Morningstar® Investment Profile™   Morningstar® Disclosure   Format for Print BNY Mellon VIF Apprec Port Initl Release date as of 2024-10-31. Data on page is subject to change. Snapshot Ratings & Risk Portfolio Nuts & Bolts

Morningstar Report Overall Morningstar Rating™ What is this? As of 2024-10-31 Out of 1073 Large Growth Funds Morningstar® Style Box™ What is this? As of 2024-09-30 Total Fund Assets ($ Mil) 204.64 View Historical Morningstar Star Ratings and Definitions

Investment Objective & Strategy   The investment seeks long-term capital growth consistent with the preservation of capital; its secondary goal is current income. The fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in common stocks. It focuses on "blue chip" companies with total market capitalizations of more than $5 billion at the time of purchase, including multinational companies.

Morningstar Category: Large Growth Large-growth portfolios invest primarily in big U.S. companies that are projected to grow faster than other large-cap stocks. Stocks in the top 70% of the capitalization of the U.S. equity market are defined as large cap. Growth is defined based on fast growth (high growth rates for earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow) and high valuations (high price ratios and low dividend yields). Most of these portfolios focus on companies in rapidly expanding industries.

Investment Risks There are no additional fund specific investment risks (e.g. liquidity risk, currency risk, foreign investment risk, etc.) associated with this fund beyond the normal risks generally associated with investing in a mutual fund.

Portfolio Profile Asset Allocation % of Net Assets U.S. Stocks 84.5 Non-U.S. Stocks 15.3 Bonds 0.0 Cash 0.2 Other 0.0 Data through 2024-09-30 Morningstar Equity Sectors % of Stocks Cyclical 32.06 Basic Materials 1.58 Consumer Cyclical 13.76 Financial Services 15.75 Real Estate 0.97 Sensitive 49.43 Communication Services 4.13 Energy 4.67 Industrials 6.32 Technology 34.31 Defensive 18.52 Consumer Defensive 3.65 Healthcare 14.87 Utilities 0.00 Data through 2024-09-30 Holding Status Total Number of Stock Holdings 47 Total Number of Bond Holdings 0 % of Net Assets in Top 10 Holdings 46.32 Turnover % (as of 2023-12-31) 3.73 30 Day SEC Yield % 0.00 Top Holdings Sector P/E % of Net Assets Microsoft Corp 33.55 9.10 Apple Inc 37.16 7.67 Amazon.com Inc 39.83 5.47 Alphabet Inc Class C 22.90 4.12 Novo Nordisk AS ADR --- 4.01 UnitedHealth Group Inc 36.70 3.62 Visa Inc Class A 29.79 3.49 Texas Instruments Inc 37.76 3.25 NVIDIA Corp 62.24 2.94 BlackRock Inc 24.36 2.65 Data through 2024-09-30

Principal Risks    Foreign Securities, Loss of Money, Not FDIC Insured, Value Investing, Market/Market Volatility, Depositary Receipts, Equity Securities, Management, Large Cap Show Risk Definitions

