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Shares purchased from the proceeds of a mutual fund redemption in front-end load shares provided (1) the repurchase is in a mutual fund within the same fund family; (2) the repurchase occurs within 90 calendar days from the redemption trade date; and (3) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account (known as Rights of Reinstatement). Automated transactions (i.e., systematic purchases and withdrawals) and purchases made after shares are automatically sold to pay Merrill's account maintenance fees are not eligible for Rights of Reinstatement.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge ("CDSC") Waivers on Class A and C Shares Available at Merrill
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Shares sold due to the client's death or disability (as defined by Internal Revenue Code Section 22(e)(3)).
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Shares sold pursuant to a systematic withdrawal program subject to Merrill's maximum systematic withdrawal limits as described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement.
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Shares sold due to return of excess contributions from an IRA account.
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Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the investor reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulation.
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Front-end or level-load shares held in commission-based, non-taxable retirement brokerage accounts (e.g. traditional, Roth, rollover, SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans) that are transferred to fee-based accounts or platforms and exchanged for a lower cost share class of the same mutual fund.
Front-end Load Discounts Available at Merrill: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent
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Breakpoint discounts, as described in this prospectus, where the sales load is at or below the maximum sales load that Merrill permits to be assessed to a front-end load purchase, as described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement.
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Rights of Accumulation (ROA), as described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement, which entitle clients to breakpoint discounts based on the aggregated holdings of mutual fund family assets held in accounts in their Merrill Household.
On or about May 1, 2026, assets not held at Merrill will no longer be included in the ROA calculation. For more detail on the timing and calculation, please refer to the Merrill SLWD Supplement.
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Letters of Intent (LOI), which allow for breakpoint discounts on eligible new purchases based on anticipated future eligible purchases within a fund family at Merrill, in accounts within your Merrill Household, as further described in the Merrill SLWD Supplement.
On or about May 1, 2026, Merrill will no longer accept new LOIs. For more detail on the timing, please refer to the Merrill SLWD Supplement.
ROBERT W. BAIRD & CO. INC. - CLASS A AND C SALES CHARGE WAIVERS AND DISCOUNTS
Effective January 1, 2026, shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. ("Baird") platform or account will only be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and CDSC waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in the fund's prospectus or SAI.
Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on Class A Shares Available at Baird
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Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund.
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Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Baird or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Baird.
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Shares purchased within 90 days following a redemption from a DWS fund, provided (1) the redemption and purchase occur within the purchaser's Baird household and (2) the redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as rights of reinstatement).
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Shareholders in a fund's Class C Shares will have their shares converted by Baird at net asset value to Class A shares of the same fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Baird.
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Employer-sponsored retirement plans or charitable accounts in a transactional brokerage account at Baird, including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs.