for tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment in the fund generally is the difference between the cost of your shares and the amount you receive when you sell them.
The tax status of your distributions will be detailed in your annual tax statement from the fund. Because everyone's tax situation is unique, please consult your tax adviser before investing.
Services for Fund Investors
Automatic Services
Buying or selling shares automatically is easy with the services described below. With each service, you select a schedule and amount, subject to certain restrictions. If you purchase shares through a third party, the third party may impose different restrictions on these services and privileges, or may not make them available at all. For information, call 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only) or your financial representative.
Dreyfus Automatic Asset Builder
®
permits you to purchase fund shares (minimum of $100 and maximum of $150,000 per transaction) at regular intervals selected by you. Fund shares are purchased by transferring funds from the bank account designated by you.
Dreyfus Payroll Savings Plan
permits you to purchase fund shares (minimum of $100 per transaction) automatically through a payroll deduction.
Dreyfus Government Direct Deposit
permits you to purchase fund shares (minimum of $100 and maximum of $50,000 per transaction) automatically from your federal employment, Social Security or other regular federal government check.
Dreyfus Dividend Sweep
permits you to automatically reinvest dividends and distributions from the fund into another Dreyfus Fund.
Dreyfus Auto-Exchange Privilege
permits you to exchange at regular intervals your fund shares for shares of other Dreyfus Funds.
Dreyfus Automatic Withdrawal Plan
permits you to make withdrawals (minimum of $50) on a specific day each month, quarter or semi-annual or annual period, provided your account balance is at least $5,000. Any CDSC will be waived, as long as the amount of any withdrawal does not exceed on an annual basis 12% of the greater of the account value at the time of the first withdrawal under the plan, or at the time of the subsequent withdrawal.
Fund Exchanges
Generally, you can exchange shares worth $500 or more (no minimum for retirement accounts) into shares of the same class, or another class in which you are eligible to invest, of another fund in the Dreyfus Family of Funds. You can request your exchange by calling 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only) or your financial representative. If you are an Institutional Direct accountholder, please contact your BNY Mellon relationship manager for instructions. Be sure to read the current prospectus for any fund into which you are exchanging before investing. Any new account established through an exchange generally will have the same privileges as your original account (as long as they are available).
15
There is currently no fee for exchanges, although you may be charged a sales load when exchanging into any fund that has one.
Your exchange request will be processed on the same business day it is received in proper form, provided that each fund is open at the time of the request. If the exchange is accepted at a time of day after one or both of the funds is closed (i.e., at a time after the NAV for the fund has been calculated for that business day), the exchange will be processed on the next business day. See the SAI for more information regarding exchanges.
You can also exchange Class Z shares into shares of certain other Dreyfus Funds. You can request your exchange by contacting your financial representative. Holders of Class Z shares also may request an exchange in writing, by phone or online.
Wire Redemption and Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privileges
To redeem shares from your Dreyfus Fund account with a phone call or online, use the Wire Redemption Privilege or the Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege. To purchase additional shares of your Dreyfus Fund account with a phone call or online, use the Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege. You can set up the Wire Redemption Privilege and Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privilege on your account by providing bank account information and following the instructions on your application or, if your account has already been established, a Shareholder Services Form which you can obtain by calling 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only), visiting
www.dreyfus.com
or by contacting your financial representative. Institutional Direct accounts are not eligible for the Wire Redemption or Dreyfus TeleTransfer Privileges initiated online.
Account Statements
Every Dreyfus Fund investor automatically receives regular account statements. You will also be sent a yearly statement detailing the tax characteristics of any dividends and distributions you have received.
Reinvestment Privilege
If you redeem Class A shares of the fund, you can reinvest in the same account of the fund up to the number of Class A shares you redeemed at the current share price without paying a sales charge. If you paid a CDSC, it will be credited back to your account. This privilege may be used only once and your reinvestment request must be received in writing by the fund within 45 days of the redemption.
Checkwriting Privilege
You may write redemption checks against your account for Class A or Class Z shares in amounts of $500 or more. These checks are free; however, a fee will be charged if you request a stop payment or if the transfer agent cannot honor a redemption check due to insufficient funds or another valid reason. Please do not postdate your checks or use them to close your account.