Other Information Inception Date: 1993-04-05 Portfolio Manager(s) Catherine P. Crain   (1998-03-31) Catherine P. Crain is a Vice President at Fayez Sarofim & Co. and a co-manager of the mutual funds that Fayez Sarofim & Co. manages for BNY Mellon. She is also a portfolio manager for a variety of institutional and high net worth clients. Ms. Crain joined the Firm in 1993 as an Associate. Over the years, areas of research responsibility have included transportation, media and entertainment, and consumer products. Ms. Crain received a M.B.A. from the University of Texas in 1993 and a B.A. with Highest Honors in the Plan II Liberal Arts Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin in 1989, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Prior to joining Fayez Sarofim & Co., she was employed at Merrill Lynch & Co. as a Financial Analyst in the Investment Banking Division in New York and Houston. Ms. Crain is a life member of the University of Texas McCombs School of Business Advisory Council. She also serves as a member of The Joy School Board of Trustees. Christopher B. Sarofim   (2000-10-31) Christopher B. Sarofim is Vice Chairman of Fayez Sarofim & Co., President of Sarofim International Management Company and a Director of The Sarofim Group. He is a member of Fayez Sarofim & Co.’s Executive, Investment and Finance Committees, a co-manager of the mutual funds that Fayez Sarofim & Co. manages for BNY Mellon and a portfolio manager for a variety of institutional and high net worth clients. Mr. Sarofim joined the Firm in 1988 as an Associate. Mr. Sarofim received an A.B. in History from Princeton University in 1986. Prior to joining Fayez Sarofim & Co., he worked in corporate finance at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Mr. Sarofim is a member of the Board of Trustees for The Brown Foundation, Inc. He also serves on the boards of Kemper Corp. and Wood Partners and is on the Advisory Committee of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors. Alan R. Christensen   (2020-03-04) Alan R. Christensen is the President and Head of Investment Risk at Fayez Sarofim & Co. Mr. Christensen oversees the Firm’s marketing, client service, operations and technology initiatives and is a member of the Investment Committee. He is also a portfolio manager for a variety of institutional and high net worth clients. Mr. Christensen joined the Firm in 2005 as an Associate. Mr. Christensen received a M.B.A. with Distinction from Cornell University in 2005, where he was a Park Fellow and a B.A. in Economics and History from Washington & Lee University in 1995, where he graduated cum laude. Prior to joining Fayez Sarofim & Co., he was employed with Alvarez & Marsal as a Director and Accenture as a Senior Manager in Capital Markets. W. Gentry Lee   (2010-12-14) William ("Gentry”) Lee, Jr. is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Fayez Sarofim & Co., a Director of The Sarofim Group and a member of Fayez Sarofim & Co.’s Executive and Investment Committees. In addition to overseeing the Firm’s investment, client service and business operations, he is a co-manager of the mutual funds that Fayez Sarofim & Co. manages for BNY Mellon. He is also a portfolio manager for a variety of institutional and high net worth clients. Mr. Lee joined the Firm in 1998 as an Associate. Over the years, areas of research responsibility have included beverages, technology and transportation. Mr. Lee received a M.B.A. with High Distinction from Harvard Business School in 1998, where he was a Baker Scholar, and a B.A. with High Honors in Economics from Vanderbilt University in 1994, where he graduated summa cum laude. He was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Prior to attending business school and joining Fayez Sarofim & Co., he was employed as a Financial Analyst with Enron Capital & Trade Resources. Mr. Lee serves on the board of directors of Wood Partners and St. John’s School. Previously, he was a board member of the Carruth Foundation and Memorial Park Conservancy and Co-President of the Houston Vanderbilt University Alumni Chapter. Charles E. Sheedy   (2000-10-31) Charles E. Sheedy is a Senior Vice President at Fayez Sarofim & Co. and a member of the Firm’s Investment Committee. He is co-manager of the mutual funds that Fayez Sarofim & Co. manages for BNY Mellon and serves on the board of Sarofim Trust Co. Additionally, he is a portfolio manager for a variety of institutional and high net worth clients. Mr. Sheedy joined the Firm 1971 as an Associate. Over the years, areas of responsibility have included retail, electrical equipment, consumer staples, basic industries and health care. Mr. Sheedy received a M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1971 and graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1969. Mr. Sheedy is a member of the Notre Dame Arts & Letters Advisory Counsel. Investment Advisor(s) BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc Issuer BNY Mellon Subadvisor(s) Fayez Sarofim & Company

Show Data Definitions © Copyright 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Morningstar, the Morningstar logo, Morningstar.com, Morningstar Tools are either trademark or service marks of Morningstar, Inc. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or any losses arising from any use of information. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Returns will vary and shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when sold.



Morningstar® Investment Profile™   Morningstar® Disclosure   Format for Print BNY Mellon VIF Apprec Port Initl Release date as of 2024-10-31. Data on page is subject to change. Snapshot Ratings & Risk Portfolio Nuts & Bolts

Morningstar Ratings Morningstar Return Morningstar Risk Morningstar Rating Number of Funds 3-Year Average Low 1073 5-Year Below Avg Low 1006 10-Year Below Avg Low 790 Overall Below Avg Low 1073 Morningstar Category: Large Growth | Number of Funds in Category: 1073 Data through 2024-10-31

Ratings reflect risk-adjusted performance and are derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three, five and ten-year (if applicable) time periods.

Volatility Measurements Standard Deviation 17.06 Mean 4.29 Sharpe Ratio 0.10 Trailing 3-Yr as of 2024-10-31

Modern Portfolio Theory Statistics Best Fit Index S&P 500 TR USD R-Squared 94 Beta 0.96 Alpha -4.31 Trailing 3-Yr as of 2024-10-31

Principal Risks    Foreign Securities, Loss of Money, Not FDIC Insured, Value Investing, Market/Market Volatility, Depositary Receipts, Equity Securities, Management, Large Cap Show Risk Definitions

Investment Risks There are no additional fund specific investment risks (e.g. liquidity risk, currency risk, foreign investment risk, etc.) associated with this fund beyond the normal risks generally associated with investing in a mutual fund.

Show Data Definitions © Copyright 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Morningstar, the Morningstar logo, Morningstar.com, Morningstar Tools are either trademark or service marks of Morningstar, Inc. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or any losses arising from any use of information. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Returns will vary and shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when sold.



Morningstar® Investment Profile™   Morningstar® Disclosure   Format for Print BNY Mellon VIF Apprec Port Initl Release date as of 2024-10-31. Data on page is subject to change. Snapshot Ratings & Risk Portfolio Nuts & Bolts

Style Box Details for Stock Holdings Size Average Mkt Cap $Mil 453,886     Market Capitalization % of Portfolio Giant 56.97 Large 39.53 Medium 3.50 Small 0.00 Micro 0.00     Investment Valuation Stock Portfolio Forward P/E 25.2 Price/Book 6.4 Price/Sales 4.6 Price/Cash Flow 18.9 Dividend Yield 1.3 Long-Term Earnings 12.4 Historical Earnings 11.2 Sales Growth 11.2 Cash-Flow Growth 7.5 Book-Value Growth 12.7 As of 2024-09-30 Data as of 2024-09-30

Asset Allocation % of Net Assets U.S. Stocks 84.5 Non-U.S. Stocks 15.3 Bonds 0.0 Cash 0.2 Other 0.0 Data through 2024-09-30

Morningstar Equity Sectors % of Stocks Cyclical 32.06 Basic Materials 1.58 Consumer Cyclical 13.76 Financial Services 15.75 Real Estate 0.97 Sensitive 49.43 Communication Services 4.13 Energy 4.67 Industrials 6.32 Technology 34.31 Defensive 18.52 Consumer Defensive 3.65 Healthcare 14.87 Utilities 0.00 Data through 2024-09-30

Top 25 Holdings Total Number of Stock Holdings 47 Total Number of Bond Holdings 0 % of Net Assets in Top 10 Holdings 46.32 Turnover % (as of 2023-12-31) 3.73 30 Day SEC Yield % 0.00 Top 25 Holdings Sector P/E % of Net Assets Microsoft Corp 33.55 9.10 Apple Inc 37.16 7.67 Amazon.com Inc 39.83 5.47 Alphabet Inc Class C 22.90 4.12 Novo Nordisk AS ADR --- 4.01 UnitedHealth Group Inc 36.70 3.62 Visa Inc Class A 29.79 3.49 Texas Instruments Inc 37.76 3.25 NVIDIA Corp 62.24 2.94 BlackRock Inc 24.36 2.65 S&P Global Inc 42.40 2.56 Chevron Corp 14.73 2.55 Intuit Inc 58.51 2.46 ASML Holding NV ADR --- 2.42 Progressive Corp 17.65 2.18 Intuitive Surgical Inc 81.00 2.18 Lvmh Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE --- 2.05 McDonald's Corp 25.65 1.98 BAE Systems PLC ADR --- 1.87 Mastercard Inc Class A 37.76 1.84 ServiceNow Inc 145.33 1.73 Intercontinental Exchange Inc 37.02 1.71 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd ADR --- 1.66 Exxon Mobil Corp 13.97 1.65 Sherwin-Williams Co 35.70 1.57 Data through 2024-09-30