Dreyfus Express
®
Voice-Activated Account Access
You can check your Dreyfus account balances, get fund price and performance information, order documents and much more, by calling 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only) and using the Dreyfus Express
®
Voice-Activated System. You may also be able to purchase fund shares and/or transfer money between your Dreyfus Funds using Dreyfus Express
®
. Certain requests require the services of a representative.
16
These financial highlights describe the performance of the fund's Class A, C and Z shares for the fiscal periods indicated. "Total return" shows how much your investment in the fund would have increased (or decreased) during each period, assuming you had reinvested all dividends and distributions. These financial highlights have been derived from the fund's financial statements, which have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the fund's financial statements, is included in the annual report, which is available upon request.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended April 30,
|
|
Class A Shares
|
2013
|
2012
|
2011
|
2010
|
2009
|
|
Per Share Data ($):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net asset value, beginning of period
|
12.81
|
11.85
|
12.35
|
11.65
|
12.56
|
|
Investment Operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Investment income--net
a
|
.40
|
.49
|
.53
|
.55
|
.57
|
|
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments
|
.35
|
.96
|
(.50)
|
.70
|
(.91)
|
|
Total from Investment Operations
|
.75
|
1.45
|
.03
|
1.25
|
(.34)
|
|
Distributions:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dividends from investment income--net
|
(.39)
|
(.49)
|
(.53)
|
(.55)
|
(.57)
|
|
Dividends from net realized gain on investments
|
(.01)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Total Distributions
|
(.40)
|
(.49)
|
(.53)
|
(.55)
|
(.57)
|
|
Net asset value, end of period
|
13.16
|
12.81
|
11.85
|
12.35
|
11.65
|
|
Total Return (%)
b
|
5.91
|
12.45
|
.20
|
10.91
|
(2.64)
|
|
Rations/Supplemental Data (%):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ratio of total expenses to average net assets
|
.92
|
.94
|
.94
|
.93
|
1.00
|
|
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets
|
.92
|
.89
|
.94
|
.93
|
.99
|
|
Ratio of interest and expense related to floating
rate notes issued to average net assets
|
.01
|
.01
|
.01
|
.01
|
.07
|
|
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets
|
3.05
|
3.98
|
4.38
|
4.57
|
4.85
|
|
Portfolio Turnover Rate
|
16.55
|
40.38
|
21.95
|
22.61
|
56.67
|
|
Net Assets, end of period ($ x 1,000)
|
226,735
|
239,859
|
231,671
|
268,406
|
269,846
|
|
a
Based on average shares outstanding at each month end.
|
|
b
Exclusive of sales charge.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended April 30,
|
|
Class C Shares
|
2013
|
2012
|
2011
|
2010
|
2009
|
|
Per Share Data ($):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net asset value, beginning of period
|
12.84
|
11.88
|
12.37
|
11.66
|
12.58
|
|
Investment Operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Investment income--net
a
|
.30
|
.40
|
.44
|
.46
|
.49
|
|
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments
|
.35
|
.96
|
(.49)
|
.71
|
(.93)
|
|
Total from Investment Operations
|
.65
|
1.36
|
(.05)
|
1.17
|
(.44)
|
|
Distributions:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dividends from investment income--net
|
(.29)
|
(.40)
|
(.44)
|
(.46)
|
(.48)
|
|
Dividends from net realized gain on investments
|
(.01)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Total Distributions
|
(.30)
|
(.40)
|
(.44)
|
(.46)
|
(.48)
|
|
Net asset value, end of period
|
13.19
|
12.84
|
11.88
|
12.37
|
11.66
|
|
Total Return (%)
b
|
5.12
|
11.59
|
(.46)
|
10.15
|
(3.42)
|
|
Rations/Supplemental Data (%):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ratio of total expenses to average net assets
|
1.68
|
1.69
|
1.69
|
1.69
|
1.76
|
|
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets
|
1.68
|
1.63
|
1.69
|
1.69
|
1.75
|
|
Ratio of interest and expense related to floating
rate notes issued to average net assets
|
.01
|
.01
|
.01
|
.01
|
.07
|
|
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets
|
2.29
|
3.23
|
3.61
|
3.80
|
4.12
|
|
Portfolio Turnover Rate
|
16.55
|
40.38
|
21.95
|
22.61
|
56.67
|
|
Net Assets, end of period ($ x 1,000)
|
12,433
|
13,955
|
12,750
|
15,476
|
14,702
|
|
a
Based on average shares outstanding at each month end.