Show Data Definitions © Copyright 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Morningstar, the Morningstar logo, Morningstar.com, Morningstar Tools are either trademark or service marks of Morningstar, Inc. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or any losses arising from any use of information. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Returns will vary and shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when sold.



Morningstar® Investment Profile™   Morningstar® Disclosure   Format for Print BNY Mellon VIF Apprec Port Initl Release date as of 2024-10-31. Data on page is subject to change. Snapshot Ratings & Risk Portfolio Nuts & Bolts

Fees and Expenses Taken from prospectus dated 2024-05-01   Maximum Fees Administrative --- Management 0.75% 12b-1 --- Actual Fees 12b-1 --- Management 0.75% Expense Ratio 0.85% (taken from annual report dated 2024-06-30) Total Annual Operating Expense 0.85%

Waiver Data Type Date % --- --- --- ---

Management Inception Date: 1993-04-05

Mngr Name Catherine P. Crain Mngr Start Date 1998-03-31 Biography Catherine P. Crain is a Vice President at Fayez Sarofim & Co. and a co-manager of the mutual funds that Fayez Sarofim & Co. manages for BNY Mellon. She is also a portfolio manager for a variety of institutional and high net worth clients. Ms. Crain joined the Firm in 1993 as an Associate. Over the years, areas of research responsibility have included transportation, media and entertainment, and consumer products. Ms. Crain received a M.B.A. from the University of Texas in 1993 and a B.A. with Highest Honors in the Plan II Liberal Arts Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin in 1989, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Prior to joining Fayez Sarofim & Co., she was employed at Merrill Lynch & Co. as a Financial Analyst in the Investment Banking Division in New York and Houston. Ms. Crain is a life member of the University of Texas McCombs School of Business Advisory Council. She also serves as a member of The Joy School Board of Trustees. Mngr Name Christopher B. Sarofim Mngr Start Date 2000-10-31 Biography Christopher B. Sarofim is Vice Chairman of Fayez Sarofim & Co., President of Sarofim International Management Company and a Director of The Sarofim Group. He is a member of Fayez Sarofim & Co.’s Executive, Investment and Finance Committees, a co-manager of the mutual funds that Fayez Sarofim & Co. manages for BNY Mellon and a portfolio manager for a variety of institutional and high net worth clients. Mr. Sarofim joined the Firm in 1988 as an Associate. Mr. Sarofim received an A.B. in History from Princeton University in 1986. Prior to joining Fayez Sarofim & Co., he worked in corporate finance at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Mr. Sarofim is a member of the Board of Trustees for The Brown Foundation, Inc. He also serves on the boards of Kemper Corp. and Wood Partners and is on the Advisory Committee of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors. Mngr Name Alan R. Christensen Mngr Start Date 2020-03-04 Biography Alan R. Christensen is the President and Head of Investment Risk at Fayez Sarofim & Co. Mr. Christensen oversees the Firm’s marketing, client service, operations and technology initiatives and is a member of the Investment Committee. He is also a portfolio manager for a variety of institutional and high net worth clients. Mr. Christensen joined the Firm in 2005 as an Associate. Mr. Christensen received a M.B.A. with Distinction from Cornell University in 2005, where he was a Park Fellow and a B.A. in Economics and History from Washington & Lee University in 1995, where he graduated cum laude. Prior to joining Fayez Sarofim & Co., he was employed with Alvarez & Marsal as a Director and Accenture as a Senior Manager in Capital Markets. Mngr Name W. Gentry Lee Mngr Start Date 2010-12-14 Biography William ("Gentry”) Lee, Jr. is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Fayez Sarofim & Co., a Director of The Sarofim Group and a member of Fayez Sarofim & Co.’s Executive and Investment Committees. In addition to overseeing the Firm’s investment, client service and business operations, he is a co-manager of the mutual funds that Fayez Sarofim & Co. manages for BNY Mellon. He is also a portfolio manager for a variety of institutional and high net worth clients. Mr. Lee joined the Firm in 1998 as an Associate. Over the years, areas of research responsibility have included beverages, technology and transportation. Mr. Lee received a M.B.A. with High Distinction from Harvard Business School in 1998, where he was a Baker Scholar, and a B.A. with High Honors in Economics from Vanderbilt University in 1994, where he graduated summa cum laude. He was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Prior to attending business school and joining Fayez Sarofim & Co., he was employed as a Financial Analyst with Enron Capital & Trade Resources. Mr. Lee serves on the board of directors of Wood Partners and St. John’s School. Previously, he was a board member of the Carruth Foundation and Memorial Park Conservancy and Co-President of the Houston Vanderbilt University Alumni Chapter. Mngr Name Charles E. Sheedy Mngr Start Date 2000-10-31 Biography Charles E. Sheedy is a Senior Vice President at Fayez Sarofim & Co. and a member of the Firm’s Investment Committee. He is co-manager of the mutual funds that Fayez Sarofim & Co. manages for BNY Mellon and serves on the board of Sarofim Trust Co. Additionally, he is a portfolio manager for a variety of institutional and high net worth clients. Mr. Sheedy joined the Firm 1971 as an Associate. Over the years, areas of responsibility have included retail, electrical equipment, consumer staples, basic industries and health care. Mr. Sheedy received a M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1971 and graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1969. Mr. Sheedy is a member of the Notre Dame Arts & Letters Advisory Counsel. Investment Advisor(s) BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc Web Site www.dreyfus.com/ Issuer BNY Mellon Subadvisor(s) Fayez Sarofim & Company

Show Data Definitions © Copyright 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Morningstar, the Morningstar logo, Morningstar.com, Morningstar Tools are either trademark or service marks of Morningstar, Inc. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or any losses arising from any use of information. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Returns will vary and shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when sold.



Morningstar Investment Profilessm: Disclosure Statement

Morningstar Rating, Risk and Return

The Morningstar RatingTM for funds, or "star rating", is calculated for managed products (including mutual funds, variable annuity and variable life subaccounts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and separate accounts) with at least a three-year history. Exchange-traded funds and open-ended mutual funds are considered a single population for comparative purposes. It is calculated based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a managed product's monthly excess performance, placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The Morningstar Rating does not include any adjustment for sales loads. The top 10% of products in each product category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating for a managed product is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. The weights are: 100% three-year rating for 36-59 months of total returns, 60% five-year rating/40% three-year rating for 60-119 months of total returns, and 50% 10-year rating/30% five-year rating/20% three-year rating for 120 or more months of total returns. While the 10-year overall star rating formula seems to give the most weight to the 10-year period, the most recent three-year period actually has the greatest impact because it is included in all three rating periods.

For private funds, the Morningstar Rating presented is hypothetical, because Morningstar does not independently analyze private funds. Rather, the rating is assigned as a means to compare these funds with the universe of mutual funds that Morningstar rates. The evaluation of this investment does not affect the retail mutual fund data published by Morningstar.

Overall ratings represent a weighted average of specific time period (3-, 5- and 10-year) ratings.

The Morningstar Return rates a fund's performance relative to other managed products in its Morningstar Category. It is an assessment of a product's excess return over a risk-free rate (the return of the 90-day Treasury Bill) in comparison with the products in its Morningstar category. In each Morningstar category, the top 10% of products earn a High Morningstar Return (High), the next 22.5% Above Average (+Avg), the middle 35% Average (Avg), the next 22.5% Below Average (-Avg), and the bottom 10% Low (Low). Morningstar Return is measured for up to three time periods (three, five, and 10 years). These separate measures are then weighted and averaged to produce an overall measure for the product. Products with less than three years of performance history are not rated.