|
|
b
Exclusive of sales charge.
|
17
Financial Highlights (cont'd)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended April 30,
|
|
Class Z Shares
|
2013
|
2012
|
2011
|
2010
|
2009
|
|
Per Share Data ($):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net asset value, beginning of period
|
12.81
|
11.85
|
12.34
|
11.65
|
12.56
|
|
Investment Operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Investment income--net
a
|
.40
|
.50
|
.54
|
.56
|
.58
|
|
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments
|
.36
|
.96
|
(.50)
|
.69
|
(.91)
|
|
Total from Investment Operations
|
.76
|
1.46
|
.04
|
1.25
|
(.33)
|
|
Distributions:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dividends from investment income--net
|
(.40)
|
(.50)
|
(.53)
|
(.56)
|
(.58)
|
|
Dividends from net realized gain on investments
|
(.01)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Total Distributions
|
(.41)
|
(.50)
|
(.53)
|
(.56)
|
(.58)
|
|
Net asset value, end of period
|
13.16
|
12.81
|
11.85
|
12.34
|
11.65
|
|
Total Return (%)
|
5.97
|
12.51
|
.34
|
10.87
|
(2.59)
|
|
Rations/Supplemental Data (%):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ratio of total expenses to average net assets
|
.87
|
.89
|
.88
|
.88
|
.94
|
|
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets
|
.87
|
.84
|
.88
|
.88
|
.94
|
|
Ratio of interest and expense related to floating
rate notes issued to average net assets
|
.01
|
.01
|
.01
|
.01
|
.07
|
|
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets
|
3.10
|
4.03
|
4.44
|
4.62
|
4.90
|
|
Portfolio Turnover Rate
|
16.55
|
40.38
|
21.95
|
22.61
|
56.67
|
|
Net Assets, end of period ($ x 1,000)
|
250,499
|
252,082
|
239,092
|
263,072
|
247,849
|
|
a
Based on average shares outstanding at each month end.
|
18
NOTES
19
NOTES
20
NOTES
21
For More Information
Dreyfus Municipal Bond Opportunity Fund
SEC file number: 811-4764
More information on this fund is available free upon request, including the following:
Annual/Semiannual Report
Describes the fund's performance, lists portfolio holdings and contains a letter from the fund's manager discussing recent market conditions, economic trends and fund strategies that significantly affected the fund's performance during the last fiscal year. The fund's most recent annual and semiannual reports are available at
www.dreyfus.com
.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
Provides more details about the fund and its policies. A current SAI is available at
www.dreyfus.com
and is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SAI is incorporated by reference (and is legally considered part of this prospectus).
Portfolio Holdings
Dreyfus funds generally disclose their complete schedule of portfolio holdings monthly with a 30-day lag at
www.dreyfus.com
under Products and Performance. Complete holdings as of the end of the calendar quarter are disclosed 15 days after the end of such quarter. Dreyfus money market funds generally disclose their complete schedule of holdings daily. The schedule of holdings for a fund will remain on the website until the fund files its Form N-Q or Form N-CSR for the period that includes the dates of the posted holdings.
A complete description of the fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the fund's portfolio securities is available in the fund's SAI and at
www.dreyfus.com
.
To Obtain Information
By telephone.
Call 1-800-DREYFUS (inside the U.S. only)
By mail.
The Dreyfus Family of Funds
144 Glenn Curtiss Boulevard
Uniondale, NY 11556-0144
By E-mail.
Send your request to info@dreyfus.com
On the Internet.
Certain fund documents can be viewed online or downloaded from:
SEC:
http://www.sec.gov
Dreyfus:
http://www.dreyfus.com
You can also obtain copies, after paying a duplicating fee, by visiting the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC (for information, call 1-202-551-8090) or by E-mail request to publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing to the SEC's Public Reference Section, Washington, DC 20549-1520.
|
|
|
|
© 2014 MBSC Securities Corporation
0022P0314
|
|