Morningstar Risk evaluates a fund's downside volatility relative to that of other products in its Morningstar Category. It is an assessment of the variations in monthly returns, with an emphasis on downside variations, in comparison with the products in its Morningstar category. In each Morningstar category, the 10% of products with the lowest measured risk are described as Low Risk (Low), the next 22.5% Below Average (-Avg), the middle 35% Average (Avg), the next 22.5% Above Average (+Avg), and the top 10% High (High). Morningstar Risk is measured for up to three time periods (three, five, and 10 years). These separate measures are then weighted and averaged to produce an overall measure for the product. Products with less than three years of performance history are not rated.

BNY Mellon VIF Apprec Port Initl

Morningstar Ratings (Relative to Category)    Morningstar Return Morningstar Risk Morningstar Rating # of Funds 3-year Average Low 1073 5-year Below Avg Low 1006 10-year Below Avg Low 790 Overall Below Avg Low 1073 Morningstar Category : Large Growth | Number of Funds in Category: 1073 Data through 2024-10-31

Risk Measures

R-squared reflects the percentage of an investment option's movements that are explained by movements in its benchmark index, showing the degree of correlation between the investment option and the benchmark.

Beta is a measure of an investment option's sensitivity to market movements. A portfolio with a beta greater than 1 is more volatile than the market, and a portfolio with a beta less than 1 is less volatile than the market. Alpha measures the difference between an investment option's actual returns and its expected performance, given its level of risk (as measured by beta).

The Sharpe ratio uses standard deviation and excess return to determine reward per unit of risk.

Standard deviation is a statistical measure of the volatility of the investment option's returns.

Mean represents the annualized three-year geometric return.

Morningstar Style BoxTM

The Morningstar Style Box reveals a fund's investment strategy as of the date noted on this report.

For equity funds, the vertical axis shows the market capitalization of the long stocks owned, and the horizontal axis shows the investment style (value, blend, or growth). A darkened cell in the style box matrix indicates the weighted average style of the portfolio.

For portfolios holding fixed-income investments, a Fixed Income Style Box is calculated. The vertical axis shows the credit quality based on credit ratings and the horizontal axis shows interest-rate sensitivity as measured by effective duration. There are three credit categories - "High", "Medium", and "Low"; and there are three interest rate sensitivity categories - "Limited", "Moderate", and "Extensive"; resulting in nine possible combinations. As in the Equity Style Box, the combination of credit and interest rate sensitivity for a portfolio is represented by a darkened square in the matrix. Morningstar uses credit rating information from credit rating agencies (CRAs) that have been designated Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (NRSROs) by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the United States. For a list of all NRSROs, please visit https://www.sec.gov/ocr/ocr-current-nrsros.html. Additionally, Morningstar will use credit ratings from CRAs which have been recognized by foreign regulatory institutions that are deemed the equivalent of the NRSRO designation. To determine the rating applicable to a holding and the subsequent holding weighted value of a portfolio two methods may be employed. First is a common methodology approach where if a case exists such that two CRAs have rated a holding, the lower rating of the two should be applied; if three or more CRAs have rated a holding, the median rating should be applied; and in cases where there are more than two ratings and a median rating cannot be determined, the lower of the two middle ratings should be applied. Alternatively, if there is more than one rating available an average can be calculated from all and applied. Please Note: Morningstar, Inc. is not an NRSRO nor does it issue a credit rating on the fund. Credit ratings for any security held in a portfolio can change over time.

Morningstar uses the credit rating information to calculate a weighted-average credit quality value for the portfolio. This value is based only upon those holdings which are considered to be classified as "fixed income", such a government, corporate, or securitized issues. Other types of holdings such as equities and many, though not all, types of derivatives are excluded. The weighted-average credit quality value is represented by a rating symbol which corresponds to the long-term rating symbol schemas employed by most CRAs. Note that this value is not explicitly published but instead serves as an input in the Style Box calculation. This symbol is then used to map to a Style Box credit quality category of "low," "medium," or "high". Funds with a "low" credit quality category are those whose weighted-average credit quality is determined to be equivalent to the commonly used High Yield classification, meaning a rating below "BBB", portfolios assigned to the "high" credit category have either a "AAA" or "AA+" average credit quality value, while "medium" are those with an average rating of "AA-" inclusive to "BBB-". It is expected and intended that the majority of portfolios will be assigned a credit category of "medium".

For assignment to an interest-rate sensitivity category, Morningstar uses the average effective duration of the portfolio. From this value there are three distinct methodologies employed to determine assignment to category. Portfolio which are assigned to Morningstar municipal-bond categories employ static breakpoints between categories. These breakpoints are: "Limited" equal to 4.5 years or less, "Moderate" equal to 4.5 years to less than 7 years; and "Extensive" equal to more than 7 years. For portfolios assigned to Morningstar categories other than U.S. Taxable, including all domiciled outside the United States, static duration breakpoints are also used: "Limited" equals less than or equal to 3.5 years, "Moderate" equals greater than 3.5 years but less than or equal to 6 years, and "Extensive" is assigned to portfolios with effective durations of more than 6 years.

Note: Interest-rate sensitivity for non-U.S. domiciled portfolios (excluding those in Morningstar convertible categories) may be assigned using average modified duration when average effective duration is not available.

For portfolios Morningstar classifies as U.S. Taxable Fixed-Income, interest-rate sensitivity category assignment is based on the effective duration of the Morningstar Core Bond Index (MCBI). The classification assignment is dynamically determined relative to the benchmark index value. A "Limited" category will be assigned to portfolios whose average effective duration is between 25% to 75% of MCBI average effective duration, where the average effective duration is between 75% to 125% of the MCBI the portfolio will be classified as "Moderate", and those portfolios with an average effective duration value 125% or greater of the average effective duration of the MCBI will be classified as "Extensive".

Investment Risk

Foreign Securities Investment Options:/Emerging Market Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest in foreign securities involve special additional risks. These risks include, but are not limited to, currency risk, political risk, and risk associated with varying accounting standards. Investing in emerging markets may accentuate these risks.

Sector Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest exclusively in one sector or industry involve additional risks. The lack of industry diversification subjects the investor to increased industry-specific risks.

Non-Diversified Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest more of their assets in a single issuer involve additional risks, including share price fluctuations, because of the increased concentration of investments.

Small Cap Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest in stocks of small companies involve additional risks. Smaller companies typically have a higher risk of failure, and are not as well established as larger blue-chip companies. Historically, smaller-company stocks have experienced a greater degree of market volatility than the overall market average.

Mid Cap Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest in companies with market capitalizations below $10 billion involve additional risks. The securities of these companies may be more volatile and less liquid than the securities of larger companies.

High-Yield Bond Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest in lower-rated debt securities (commonly referred to as junk bonds) involve additional risks because of the lower credit quality of the securities in the portfolio. The investor should be aware of the possible higher level of volatility, and increased risk of default.

Yield

The yield of an investment option refers to the income generated by an investment in that investment option over an identified period of time. The SEC 30-day yield refers to the income generated by an investment over an identified 30-day period. The SEC 30-day yield is calculated by dividing: (I) the net investment income per share of the investment option earned over a 30-day period; by (II) the maximum offering price per share of the investment option on the last day of the period. This number is then annualized using semi-annual compounding. This means that the amount of income generated during the 30-day period is assumed to be generated each month over a 12-month period and is reinvested every six months. The yield does not necessarily reflect income actually earned by investing in the investment option because of certain adjustments required by the SEC and, therefore, may not correlate to the dividends or other distributions paid to shareholders.